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Podgrajsek R, Hodzic A, Stimpfel M, Kunej T, Peterlin B. Insight into the complexity of male infertility: a multi-omics review. Syst Biol Reprod Med 2024; 70:73-90. [PMID: 38517373 DOI: 10.1080/19396368.2024.2317804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
Male infertility is a reproductive disorder, accounting for 40-50% of infertility. Currently, in about 70% of infertile men, the cause remains unknown. With the introduction of novel omics and advancement in high-throughput technology, potential biomarkers are emerging. The main purpose of our work was to overview different aspects of omics approaches in association with idiopathic male infertility and highlight potential genes, transcripts, non-coding RNA, proteins, and metabolites worth further exploring. Using the Gene Ontology (GO) analysis, we aimed to compare enriched GO terms from each omics approach and determine their overlapping. A PubMed database screening for the literature published between February 2014 and June 2022 was performed using the keywords: male infertility in association with different omics approaches: genomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics, ncRNAomics, proteomics, and metabolomics. A GO enrichment analysis was performed using the Enrichr tool. We retrieved 281 global studies: 171 genomics (DNA level), 21 epigenomics (19 of methylation and two histone residue modifications), 15 transcriptomics, 31 non-coding RNA, 29 proteomics, two protein posttranslational modification, and 19 metabolomics studies. Gene ontology comparison showed that different omics approaches lead to the identification of different molecular factors and that the corresponding GO terms, obtained from different omics approaches, do not overlap to a larger extent. With the integration of novel omics levels into the research of idiopathic causes of male infertility, using multi-omic systems biology approaches, we will be closer to finding the potential biomarkers and consequently becoming aware of the entire spectrum of male infertility, their cause, prognosis, and potential treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebeka Podgrajsek
- Department of Human Reproduction, University Medical Center Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Alenka Hodzic
- Clinical Institute of Genomic Medicine, University Medical Center Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Novo mesto, Novo Mesto, Slovenia
| | - Martin Stimpfel
- Department of Human Reproduction, University Medical Center Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Medical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Tanja Kunej
- Department of Animal Science, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Domžale, Slovenia
| | - Borut Peterlin
- Clinical Institute of Genomic Medicine, University Medical Center Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Medical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
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2
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Zhou Z, Qi Q, Wang WH, Dong J, Xu JJ, Feng YM, Zou ZC, Chen L, Ma JZ, Yao B. A novel homozygous mutation of CFAP300 identified in a Chinese patient with primary ciliary dyskinesia and infertility. Asian J Androl 2024:00129336-990000000-00243. [PMID: 39254424 DOI: 10.4103/aja202477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2024] [Accepted: 07/19/2024] [Indexed: 09/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is a clinically rare, genetically and phenotypically heterogeneous condition characterized by chronic respiratory tract infections, male infertility, tympanitis, and laterality abnormalities. PCD is typically resulted from variants in genes encoding assembly or structural proteins that are indispensable for the movement of motile cilia. Here, we identified a novel nonsense mutation, c.466G>T, in cilia- and flagella-associated protein 300 (CFAP300) resulting in a stop codon (p.Glu156 *) through whole-exome sequencing (WES). The proband had a PCD phenotype with laterality defects and immotile sperm flagella displaying a combined loss of the inner dynein arm (IDA) and outer dynein arm (ODA). Bioinformatic programs predicted that the mutation is deleterious. Successful pregnancy was achieved through intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Our results expand the spectrum of CFAP300 variants in PCD and provide reproductive guidance for infertile couples suffering from PCD caused by them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Zhou
- Center of Reproductive Medicine, Jinling Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Qi Qi
- Center of Reproductive Medicine, Jinling Clinical Medical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Wen-Hua Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Jie Dong
- Center of Reproductive Medicine, Jinling Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Juan-Juan Xu
- Center of Reproductive Medicine, Jinling Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Yu-Ming Feng
- Center of Reproductive Medicine, Jinling Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Zhi-Chuan Zou
- Center of Reproductive Medicine, Jinling Hospital, The First School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Nanjing 210007, China
| | - Li Chen
- Center of Reproductive Medicine, Jinling Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210008, China
- Center of Reproductive Medicine, Jinling Clinical Medical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
- Center of Reproductive Medicine, Jinling Hospital, The First School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Nanjing 210007, China
| | - Jin-Zhao Ma
- Center of Reproductive Medicine, Jinling Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210008, China
- Center of Reproductive Medicine, Jinling Clinical Medical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
- Center of Reproductive Medicine, Jinling Hospital, The First School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Nanjing 210007, China
| | - Bing Yao
- Center of Reproductive Medicine, Jinling Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210008, China
- Center of Reproductive Medicine, Jinling Clinical Medical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
- Center of Reproductive Medicine, Jinling Hospital, The First School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Nanjing 210007, China
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3
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Hussain A, Zhang H, Zubair M, Shah W, Khan K, Ali I, Raza Y, Zeb A, Abbas T, Ahmed N, Rahim F, Mustafa G, Uddin M, Ullah N, Abbas M, Khan MA, Ma H, Yang B, Shi QH. A novel homozygous splicing mutation in AK7 causes multiple morphological abnormalities of sperm flagella in patients from consanguineous Pakistani families. Asian J Androl 2024:00129336-990000000-00242. [PMID: 39254435 DOI: 10.4103/aja202471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2024] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 09/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Multiple morphological abnormalities of the flagella (MMAF) represent a severe form of sperm defects leading to asthenozoospermia and male infertility. In this study, we identified a novel homozygous splicing mutation (c.871-4 ACA>A) in the adenylate kinase 7 (AK7) gene by whole-exome sequencing in infertile individuals. Spermatozoa from affected individuals exhibited typical MMAF characteristics, including coiled, bent, short, absent, and irregular flagella. Transmission electron microscopy analysis showed disorganized axonemal structure and abnormal mitochondrial sheets in sperm flagella. Immunofluorescence staining confirmed the absence of AK7 protein from the patients' spermatozoa, validating the pathogenic nature of the mutation. This study provides direct evidence linking the AK7 gene to MMAF-associated asthenozoospermia in humans, expanding the mutational spectrum of AK7 and enhancing our understanding of the genetic basis of male infertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ansar Hussain
- Center for Reproduction and Genetics, First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, The CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, Institute of Health and Medicine, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
| | - Huan Zhang
- Center for Reproduction and Genetics, First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, The CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, Institute of Health and Medicine, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
| | - Muhammad Zubair
- Center for Reproduction and Genetics, First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, The CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, Institute of Health and Medicine, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
| | - Wasim Shah
- Center for Reproduction and Genetics, First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, The CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, Institute of Health and Medicine, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
| | - Khalid Khan
- Center for Reproduction and Genetics, First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, The CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, Institute of Health and Medicine, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
| | - Imtiaz Ali
- Center for Reproduction and Genetics, First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, The CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, Institute of Health and Medicine, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
| | - Yousaf Raza
- Center for Reproduction and Genetics, First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, The CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, Institute of Health and Medicine, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
| | - Aurang Zeb
- Center for Reproduction and Genetics, First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, The CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, Institute of Health and Medicine, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
| | - Tanveer Abbas
- Center for Reproduction and Genetics, First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, The CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, Institute of Health and Medicine, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
| | - Nisar Ahmed
- Center for Reproduction and Genetics, First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, The CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, Institute of Health and Medicine, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
| | - Fazal Rahim
- Center for Reproduction and Genetics, First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, The CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, Institute of Health and Medicine, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
| | - Ghulam Mustafa
- Center for Reproduction and Genetics, First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, The CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, Institute of Health and Medicine, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
| | - Meftah Uddin
- Center for Reproduction and Genetics, First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, The CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, Institute of Health and Medicine, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
| | - Nadeem Ullah
- Center for Reproduction and Genetics, First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, The CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, Institute of Health and Medicine, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
| | - Musavir Abbas
- Center for Reproduction and Genetics, First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, The CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, Institute of Health and Medicine, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
| | - Muzammil Ahmad Khan
- Gomal Centre of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Gomal University, Dera Ismail Khan 29220, Pakistan
| | - Hui Ma
- Center for Reproduction and Genetics, First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, The CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, Institute of Health and Medicine, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
| | - Bo Yang
- Center for Reproduction and Genetics, First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, The CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, Institute of Health and Medicine, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
| | - Qing-Hua Shi
- Center for Reproduction and Genetics, First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, The CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, Institute of Health and Medicine, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
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4
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Liu M, Wang L, Li Y, Zhi E, Shen G, Jiang X, Li D, Zhao X, Ruan T, Jiang C, Wang X, Zhang X, Zheng Y, Wu B, Ou N, Zhao G, Dai S, Zhou R, Yang L, Yang Y, Liu H, Shen Y. HSF5 Deficiency Causes Male Infertility Involving Spermatogenic Arrest at Meiotic Prophase I in Humans and Mice. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2402412. [PMID: 38958533 PMCID: PMC11434121 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202402412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2024] [Revised: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024]
Abstract
Meiosis is a specialized cell division process that generates gametes for sexual reproduction. However, the factors and underlying mechanisms involving meiotic progression remain largely unknown, especially in humans. Here, it is first showed that HSF5 is associated with human spermatogenesis. Patients with a pathogenic variant of HSF5 are completely infertile. Testicular histologic findings in the patients reveal rare postmeiotic germ cells resulting from meiotic prophase I arrest. Hsf5 knockout (KO) mice confirms that the loss of HSF5 causes defects in meiotic recombination, crossover formation, sex chromosome synapsis, and sex chromosome inactivation (MSCI), which may contribute to spermatocyte arrest at the late pachytene stage. Importantly, spermatogenic arrest can be rescued by compensatory HSF5 adeno-associated virus injection into KO mouse testes. Mechanistically, integrated analysis of RNA sequencing and chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing data revealed that HSF5 predominantly binds to promoters of key genes involved in crossover formation (e.g., HFM1, MSH5 and MLH3), synapsis (e.g., SYCP1, SYCP2 and SYCE3), recombination (TEX15), and MSCI (MDC1) and further regulates their transcription during meiotic progression. Taken together, the study demonstrates that HSF5 modulates the transcriptome to ensure meiotic progression in humans and mice. These findings will aid in genetic diagnosis of and potential treatments for male infertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohan Liu
- Department of Obstetrics/GynecologyGynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of Ministry of EducationWest China Second University HospitalSichuan UniversityChengdu610041China
- Department of BiotherapyCancer Center and State Key Laboratory of BiotherapyWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengdu610041China
| | - Lingbo Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Metabolic Remodeling and HealthInstitute of Metabolism and Integrative BiologyInstitute of Reproduction and DevelopmentObstetrics and Gynecology HospitalFudan UniversityShanghai200433China
| | - Yifei Li
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children of MOEDepartment of PediatricsWest China Second University HospitalSichuan UniversityChengdu610041China
| | - Erlei Zhi
- UrologyUrologic Medical CenterShanghai General HospitalShanghai Jiao Tong University School of MedicineShanghai200000China
| | - Gan Shen
- Department of Obstetrics/GynecologyGynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of Ministry of EducationWest China Second University HospitalSichuan UniversityChengdu610041China
| | - Xiaohui Jiang
- Human Sperm BankKey Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and ChildrenMinistry of EducationWest China Second University HospitalSichuan UniversityChengdu610041China
- NHC Key Laboratory of ChronobiologySichuan UniversityChengdu610041China
| | - Dingming Li
- Human Sperm BankKey Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and ChildrenMinistry of EducationWest China Second University HospitalSichuan UniversityChengdu610041China
| | - Xinya Zhao
- West China School of preclinical medicine and forensic medicineSichuan UniversityChengdu610041China
| | - Tiechao Ruan
- Department of PediatricsWest China Second University HospitalSichuan UniversityChengdu610041China
| | - Chuan Jiang
- Department of Obstetrics/GynecologyGynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of Ministry of EducationWest China Second University HospitalSichuan UniversityChengdu610041China
| | - Xiang Wang
- Department of Obstetrics/GynecologyGynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of Ministry of EducationWest China Second University HospitalSichuan UniversityChengdu610041China
| | - Xueguang Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics/GynecologyGynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of Ministry of EducationWest China Second University HospitalSichuan UniversityChengdu610041China
| | - Yanjiang Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children of MOEDepartment of PediatricsWest China Second University HospitalSichuan UniversityChengdu610041China
| | - Bangguo Wu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Metabolic Remodeling and HealthInstitute of Metabolism and Integrative BiologyInstitute of Reproduction and DevelopmentObstetrics and Gynecology HospitalFudan UniversityShanghai200433China
| | - Ningjing Ou
- Department of UrologyThe First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical UniversityChongqing400016China
| | - Guicheng Zhao
- Human Sperm BankKey Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and ChildrenMinistry of EducationWest China Second University HospitalSichuan UniversityChengdu610041China
| | - Siyu Dai
- Department of Pediatric Pulmonology and ImmunologyWest China Second University HospitalSichuan UniversityChengdu610041China
| | - Ruixi Zhou
- West China School of preclinical medicine and forensic medicineSichuan UniversityChengdu610041China
| | - Li Yang
- Department of BiotherapyCancer Center and State Key Laboratory of BiotherapyWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengdu610041China
| | - Yihong Yang
- Reproduction Medical Center of West China Second University HospitalKey Laboratory of ObstetricGynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of Ministry of EducationSichuan UniversityChengdu610041China
| | - Hanmin Liu
- NHC Key Laboratory of ChronobiologySichuan UniversityChengdu610041China
- Department of Pediatric Pulmonology and ImmunologyWest China Second University HospitalSichuan UniversityChengdu610041China
| | - Ying Shen
- Department of Obstetrics/GynecologyGynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of Ministry of EducationWest China Second University HospitalSichuan UniversityChengdu610041China
- NHC Key Laboratory of ChronobiologySichuan UniversityChengdu610041China
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5
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Vieira CP, Martins Lara NDLE, Procópio MS, Avelar GF. Optimization of spermatozoa analysis in mice: A comprehensive protocol. Tissue Cell 2024; 89:102463. [PMID: 38981185 DOI: 10.1016/j.tice.2024.102463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2024] [Revised: 06/14/2024] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/11/2024]
Abstract
Sperm quality is critical to predict reproductive alterations caused by immunological factors or toxicant agents. Yet, no detailed protocol has been published focusing on analyses of sperm parameters in mice. Our aim was to evaluate the most efficient diluent for mice sperm analyses and to optimize the sperm morphology classification, through the comparison of different staining methods. The diluents assessed were PBS (baseline), HTF, DMEM, 1 % BSA in PBS and 9 % skimmed powdered milk diluted in PBS. Spermatozoa were evaluated for vitality, motility, and morphology, smears were stained with Papanicolaou, HE, Giemsa, and Rapid staining. Sperm vitality and total motility reached better scores in milk based and DMEM diluents. HE raised up as an effective option since its combination with any of the diluents we tested, resulted in a fair staining, which was appropriated to evaluate mice spermatozoa. Finally, based on WHO manual, we have updated the current morphological classification for mice sperm, since we have detailed the head defects as well as included midpiece and tail defects on it. Taken together, we presented a useful, low cost, and reliable method to assess sperm morphology that could be employed worldwide by laboratories dedicated to study reproductive biology on mice model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Pinhol Vieira
- Laboratory of Cellular Biology, Department of Morphology, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | | | - Marcela Santos Procópio
- Laboratory of Cellular Biology, Department of Morphology, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Gleide Fernandes Avelar
- Laboratory of Cellular Biology, Department of Morphology, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
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6
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Liu ZL, Li Y, Lin YJ, Shi MM, Fu MX, Li ZQ, Ning DS, Zeng XM, Liu X, Cui QH, Peng YM, Zhou XM, Hu YR, Liu JS, Liu YJ, Wang M, Zhang CX, Kong W, Ou ZJ, Ou JS. Aging aggravates aortic aneurysm and dissection via miR-1204-MYLK signaling axis in mice. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5985. [PMID: 39013850 PMCID: PMC11252124 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50036-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/25/2024] [Indexed: 07/18/2024] Open
Abstract
The mechanism by which aging induces aortic aneurysm and dissection (AAD) remains unclear. A total of 430 participants were recruited for the screening of differentially expressed plasma microRNAs (miRNAs). We found that miR-1204 is significantly increased in both the plasma and aorta of elder patients with AAD and is positively correlated with age. Cell senescence induces the expression of miR-1204 through p53 interaction with plasmacytoma variant translocation 1, and miR-1204 induces vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) senescence to form a positive feedback loop. Furthermore, miR-1204 aggravates angiotensin II-induced AAD formation, and inhibition of miR-1204 attenuates β-aminopropionitrile monofumarate-induced AAD development in mice. Mechanistically, miR-1204 directly targets myosin light chain kinase (MYLK), leading to the acquisition of a senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) by VSMCs and loss of their contractile phenotype. MYLK overexpression reverses miR-1204-induced VSMC senescence, SASP and contractile phenotypic changes, and the decrease of transforming growth factor-β signaling pathway. Our findings suggest that aging aggravates AAD via the miR-1204-MYLK signaling axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ze-Long Liu
- Division of Cardiac Surgery, Cardiovascular Diseases Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, P.R. China
- National-Guangdong Joint Engineering Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Vascular Diseases, Guangzhou, P.R. China
- NHC key Laboratory of Assisted Circulation and Vascular Diseases (Sun Yat-sen University), Guangzhou, P.R. China
- Key Laboratory of Assisted Circulation and Vascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, P.R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering and Technology Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Vascular Diseases, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Yan Li
- Division of Cardiac Surgery, Cardiovascular Diseases Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, P.R. China
- National-Guangdong Joint Engineering Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Vascular Diseases, Guangzhou, P.R. China
- NHC key Laboratory of Assisted Circulation and Vascular Diseases (Sun Yat-sen University), Guangzhou, P.R. China
- Key Laboratory of Assisted Circulation and Vascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, P.R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering and Technology Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Vascular Diseases, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Yi-Jun Lin
- Division of Cardiac Surgery, Cardiovascular Diseases Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, P.R. China
- National-Guangdong Joint Engineering Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Vascular Diseases, Guangzhou, P.R. China
- NHC key Laboratory of Assisted Circulation and Vascular Diseases (Sun Yat-sen University), Guangzhou, P.R. China
- Key Laboratory of Assisted Circulation and Vascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, P.R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering and Technology Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Vascular Diseases, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Mao-Mao Shi
- Division of Cardiac Surgery, Cardiovascular Diseases Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, P.R. China
- National-Guangdong Joint Engineering Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Vascular Diseases, Guangzhou, P.R. China
- NHC key Laboratory of Assisted Circulation and Vascular Diseases (Sun Yat-sen University), Guangzhou, P.R. China
- Key Laboratory of Assisted Circulation and Vascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, P.R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering and Technology Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Vascular Diseases, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Meng-Xia Fu
- Division of Cardiac Surgery, Cardiovascular Diseases Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, P.R. China
- National-Guangdong Joint Engineering Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Vascular Diseases, Guangzhou, P.R. China
- NHC key Laboratory of Assisted Circulation and Vascular Diseases (Sun Yat-sen University), Guangzhou, P.R. China
- Key Laboratory of Assisted Circulation and Vascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, P.R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering and Technology Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Vascular Diseases, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Zhi-Qing Li
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, P.R. China
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Cardiovascular Science, Ministry of Education, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Da-Sheng Ning
- Division of Cardiac Surgery, Cardiovascular Diseases Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, P.R. China
- National-Guangdong Joint Engineering Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Vascular Diseases, Guangzhou, P.R. China
- NHC key Laboratory of Assisted Circulation and Vascular Diseases (Sun Yat-sen University), Guangzhou, P.R. China
- Key Laboratory of Assisted Circulation and Vascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, P.R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering and Technology Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Vascular Diseases, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Xiang-Ming Zeng
- Division of Cardiac Surgery, Cardiovascular Diseases Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, P.R. China
- National-Guangdong Joint Engineering Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Vascular Diseases, Guangzhou, P.R. China
- NHC key Laboratory of Assisted Circulation and Vascular Diseases (Sun Yat-sen University), Guangzhou, P.R. China
- Key Laboratory of Assisted Circulation and Vascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, P.R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering and Technology Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Vascular Diseases, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Xiang Liu
- Division of Cardiac Surgery, Cardiovascular Diseases Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, P.R. China
- National-Guangdong Joint Engineering Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Vascular Diseases, Guangzhou, P.R. China
- NHC key Laboratory of Assisted Circulation and Vascular Diseases (Sun Yat-sen University), Guangzhou, P.R. China
- Key Laboratory of Assisted Circulation and Vascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, P.R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering and Technology Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Vascular Diseases, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Qing-Hua Cui
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Yue-Ming Peng
- Division of Cardiac Surgery, Cardiovascular Diseases Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, P.R. China
- National-Guangdong Joint Engineering Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Vascular Diseases, Guangzhou, P.R. China
- NHC key Laboratory of Assisted Circulation and Vascular Diseases (Sun Yat-sen University), Guangzhou, P.R. China
- Key Laboratory of Assisted Circulation and Vascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, P.R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering and Technology Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Vascular Diseases, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Xin-Min Zhou
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, P.R. China
| | - Ye-Rong Hu
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, P.R. China
| | - Jia-Sheng Liu
- Division of Cardiac Surgery, Cardiovascular Diseases Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, P.R. China
- National-Guangdong Joint Engineering Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Vascular Diseases, Guangzhou, P.R. China
- NHC key Laboratory of Assisted Circulation and Vascular Diseases (Sun Yat-sen University), Guangzhou, P.R. China
- Key Laboratory of Assisted Circulation and Vascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, P.R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering and Technology Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Vascular Diseases, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Yu-Jia Liu
- Division of Cardiac Surgery, Cardiovascular Diseases Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, P.R. China
- National-Guangdong Joint Engineering Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Vascular Diseases, Guangzhou, P.R. China
- NHC key Laboratory of Assisted Circulation and Vascular Diseases (Sun Yat-sen University), Guangzhou, P.R. China
- Key Laboratory of Assisted Circulation and Vascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, P.R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering and Technology Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Vascular Diseases, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Mian Wang
- National-Guangdong Joint Engineering Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Vascular Diseases, Guangzhou, P.R. China
- Division of Vascular Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Chun-Xiang Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology and Cardiovascular Research Center, Rush Medical College, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Cardiology, Institute of Cardiovascular Research, the Affiliated Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Wei Kong
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, P.R. China.
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Cardiovascular Science, Ministry of Education, Beijing, P.R. China.
| | - Zhi-Jun Ou
- National-Guangdong Joint Engineering Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Vascular Diseases, Guangzhou, P.R. China.
- NHC key Laboratory of Assisted Circulation and Vascular Diseases (Sun Yat-sen University), Guangzhou, P.R. China.
- Key Laboratory of Assisted Circulation and Vascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, P.R. China.
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering and Technology Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Vascular Diseases, Guangzhou, P.R. China.
- Division of Hypertension and Vascular Diseases, Department of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Diseases Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, P.R. China.
| | - Jing-Song Ou
- Division of Cardiac Surgery, Cardiovascular Diseases Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, P.R. China.
- National-Guangdong Joint Engineering Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Vascular Diseases, Guangzhou, P.R. China.
- NHC key Laboratory of Assisted Circulation and Vascular Diseases (Sun Yat-sen University), Guangzhou, P.R. China.
- Key Laboratory of Assisted Circulation and Vascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, P.R. China.
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering and Technology Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Vascular Diseases, Guangzhou, P.R. China.
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, P.R. China.
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7
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Zhang G, Xiong D, Ye F, Zhao Y, Du X, Zhi W, Liu F, Zeng J, Xu W, Liu W, Shi Y. A Key regulatory protein QRICH2 governing sperm function with profound antioxidant properties, enhancing sperm viability. Reprod Biol 2024; 24:100881. [PMID: 38772286 DOI: 10.1016/j.repbio.2024.100881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Revised: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024]
Abstract
Infertility poses a global health and social challenge, affecting approximately 15% of couples at childbearing age, with half of the cases attributed to male factors, wherein genetic factors exert a substantial role. In our prior investigation, we identified loss-of-function variants within the gene encoding glutamine-rich protein 2 (QRICH2) in two consanguineous families, leading to various morphological abnormalities in sperm flagella and male infertility. Moreover, our observations in Qrich2 knockout mice revealed a pronounced reduction in spermatozoa count. However, the underlying mechanism remains elusive, prompting further investigation in the current study. By conducting experiments such as Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining, immunofluorescence staining, flow cytometry, and single sperm metabolism analysis on the testes and spermatozoa of Qrich2 knockout mice, we found a strong antioxidant capacity mediated by QRICH2 both in vivo and in vitro. Qrich2 knockout led to elevated levels of ROS, consequently inducing DNA damage in spermatids, which in turn triggered increased autophagy and apoptosis, ultimately causing a significant decrease in spermatozoa count. Incubation with the N-terminal purified protein of QRICH2 exhibited potent strong antioxidant activity at the cell and spermatozoa levels in vitro, thereby enhancing spermatozoa viability and motility. Therefore, QRICH2 plays a crucial role in safeguarding spermatids from excessive ROS-induced damage by augmenting antioxidant capacity, thereby promoting spermatozoa survival and improving motility. Furthermore, the N-terminal purified protein of QRICH2 shows promise as an additive for protecting spermatozoa during preservation and cryopreservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guohui Zhang
- Sichuan Provincial Key Laboratory for Human Disease Gene Study and the Center for Medical Genetics, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology, Chengdu 610072, China; Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Center of Reproductive Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Chengdu 610045, China
| | - Dongsheng Xiong
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Center of Reproductive Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Chengdu 610045, China
| | - Fei Ye
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Center of Reproductive Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Chengdu 610045, China
| | - Yuhong Zhao
- School of Laboratory Medicine, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu 610500, China
| | - Xinrong Du
- Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 610075, China
| | - Weiwei Zhi
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Center of Reproductive Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Chengdu 610045, China
| | - Fulin Liu
- Sichuan Provincial Key Laboratory for Human Disease Gene Study and the Center for Medical Genetics, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology, Chengdu 610072, China; Research Unit for Blindness Prevention, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2019RU026), Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, Chengdu 610072, China
| | - Jiuzhi Zeng
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Center of Reproductive Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Chengdu 610045, China
| | - Wenming Xu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Joint Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine (SCU-CUHK), Key Laboratory of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
| | - Weixin Liu
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Center of Reproductive Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Chengdu 610045, China.
| | - Yi Shi
- Sichuan Provincial Key Laboratory for Human Disease Gene Study and the Center for Medical Genetics, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology, Chengdu 610072, China; Research Unit for Blindness Prevention, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2019RU026), Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, Chengdu 610072, China.
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8
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Fakhro KA, Awwad J, Garibova S, Saraiva LR, Avella M. Conserved genes regulating human sex differentiation, gametogenesis and fertilization. J Transl Med 2024; 22:473. [PMID: 38764035 PMCID: PMC11103854 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-024-05162-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/21/2024] Open
Abstract
The study of the functional genome in mice and humans has been instrumental for describing the conserved molecular mechanisms regulating human reproductive biology, and for defining the etiologies of monogenic fertility disorders. Infertility is a reproductive disorder that includes various conditions affecting a couple's ability to achieve a healthy pregnancy. Recent advances in next-generation sequencing and CRISPR/Cas-mediated genome editing technologies have facilitated the identification and characterization of genes and mechanisms that, if affected, lead to infertility. We report established genes that regulate conserved functions in fundamental reproductive processes (e.g., sex determination, gametogenesis, and fertilization). We only cover genes the deletion of which yields comparable fertility phenotypes in both rodents and humans. In the case of newly-discovered genes, we report the studies demonstrating shared cellular and fertility phenotypes resulting from loss-of-function mutations in both species. Finally, we introduce new model systems for the study of human reproductive biology and highlight the importance of studying human consanguineous populations to discover novel monogenic causes of infertility. The rapid and continuous screening and identification of putative genetic defects coupled with an efficient functional characterization in animal models can reveal novel mechanisms of gene function in human reproductive tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khalid A Fakhro
- Research Branch, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
- Weill Cornell Medicine, Doha, Qatar
- College of Health and Life Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Johnny Awwad
- Reproductive Medicine Unit, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
- Obstetrics & Gynecology, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon
- Vincent Memorial Obstetrics & Gynecology Service, The Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Luis R Saraiva
- Research Branch, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
- College of Health and Life Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Matteo Avella
- Research Branch, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar.
- College of Health and Life Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, Qatar.
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar.
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9
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Hu R, Yang X, Gong J, Lv J, Yuan X, Shi M, Fu C, Tan B, Fan Z, Chen L, Zhang H, He J, Wu S. Patterns of alteration in boar semen quality from 9 to 37 months old and improvement by protocatechuic acid. J Anim Sci Biotechnol 2024; 15:78. [PMID: 38755656 PMCID: PMC11100174 DOI: 10.1186/s40104-024-01031-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Comprehending the patterns of alteration in boar semen quality and identifying effective nutritional interventions are crucial for enhancing the productivity of commercial pig systems. This study aimed to examine the alteration in semen quality in boars, and assess the impact of protocatechuic acid (PCA) on semen quality during the phase of declining semen quality. METHODS In Exp. 1, a total of 38 Pig Improvement Company (PIC) boars were selected and their semen quality data were recorded from the age of 9 to 37 months. In Exp. 2, 18 PIC boars (28 months old) were randomly assigned into three groups (n = 6) and fed a basal diet, a basal diet containing 500 or 1,000 mg/kg PCA, respectively. The experiment lasted for 12 weeks. RESULTS The semen volume, concentration, and total number of spermatozoa in boars exhibited an increase from 9 to 19 months old and showed a significant linear decreased trend in 28, 24, and 22 months old. Sperm motility displayed an upward trajectory, reaching its peak at 20 months of age, and showed a significant linear decreased trend at 20 months old. Dietary supplementation of PCA demonstrated an effect to mitigate the decrease in semen volume, concentration of spermatozoa, total number of spermatozoa (P > 0.05), and significantly increased the sperm motility (P < 0.05). Moreover, supplementation of 1,000 mg/kg PCA significantly increased the sperm viability (P < 0.05). Analysis on cellular signaling pathways revealed that PCA restored serum testosterone levels and alleviated oxidative damage by upregulating the expression of HO-1, SOD2, and NQO1 in testicular stromal cells. Notably, PCA can enhance phosphorylation by selectively binding to AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) protein, thereby improving sperm mitochondrial function and augmenting sperm motility via PGC-1/Nrf1. CONCLUSIONS These data elucidated the pattern of semen quality variation in boars within the age range of 9 to 37 months old, and PCA has the potential to be a natural antioxidant to enhance sperm quality through modulation of the AMPK/PGC-1/Nrf1 signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruizhi Hu
- Hunan Collaborative Innovation Center for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, College of Animal Science and Technology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, China
| | - Xizi Yang
- Hunan Collaborative Innovation Center for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, College of Animal Science and Technology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, China
| | - Jiatai Gong
- Hunan Collaborative Innovation Center for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, College of Animal Science and Technology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, China
| | - Jing Lv
- Hunan Collaborative Innovation Center for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, College of Animal Science and Technology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, China
| | - Xupeng Yuan
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Hunan Biological and Electromechanical Polytechnic, Changsha, 410127, China
| | - Mingkun Shi
- Hunan Collaborative Innovation Center for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, College of Animal Science and Technology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, China
| | - Chenxing Fu
- Hunan Collaborative Innovation Center for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, College of Animal Science and Technology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, China
| | - Bie Tan
- Hunan Collaborative Innovation Center for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, College of Animal Science and Technology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, China
| | - Zhiyong Fan
- Hunan Collaborative Innovation Center for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, College of Animal Science and Technology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, China
| | - Liang Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Hongfu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Jianhua He
- Hunan Collaborative Innovation Center for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, College of Animal Science and Technology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, China
| | - Shusong Wu
- Hunan Collaborative Innovation Center for Utilization of Botanical Functional Ingredients, College of Animal Science and Technology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, China.
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10
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Zhang G, Ye F, Yang Y, Xiong D, Zhi W, Wu Y, Sun Y, Zeng J, Liu W. Identification of a novel mutation in chibby family member 2 in a non-obstructive azoospermic patient. Reprod Biol 2024; 24:100891. [PMID: 38733656 DOI: 10.1016/j.repbio.2024.100891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Revised: 04/25/2024] [Accepted: 04/27/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024]
Abstract
Azoospermia constitutes a significant factor in male infertility, defined by the absence of spermatozoa in the ejaculate, afflicting 15% of infertile men. However, a subset of azoospermic cases remains unattributed to known genetic variants. Prior investigations have identified the chibby family member 2 (CBY2) as prominently and specifically expressed in the testes of both humans and mice, implicating its potential involvement in spermatogenesis. In this study, we conducted whole exome sequencing (WES) on an infertile family to uncover novel genetic factors contributing to azoospermia. Our analysis revealed a homozygous c .355 C>A variant of CBY2 in a non-obstructive azoospermic patient. This deleterious variant significantly diminished the protein expression of CBY2 both in vivo and in vitro, leading to a pronounced disruption of spermatogenesis at the early round spermatid stage post-meiosis. This disruption was characterized by a nearly complete loss of elongating and elongated spermatids. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and co-immunoprecipitation assays demonstrated the interaction between CBY2 and Piwi-like protein 1 (PIWIL1). Immunofluorescence staining further confirmed the co-localization of CBY2 and PIWIL1 in the testes during the spermatogenic process in both humans and mice. Additionally, diminished PIWIL1 expression was observed in the testicular tissue from the affected patient. Our findings suggest that the homozygous c .355 C>A variant of CBY2 compromises CBY2 function, contributing to defective spermatogenesis at the round spermiogenic stage and implicating its role in the pathogenesis of azoospermia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guohui Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Chengdu 610045, China; Reproductive Medicine Center, Sichuan Provincial Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Chengdu 610045, China
| | - Fei Ye
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Sichuan Provincial Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Chengdu 610045, China
| | - Yihong Yang
- Reproduction Medical Center of West China Second University Hospital, Key Laboratory of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of Ministry of Education, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Dongsheng Xiong
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Sichuan Provincial Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Chengdu 610045, China
| | - Weiwei Zhi
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Sichuan Provincial Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Chengdu 610045, China
| | - Yang Wu
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Sichuan Provincial Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Chengdu 610045, China
| | - Yongkang Sun
- Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology, Key Laboratory of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Jiuzhi Zeng
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Sichuan Provincial Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Chengdu 610045, China.
| | - Weixin Liu
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Chengdu 610045, China.
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11
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Wang Y, Chen J, Huang X, Wu B, Dai P, Zhang F, Li J, Wang L. Gene-knockout by iSTOP enables rapid reproductive disease modeling and phenotyping in germ cells of the founder generation. SCIENCE CHINA. LIFE SCIENCES 2024; 67:1035-1050. [PMID: 38332217 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-023-2408-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
Cytosine base editing achieves C•G-to-T•A substitutions and can convert four codons (CAA/CAG/CGA/TGG) into STOP-codons (induction of STOP-codons, iSTOP) to knock out genes with reduced mosaicism. iSTOP enables direct phenotyping in founders' somatic cells, but it remains unknown whether this works in founders' germ cells so as to rapidly reveal novel genes for fertility. Here, we initially establish that iSTOP in mouse zygotes enables functional characterization of known genes in founders' germ cells: Cfap43-iSTOP male founders manifest expected sperm features resembling human "multiple morphological abnormalities of the flagella" syndrome (i.e., MMAF-like features), while oocytes of Zp3-iSTOP female founders have no zona pellucida. We further illustrate iSTOP's utility for dissecting the functions of unknown genes with Ccdc183, observing MMAF-like features and male infertility in Ccdc183-iSTOP founders, phenotypes concordant with those of Ccdc183-KO offspring. We ultimately establish that CCDC183 is essential for sperm morphogenesis through regulating the assembly of outer dynein arms and participating in the intra-flagellar transport. Our study demonstrates iSTOP as an efficient tool for direct reproductive disease modeling and phenotyping in germ cells of the founder generation, and rapidly reveals the essentiality of Ccdc183 in fertility, thus providing a time-saving approach for validating genetic defects (like nonsense mutations) for human infertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaling Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Metabolic Remodeling and Health, Institute of Metabolism and Integrative Biology, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Jingwen Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Metabolic Remodeling and Health, Institute of Metabolism and Integrative Biology, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China
- Institute of Reproduction and Development, Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200011, China
- NHC Key Lab of Reproduction Regulation (Shanghai Institute for Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Technologies), School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Xueying Huang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Maternal and Fetal Medicine, Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Bangguo Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Metabolic Remodeling and Health, Institute of Metabolism and Integrative Biology, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China
- Institute of Reproduction and Development, Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200011, China
- NHC Key Lab of Reproduction Regulation (Shanghai Institute for Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Technologies), School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Peng Dai
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Maternal and Fetal Medicine, Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Feng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Metabolic Remodeling and Health, Institute of Metabolism and Integrative Biology, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China
- Institute of Reproduction and Development, Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200011, China
| | - Jinsong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Lingbo Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Metabolic Remodeling and Health, Institute of Metabolism and Integrative Biology, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China.
- Institute of Reproduction and Development, Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200011, China.
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12
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Zhang G, Guo J, Yang H, Li Q, Ye F, Song Y, Xiong D, Zeng J, Zhi W, Yuan S, Lv Y, Li T, Wang Y, Liao L, Deng D, Liu W, Xu W. Metabolic profiling identifies Qrich2 as a novel glutamine sensor that regulates microtubule glutamylation and mitochondrial function in mouse sperm. Cell Mol Life Sci 2024; 81:170. [PMID: 38597976 PMCID: PMC11006759 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-024-05177-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
In our prior investigation, we discerned loss-of-function variants within the gene encoding glutamine-rich protein 2 (QRICH2) in two consanguineous families, leading to various morphological abnormalities in sperm flagella and male infertility. The Qrich2 knockout (KO) in mice also exhibits multiple morphological abnormalities of the flagella (MMAF) phenotype with a significantly decreased sperm motility. However, how ORICH2 regulates the formation of sperm flagella remains unclear. Abnormal glutamylation levels of tubulin cause dysplastic microtubules and flagella, eventually resulting in the decline of sperm motility and male infertility. In the current study, by further analyzing the Qrich2 KO mouse sperm, we found a reduced glutamylation level and instability of tubulin in Qrich2 KO mouse sperm flagella. In addition, we found that the amino acid metabolism was dysregulated in both testes and sperm, leading to the accumulated glutamine (Gln) and reduced glutamate (Glu) concentrations, and disorderly expressed genes responsible for Gln/Glu metabolism. Interestingly, mice fed with diets devoid of Gln/Glu phenocopied the Qrich2 KO mice. Furthermore, we identified several mitochondrial marker proteins that could not be correctly localized in sperm flagella, which might be responsible for the reduced mitochondrial function contributing to the reduced sperm motility in Qrich2 KO mice. Our study reveals a crucial role of a normal Gln/Glu metabolism in maintaining the structural stability of the microtubules in sperm flagella by regulating the glutamylation levels of the tubulin and identifies Qrich2 as a possible novel Gln sensor that regulates microtubule glutamylation and mitochondrial function in mouse sperm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guohui Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Joint Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine (SCU-CUHK), Key Laboratory of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Chengdu, 610000, China
| | - Juncen Guo
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Joint Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine (SCU-CUHK), Key Laboratory of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Haoxuan Yang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Joint Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine (SCU-CUHK), Key Laboratory of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Qing Li
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Joint Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine (SCU-CUHK), Key Laboratory of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Fei Ye
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Chengdu, 610000, China
| | - Yuelin Song
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Joint Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine (SCU-CUHK), Key Laboratory of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Dongsheng Xiong
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Chengdu, 610000, China
| | - Jiuzhi Zeng
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Chengdu, 610000, China
| | - Weiwei Zhi
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Chengdu, 610000, China
| | - Shuiqiao Yuan
- Institute Reproductive Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Yunyun Lv
- Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province for Fishes Conservation and Utilization in the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River, College of Life Sciences, Neijiang Normal University, Neijiang, 641100, China
| | - Tongtong Li
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Joint Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine (SCU-CUHK), Key Laboratory of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Yan Wang
- Reproduction Medical Center of West China Second University Hospital, Key Laboratory of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of Ministry of Education, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Lu Liao
- Puhua Bioscience, Chengdu, 610000, China
| | - Dong Deng
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Joint Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine (SCU-CUHK), Key Laboratory of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
| | - Weixin Liu
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Chengdu, 610000, China.
| | - Wenming Xu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Joint Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine (SCU-CUHK), Key Laboratory of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
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13
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Wang Y, Huang X, Sun G, Chen J, Wu B, Luo J, Tang S, Dai P, Zhang F, Li J, Wang L. Coiled-coil domain-containing 38 is required for acrosome biogenesis and fibrous sheath assembly in mice. J Genet Genomics 2024; 51:407-418. [PMID: 37709195 DOI: 10.1016/j.jgg.2023.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
During spermiogenesis, haploid spermatids undergo dramatic morphological changes to form slender sperm flagella and cap-like acrosomes, which are required for successful fertilization. Severe deformities in flagella cause a male infertility syndrome, multiple morphological abnormalities of the flagella (MMAF), while acrosomal hypoplasia in some cases leads to sub-optimal embryonic developmental potential. However, evidence regarding the occurrence of acrosomal hypoplasia in MMAF is limited. Here, we report the generation of base-edited mice knocked out for coiled-coil domain-containing 38 (Ccdc38) via inducing a nonsense mutation and find that the males are infertile. The Ccdc38-KO sperm display acrosomal hypoplasia and typical MMAF phenotypes. We find that the acrosomal membrane is loosely anchored to the nucleus and fibrous sheaths are disorganized in Ccdc38-KO sperm. Further analyses reveal that Ccdc38 knockout causes a decreased level of TEKT3, a protein associated with acrosome biogenesis, in testes and an aberrant distribution of TEKT3 in sperm. We finally show that intracytoplasmic sperm injection overcomes Ccdc38-related infertility. Our study thus reveals a previously unknown role for CCDC38 in acrosome biogenesis and provides additional evidence for the occurrence of acrosomal hypoplasia in MMAF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaling Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Metabolic Remodeling and Health, Institute of Metabolism and Integrative Biology, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China; Institute of Reproduction and Development, Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200011, China
| | - Xueying Huang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Maternal and Fetal Medicine, Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Guoying Sun
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Metabolic Remodeling and Health, Institute of Metabolism and Integrative Biology, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Jingwen Chen
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Metabolic Remodeling and Health, Institute of Metabolism and Integrative Biology, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China; Institute of Reproduction and Development, Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200011, China
| | - Bangguo Wu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Metabolic Remodeling and Health, Institute of Metabolism and Integrative Biology, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China; Institute of Reproduction and Development, Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200011, China
| | - Jiahui Luo
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Metabolic Remodeling and Health, Institute of Metabolism and Integrative Biology, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Shuyan Tang
- Institute of Reproduction and Development, Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200011, China
| | - Peng Dai
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Maternal and Fetal Medicine, Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Feng Zhang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Metabolic Remodeling and Health, Institute of Metabolism and Integrative Biology, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China; Institute of Reproduction and Development, Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200011, China
| | - Jinsong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Lingbo Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Metabolic Remodeling and Health, Institute of Metabolism and Integrative Biology, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China; Institute of Reproduction and Development, Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200011, China.
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14
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Ge Y, Lin X, He J, Chen W, Lin D, Zheng Y, Yang L, Xu F, Li Z. Genomics and tumor microenvironment of breast mucoepidermoid carcinoma based on whole-exome and RNA sequencing. Diagn Pathol 2024; 19:15. [PMID: 38243319 PMCID: PMC10797953 DOI: 10.1186/s13000-024-01439-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Mammary mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) is a rare entity. The molecular characteristics of breast MEC have not been fully investigated due to its rarity. We performed a retrospective study among 1000 patients with breast carcinomas and identified four cases of breast MEC. Clinical and demographic data were collected. Immunohistochemistry panels which were used to diagnose salivary gland MEC and breast carcinomas were also performed. MAML2 rearrangements were detected by FISH and fusion partners were identified by RNA sequencing. Whole-exome sequencing (WES) was used to reveal the genomes of these four breast MEC. Then, the biological functions and features of breast MEC were further compared with those of invasive breast carcinomas and salivary gland MEC.According to Ellis and Auclair's methods, these four breast MEC could be classified as low-grade breast MEC. All the patients were alive, and disease-free survival (PFS) ranged from 20 months to 67 months. Among these four breast MEC, two cases were triple-negative, and the other two cases were found to be ER positive, with one also showing HER2 equivocal by immunohistochemical staining, but no amplification in FISH. FISH analysis confirmed the presence of the MAML2 translocation in three of four tumors, and CRTC1-MAML2 fusion was confirmed in two of them by RNA-sequencing. The average coverage size of WES for the tumor mutation burden estimation was 32 Mb. MUC4, RP1L1 and QRICH2 mutations were identified in at least three tumors, and these mutation also existed in breast invasive carcinoma databases (TCGA, Cell 2015; TCGA, Nature 2012). The results showed that there were many genes in breast MEC overlapping with the breast invasive carcinoma databases mentioned above, range from 5 to 63 genes (median:21 genes). Next, we assessed immune cell infiltration levels in these tumors. In all these tumors, M2 macrophages and plasma cell were in the high infiltration group. Our breast MEC showed different results from the salivary gland MEC, whose plasma cells were in the low infiltration group. Overall, we first analyzed the genomics and tumor microenvironment of breast mucoepidermoid carcinoma and proposed our hypothesis that although MECs arising in the breast resemble their salivary gland counterparts phenotypically, our findings indicate that breast MECs probably resemble invasive breast carcinomas at the genetic level and immune cell infiltration levels. More cases and in deep research need to be done to further understand this rare carcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Ge
- Department of Pathology, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital/Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
- Department of Pathology, Guangdong Provincial People' s Hospital Ganzhou Hospital (Ganzhou Municipal Hospital), 49 Dagong Road, Zhanggong District, Ganzhou, China.
| | - Xingtao Lin
- Department of Pathology, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital/Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jiao He
- Department of Pathology, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital/Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wendan Chen
- Department of Pathology, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital/Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Danyi Lin
- Department of Pathology, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital/Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yihong Zheng
- Department of Pathology, Guangdong Provincial People' s Hospital Ganzhou Hospital (Ganzhou Municipal Hospital), 49 Dagong Road, Zhanggong District, Ganzhou, China
| | - Lingling Yang
- Geneseeq Research Institute, Geneseeq Technology Inc., Nanjing, China
| | - Fangping Xu
- Department of Pathology, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital/Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Zhi Li
- Department of Pathology, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital/Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
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15
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Ali A, Unar A, Muhammad Z, Dil S, Zhang B, Sadaf H, Khan M, Ali M, Khan R, Shah KMB, Ma A, Jiang X, Zhang Y, Zhang H, Shi Q. A novel NPHP4 homozygous missense variant identified in infertile brothers with multiple morphological abnormalities of the sperm flagella. J Assist Reprod Genet 2024; 41:109-120. [PMID: 37831349 PMCID: PMC10789708 DOI: 10.1007/s10815-023-02966-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Asthenozoospermia is an important cause of male infertility, and the most serious type is characterized by multiple morphological abnormalities of the sperm flagella (MMAF). However, the precise etiology of MMAF remains unknown. In the current study, we recruited a consanguineous Pakistani family with two infertile brothers suffering from primary infertility due to MMAF without obvious signs of PCD. METHODS We performed whole-exome sequencing on DNAs of the patients, their parents, and a fertile brother and identified the homozygous missense variant (c.1490C > G (p.P497R) in NPHP4 as the candidate mutation for male infertility in this family. RESULTS Sanger sequencing confirmed that this mutation recessively co-segregated with the MMAF in this family. In silico analysis revealed that the mutation site is conserved across different species, and the identified mutation also causes abnormalities in the structure and hydrophobic interactions of the NPHP4 protein. Different bioinformatics tools predict that NPHP4p.P497R mutation is pathogenic. Furthermore, Papanicolaou staining and scanning electron microscopy of sperm revealed that affected individuals displayed typical MMAF phenotype with a high percentage of coiled, bent, short, absent, and/or irregular flagella. Transmission electron microscopy images of the patient's spermatozoa revealed significant anomalies in the sperm flagella with the absence of a central pair of microtubules (9 + 0) in every section scored. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, these results show that the homozygous missense mutation in NPHP4 is associated with MMAF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asim Ali
- Division of Reproduction and Genetics, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, China.
- Department of Biotechnology, COMSATS University Islamabad, Abbottabad Campus, Abbottabad, 22060, Pakistan.
| | - Ahsanullah Unar
- Division of Reproduction and Genetics, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, China
| | - Zubair Muhammad
- Division of Reproduction and Genetics, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, China
| | - Sobia Dil
- Division of Reproduction and Genetics, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, China
| | - Beibei Zhang
- Division of Reproduction and Genetics, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, China
| | - Humaira Sadaf
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ayub Medical Hospital Complex, Abbottabad, Pakistan
| | - Manan Khan
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Hazara University, Mansehra, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Ali
- Department of Biotechnology, COMSATS University Islamabad, Abbottabad Campus, Abbottabad, 22060, Pakistan
| | - Ranjha Khan
- Division of Reproduction and Genetics, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, China
| | - Kakakhel Mian Basit Shah
- Department of Biotechnology, COMSATS University Islamabad, Abbottabad Campus, Abbottabad, 22060, Pakistan
| | - Ao Ma
- Division of Reproduction and Genetics, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, China
| | - Xiaohua Jiang
- Division of Reproduction and Genetics, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, China
| | - Yuanwei Zhang
- Division of Reproduction and Genetics, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, China
| | - Huan Zhang
- Division of Reproduction and Genetics, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, China
| | - Qinghua Shi
- Division of Reproduction and Genetics, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, China.
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16
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Jin HJ, Ruan T, Dai S, Geng XY, Yang Y, Shen Y, Chen SR. Identification of CFAP52 as a novel diagnostic target of male infertility with defects of sperm head-tail connection and flagella development. eLife 2023; 12:RP92769. [PMID: 38126872 PMCID: PMC10735225 DOI: 10.7554/elife.92769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Male infertility is a worldwide population health concern. Asthenoteratozoospermia is a common cause of male infertility, but its etiology remains incompletely understood. No evidence indicates the relevance of CFAP52 mutations to human male infertility. Our whole-exome sequencing identified compound heterozygous mutations in CFAP52 recessively cosegregating with male infertility status in a non-consanguineous Chinese family. Spermatozoa of CFAP52-mutant patient mainly exhibited abnormal head-tail connection and deformed flagella. Cfap52-knockout mice resembled the human infertile phenotype, showing a mixed acephalic spermatozoa syndrome (ASS) and multiple morphological abnormalities of the sperm flagella (MMAF) phenotype. The ultrastructural analyses further revealed a failure of connecting piece formation and a serious disorder of '9+2' axoneme structure. CFAP52 interacts with a head-tail coupling regulator SPATA6 and is essential for its stability. Expression of microtubule inner proteins and radial spoke proteins were reduced after the CFAP52 deficiency. Moreover, CFAP52-associated male infertility in humans and mice could be overcome by intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). The study reveals a prominent role for CFAP52 in sperm development, suggesting that CFAP52 might be a novel diagnostic target for male infertility with defects of sperm head-tail connection and flagella development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui-Juan Jin
- Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Regulation Biology, Ministry of Education, Department of Biology, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Tiechao Ruan
- Department of Pediatrics, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Siyu Dai
- Key Laboratory of Obstetrics and Gynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of the Ministry of Education, Sichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Xin-Yan Geng
- Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Regulation Biology, Ministry of Education, Department of Biology, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Yihong Yang
- Reproduction Medical Center of West China Second University Hospital, Key Laboratory of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of Ministry of Education, Sichuan UniversityChengduChina
- NHC Key Laboratory of Chronobiology, Sichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Ying Shen
- Key Laboratory of Obstetrics and Gynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of the Ministry of Education, Sichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Su-Ren Chen
- Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Regulation Biology, Ministry of Education, Department of Biology, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal UniversityBeijingChina
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17
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Hong Y, Wu S, Wei G. Adverse effects of microplastics and nanoplastics on the reproductive system: A comprehensive review of fertility and potential harmful interactions. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 903:166258. [PMID: 37579804 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 07/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/16/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) have caused ubiquitous environmental pollution and raised widespread concern about their potential toxicity to human health, especially in the reproductive system. Moreover, infertility affects >15 % of couples worldwide, and the birth rate is decreasing. Environmental factors are some of the most important causes of infertility. However, little is known about the effects of MPs and NPs on the testes and ovaries. These particles can enter the body primarily via ingestion, inhalation, and skin contact, target the reproductive system in a size-dependent manner and disturb germ cell and other somatic cell development. Our study systematically reviewed the adverse effects of plastic particles on reproductive function and offers valuable insights into the different stages of germ cells and the potential mechanisms. Moreover, the synergistic reproductive toxicity of these particles and carried contaminants was summarized. Given the limited research scale, a shift toward innovative technologies and the adoption of multiple omics are recommended for advancing related studies. Further study is needed to explore the reproductive toxicity of MPs and NPs based on their size, polymer type, shape, and carried toxins, establish effective protective measures, and develop precision medicine for targeted reproductive damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifan Hong
- Department of Urology, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Children Urogenital Development and Tissue Engineering, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Pediatrics, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, China International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Child Development and Critical Disorders, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400014, PR China; Pediatric Research Institute, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400014, PR China
| | - Shengde Wu
- Department of Urology, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Children Urogenital Development and Tissue Engineering, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Pediatrics, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, China International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Child Development and Critical Disorders, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400014, PR China.
| | - Guanghui Wei
- Department of Urology, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Children Urogenital Development and Tissue Engineering, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Pediatrics, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, China International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Child Development and Critical Disorders, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400014, PR China
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18
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Ma Y, Wu B, Chen Y, Ma S, Wang L, Han T, Lin X, Yang F, Liu C, Zhao J, Li W. CCDC146 is required for sperm flagellum biogenesis and male fertility in mice. Cell Mol Life Sci 2023; 81:1. [PMID: 38038747 PMCID: PMC11072088 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-023-05025-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
Multiple morphological abnormalities of the flagella (MMAF) is a severe disease of male infertility, while the pathogenetic mechanisms of MMAF are still incompletely understood. Previously, we found that the deficiency of Ccdc38 might be associated with MMAF. To understand the underlying mechanism of this disease, we identified the potential partner of this protein and found that the coiled-coil domain containing 146 (CCDC146) can interact with CCDC38. It is predominantly expressed in the testes, and the knockout of this gene resulted in complete infertility in male mice but not in females. The knockout of Ccdc146 impaired spermiogenesis, mainly due to flagellum and manchette organization defects, finally led to MMAF-like phenotype. Furthermore, we demonstrated that CCDC146 could interact with both CCDC38 and CCDC42. It also interacts with intraflagellar transport (IFT) complexes IFT88 and IFT20. The knockout of this gene led to the decrease of ODF2, IFT88, and IFT20 protein levels, but did not affect CCDC38, CCDC42, or ODF1 expression. Additionally, we predicted and validated the detailed interactions between CCDC146 and CCDC38 or CCDC42, and built the interaction models at the atomic level. Our results suggest that the testis predominantly expressed gene Ccdc146 is essential for sperm flagellum biogenesis and male fertility, and its mutations might be associated with MMAF in some patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanjie Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Innovation Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China
- Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, No. 9 Jinsui Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, 510623, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Bingbing Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Innovation Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China
- Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, No. 9 Jinsui Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, 510623, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yinghong Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Innovation Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China
- Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, No. 9 Jinsui Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, 510623, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Shuang Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Innovation Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China
- Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, No. 9 Jinsui Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, 510623, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Liying Wang
- Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, No. 9 Jinsui Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, 510623, China
| | - Tingting Han
- Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, No. 9 Jinsui Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, 510623, China
| | - Xiaolei Lin
- Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, No. 9 Jinsui Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, 510623, China
| | - Fulin Yang
- Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, No. 9 Jinsui Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, 510623, China
| | - Chao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Innovation Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China.
- Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, No. 9 Jinsui Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, 510623, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
| | - Jianguo Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Innovation Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
| | - Wei Li
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Innovation Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China.
- Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, No. 9 Jinsui Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, 510623, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
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19
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Ji YH, Wang LM, Zhang FX, Hou HZ, Luo ZR, Xue Q, Shi MM, Jiao Y, Cui D, He DL, Xue W, Wen YQ, Tang QS, Zhang B. Cascading effects of hypobaric hypoxia on the testis: insights from a single-cell RNA sequencing analysis. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1282119. [PMID: 38033870 PMCID: PMC10684926 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1282119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Most mammals tolerate exposure to hypobaric hypoxia poorly as it may affect multiple regulatory mechanisms and inhibit cell proliferation, promote apoptosis, limit tissue vascularization, and disrupt the acid-base equilibrium. Here, we quantified the functional state of germ cell development and demonstrated the interaction between the germ and somatic cells via single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq). The present study elucidated the regulatory effects of hypobaric hypoxia exposure on germ cell formation and sperm differentiation by applying enrichment analysis to genomic regions. Hypobaric hypoxia downregulates the genes controlling granule secretion and organic matter biosynthesis, upregulates tektin 1 (TEKT1) and kinesin family member 2C (KIF2C), and downregulates 60S ribosomal protein 11 (RPL11) and cilia- and flagella-associated protein 206 (CFAP206). Our research indicated that prosaposin-G protein-coupled receptor 37 (PSAP-GPR37) ligands mediate the damage to supporting cells caused by hypobaric hypoxic exposure. The present work revealed that hypoxia injures peritubular myoid (PTM) cells and spermatocytes in the S phase. It also showed that elongating spermatids promote maturation toward the G2 phase and increase their functional reserve for sperm-egg binding. The results of this study provide a theoretical basis for future investigations on prophylactic and therapeutic approaches toward protecting the reproductive system against the harmful effects of hypobaric hypoxic exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun-Hua Ji
- Department of Urology, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Military Medical University, Xi’an, Shanxi, China
| | - Lin-Meng Wang
- Department of Urology, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Military Medical University, Xi’an, Shanxi, China
| | - Fu-Xun Zhang
- Department of Urology, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Military Medical University, Xi’an, Shanxi, China
| | - Hao-Zhong Hou
- Department of Urology, Xijing Hospital, Air Force Military Medical University, Xi’an, Shanxi, China
| | - Zhi-Rong Luo
- Department of Urology, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Military Medical University, Xi’an, Shanxi, China
| | - Qi Xue
- Department of Urology, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Military Medical University, Xi’an, Shanxi, China
| | - Man-Man Shi
- Department of Urology, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Military Medical University, Xi’an, Shanxi, China
| | - Yong Jiao
- Department of Urology, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Military Medical University, Xi’an, Shanxi, China
| | - Dong Cui
- Department of Urology, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Military Medical University, Xi’an, Shanxi, China
| | - Da-Li He
- Department of Urology, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Military Medical University, Xi’an, Shanxi, China
| | - Wei Xue
- Department of Urology, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Military Medical University, Xi’an, Shanxi, China
| | - Yu-qi Wen
- Department of Bioinformatics, Institute of Health Service and Transfusion Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Qi-Sheng Tang
- Department of Urology, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Military Medical University, Xi’an, Shanxi, China
| | - Bo Zhang
- Department of Urology, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Military Medical University, Xi’an, Shanxi, China
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Men J, Zhang L, Peng R, Li Y, Li M, Wang H, Zhao L, Zhang J, Wang H, Xu X, Dong J, Wang J, Yao B, Guo J. Metformin Ameliorates 2.856 GHz Microwave- Radiation-Induced Reproductive Impairments in Male Rats via Inhibition of Oxidative Stress and Apoptosis. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:12250. [PMID: 37569626 PMCID: PMC10418945 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241512250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The reproductive system has been increasingly implicated as a sensitive target of microwave radiation. Oxidative stress plays a critical role in microwave radiation -induced reproductive damage, though precise mechanisms are obscure. Metformin, a widely used antidiabetic drug, has emerged as an efficient antioxidant against a variety of oxidative injuries. In the present study, we hypothesized that metformin can function as an antioxidant and protect the reproductive system from microwave radiation. To test this hypothesis, rats were exposed to 2.856 GHz microwave radiation for 6 weeks to simulate real-life exposure to high-frequency microwave radiation. Our results showed that exposure to 2.856 GHz microwave radiation elicited serum hormone disorder, decreased sperm motility, and depleted sperm energy, and it induced abnormalities of testicular structure as well as mitochondrial impairment. Metformin was found to effectively protect the reproductive system against structural and functional impairments caused by microwave radiation. In particular, metformin can ameliorate microwave-radiation-induced oxidative injury and mitigate apoptosis in the testis, as determined by glutathione/-oxidized glutathione (GSH/GSSG), lipid peroxidation, and protein expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1). These findings demonstrated that exposure to 2.856 GHz microwave radiation induces obvious structural and functional impairments of the male reproductive system, and suggested that metformin can function as a promising antioxidant to inhibit microwave-radiation-induced harmful effects by inhibiting oxidative stress and apoptosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junqi Men
- PLA Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100071, China; (J.M.); (L.Z.)
- Institute of Radiation Medicine, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing 100850, China; (R.P.); (Y.L.); (M.L.); (H.W.); (L.Z.); (J.Z.); (H.W.); (X.X.); (J.D.); (J.W.)
- School of Public Health, China Medical University, Shenyang 110122, China
| | - Li Zhang
- PLA Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100071, China; (J.M.); (L.Z.)
| | - Ruiyun Peng
- Institute of Radiation Medicine, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing 100850, China; (R.P.); (Y.L.); (M.L.); (H.W.); (L.Z.); (J.Z.); (H.W.); (X.X.); (J.D.); (J.W.)
| | - Yanyang Li
- Institute of Radiation Medicine, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing 100850, China; (R.P.); (Y.L.); (M.L.); (H.W.); (L.Z.); (J.Z.); (H.W.); (X.X.); (J.D.); (J.W.)
| | - Meng Li
- Institute of Radiation Medicine, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing 100850, China; (R.P.); (Y.L.); (M.L.); (H.W.); (L.Z.); (J.Z.); (H.W.); (X.X.); (J.D.); (J.W.)
| | - Hui Wang
- Institute of Radiation Medicine, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing 100850, China; (R.P.); (Y.L.); (M.L.); (H.W.); (L.Z.); (J.Z.); (H.W.); (X.X.); (J.D.); (J.W.)
| | - Li Zhao
- Institute of Radiation Medicine, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing 100850, China; (R.P.); (Y.L.); (M.L.); (H.W.); (L.Z.); (J.Z.); (H.W.); (X.X.); (J.D.); (J.W.)
| | - Jing Zhang
- Institute of Radiation Medicine, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing 100850, China; (R.P.); (Y.L.); (M.L.); (H.W.); (L.Z.); (J.Z.); (H.W.); (X.X.); (J.D.); (J.W.)
| | - Haoyu Wang
- Institute of Radiation Medicine, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing 100850, China; (R.P.); (Y.L.); (M.L.); (H.W.); (L.Z.); (J.Z.); (H.W.); (X.X.); (J.D.); (J.W.)
| | - Xinping Xu
- Institute of Radiation Medicine, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing 100850, China; (R.P.); (Y.L.); (M.L.); (H.W.); (L.Z.); (J.Z.); (H.W.); (X.X.); (J.D.); (J.W.)
| | - Ji Dong
- Institute of Radiation Medicine, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing 100850, China; (R.P.); (Y.L.); (M.L.); (H.W.); (L.Z.); (J.Z.); (H.W.); (X.X.); (J.D.); (J.W.)
| | - Juan Wang
- Institute of Radiation Medicine, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing 100850, China; (R.P.); (Y.L.); (M.L.); (H.W.); (L.Z.); (J.Z.); (H.W.); (X.X.); (J.D.); (J.W.)
| | - Binwei Yao
- Institute of Radiation Medicine, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing 100850, China; (R.P.); (Y.L.); (M.L.); (H.W.); (L.Z.); (J.Z.); (H.W.); (X.X.); (J.D.); (J.W.)
| | - Jiabin Guo
- PLA Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100071, China; (J.M.); (L.Z.)
- School of Public Health, China Medical University, Shenyang 110122, China
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21
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Dang Do AN, Sleat DE, Campbell K, Johnson NL, Zheng H, Wassif CA, Dale RK, Porter FD. Cerebrospinal Fluid Protein Biomarker Discovery in CLN3. J Proteome Res 2023; 22:2493-2508. [PMID: 37338096 PMCID: PMC11095826 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.3c00199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/21/2023]
Abstract
Syndromic CLN3-Batten is a fatal, pediatric, neurodegenerative disease caused by variants in CLN3, which encodes the endolysosomal transmembrane CLN3 protein. No approved treatment for CLN3 is currently available. The protracted and asynchronous disease presentation complicates the evaluation of potential therapies using clinical disease progression parameters. Biomarkers as surrogates to measure the progression and effect of potential therapeutics are needed. We performed proteomic discovery studies using cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from 28 CLN3-affected and 32 age-similar non-CLN3 individuals. Proximal extension assay (PEA) of 1467 proteins and untargeted data-dependent mass spectrometry [MS; MassIVE FTP server (ftp://MSV000090147@massive.ucsd.edu)] were used to generate orthogonal lists of protein marker candidates. At an adjusted p-value of <0.1 and threshold CLN3/non-CLN3 fold-change ratio of 1.5, PEA identified 54 and MS identified 233 candidate biomarkers. Some of these (NEFL, CHIT1) have been previously linked with other neurologic conditions. Others (CLPS, FAM217B, QRICH2, KRT16, ZNF333) appear to be novel. Both methods identified 25 candidate biomarkers, including CHIT1, NELL1, and ISLR2 which had absolute fold-change ratios >2. NELL1 and ISLR2 regulate axonal development in neurons and are intriguing new candidates for further investigation in CLN3. In addition to identifying candidate proteins for CLN3 research, this study provides a comparison of two large-scale proteomic discovery methods in CSF.
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Affiliation(s)
- An N. Dang Do
- Unit on Cellular Stress in Development and Diseases, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - David E. Sleat
- Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine, Rutgers Biomedical Health Sciences, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, United States
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Robert-Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers Biomedical Health Sciences, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, United States
| | - Kiersten Campbell
- Bioinformatics and Scientific Programming Core, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Nicholas L. Johnson
- Bioinformatics and Scientific Programming Core, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Haiyan Zheng
- Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine, Rutgers Biomedical Health Sciences, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, United States
| | - Christopher A. Wassif
- Section on Molecular Dysmorphology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Ryan K. Dale
- Bioinformatics and Scientific Programming Core, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Forbes D. Porter
- Section on Molecular Dysmorphology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
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22
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Huang F, Zeng J, Liu D, Zhang J, Liang B, Gao J, Yan R, Shi X, Chen J, Song W, Huang HL. A novel frameshift mutation in DNAH6 associated with male infertility and asthenoteratozoospermia. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2023; 14:1122004. [PMID: 37424858 PMCID: PMC10324608 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1122004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Asthenoteratozoospermia is one of the most common causes of male infertility. Several genes have been identified as genetic causative factors, but there is a considerable genetic heterogeneity underlying asthenoteratozoospermia. In this study, we performed a genetic analysis of two brothers from a consanguineous Uighur family in China to identify gene mutations causative for asthenoteratozoospermia-related male infertility. Methods Two related patients with asthenoteratozoospermia from a large consanguineous family were sequenced by whole-exome sequencing and Sanger sequencing to identify disease-causing genes. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy analysis revealed ultrastructural abnormalities of spermatozoa. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis and immunofluorescence (IF) analysis were used to assess the expression of the mutant messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein. Results A novel homozygous frameshift mutation (c.2823dupT, p.Val942Cysfs*21) in DNAH6 was identified in both affected individuals and was predicted to be pathogenic. Papanicolaou staining and electron microscopy revealed multiple morphological and ultrastructural abnormalities of affected spermatozoa. qRT-PCR and IF analysis showed abnormal expression of DNAH6 in affected sperm, probably due to premature termination code and decay of abnormal 3' untranslated region (UTR) region of mRNA. Furthermore, intracytoplasmic sperm injection could achieve successful fertilization in infertile men with DNAH6 mutations. Discussion The novel frameshift mutation identified in DNAH6 may contribute to asthenoteratozoospermia. These findings expand the spectrum of genetic mutations and phenotypes associated with asthenoteratozoospermia and may be useful for genetic and reproductive counseling in male infertility.
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Leung MR, Zeng J, Wang X, Roelofs MC, Huang W, Zenezini Chiozzi R, Hevler JF, Heck AJR, Dutcher SK, Brown A, Zhang R, Zeev-Ben-Mordehai T. Structural specializations of the sperm tail. Cell 2023; 186:2880-2896.e17. [PMID: 37327785 PMCID: PMC10948200 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.05.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Revised: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Sperm motility is crucial to reproductive success in sexually reproducing organisms. Impaired sperm movement causes male infertility, which is increasing globally. Sperm are powered by a microtubule-based molecular machine-the axoneme-but it is unclear how axonemal microtubules are ornamented to support motility in diverse fertilization environments. Here, we present high-resolution structures of native axonemal doublet microtubules (DMTs) from sea urchin and bovine sperm, representing external and internal fertilizers. We identify >60 proteins decorating sperm DMTs; at least 15 are sperm associated and 16 are linked to infertility. By comparing DMTs across species and cell types, we define core microtubule inner proteins (MIPs) and analyze evolution of the tektin bundle. We identify conserved axonemal microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) with unique tubulin-binding modes. Additionally, we identify a testis-specific serine/threonine kinase that links DMTs to outer dense fibers in mammalian sperm. Our study provides structural foundations for understanding sperm evolution, motility, and dysfunction at a molecular level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Ricardo Leung
- Structural Biochemistry, Bijvoet Centre for Biomolecular Research, Utrecht University, 3584 CG Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Jianwei Zeng
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Xiangli Wang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Marc C Roelofs
- Structural Biochemistry, Bijvoet Centre for Biomolecular Research, Utrecht University, 3584 CG Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Wei Huang
- Department of Pharmacology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Riccardo Zenezini Chiozzi
- Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry & Proteomics, Bijvoet Centre for Biomolecular Research and Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, 3584 CH Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Johannes F Hevler
- Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry & Proteomics, Bijvoet Centre for Biomolecular Research and Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, 3584 CH Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Albert J R Heck
- Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry & Proteomics, Bijvoet Centre for Biomolecular Research and Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, 3584 CH Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Susan K Dutcher
- Department of Genetics, Washington University in St. Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Alan Brown
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Rui Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
| | - Tzviya Zeev-Ben-Mordehai
- Structural Biochemistry, Bijvoet Centre for Biomolecular Research, Utrecht University, 3584 CG Utrecht, the Netherlands.
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Jin HJ, Wang JL, Geng XY, Wang CY, Wang BB, Chen SR. CFAP70 is a solid and valuable target for the genetic diagnosis of oligo-astheno-teratozoospermia in infertile men. EBioMedicine 2023; 93:104675. [PMID: 37352829 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2023.104675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/25/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Male infertility is a worldwide population health concern, but its aetiology remains largely understood. Although CFAP70 variants have already been reported in two oligo-astheno-teratozoospermia (OAT) individuals by sequencing, animal evidence to support CFAP70 as a credible OAT-pathogenic gene is lacking. METHOD Cfap70-KO mice were generated to explore the physiological role of CFAP70. CFAP70 variants were detected in infertile men with OAT by whole exome sequencing and Sanger sequencing confirmation. Cfap70-truncated mice were further generated to explore the pathogenicity of the nonsense variant of CFAP70 identified in the proband. FINDINGS Here, we demonstrate that Cfap70-KO mice are sterile mainly due to OAT and further identify a Chinese infertile man carrying a homozygous nonsense variant (c.2962C > T/p.R988X) of CFAP70. Cfap70-truncated mice lacking 5-8 tetratricopeptide repeats (TPRs) mimic the patient's symptoms. CFAP70 is required for the biogenesis of spermatid flagella partially by regulating the expression of OAT-associated proteins (e.g., QRICH2), assisting the cytoplasmic preassembly of the calmodulin- and radial spoke-associated complex (CSC), and controlling the manchette localization of axoneme-related proteins. Moreover, we suggest that CFAP70-associated male infertility could be overcome by intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) treatment. INTERPRETATION Overall, we demonstrate that CFAP70 is necessary to assemble spermatid flagella and that CFAP70 gene could be used as a diagnostic target for male infertility with OAT in the clinic. FUNDING This study was supported by the National Key Research and Development Project (2019YFA0802101 to S.C), Open Fund of Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Regulation Biology, Ministry of Education (to S.C), Central Government to Guide Local Scientific and Technological Development (ZY21195023 to B.W), and Basic Research Projects of Central Scientific Research Institutes (to B.W).
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui-Juan Jin
- Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Regulation Biology, Ministry of Education, Department of Biology, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Jun-Li Wang
- Center of Reproductive Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities, Baise, 533000, Guangxi, China; Environmental Health Risk Assessment and Prevention Engineering Center of Ecological Aluminum Industry Base of Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities, Baise, 533000, Guangxi, China
| | - Xin-Yan Geng
- Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Regulation Biology, Ministry of Education, Department of Biology, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Chun-Yan Wang
- Center for Genetics, National Research Institute of Family Planning, Beijing, 100081, China; Graduate School of Peking Union Medical College & Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100005, China
| | - Bin-Bin Wang
- Center for Genetics, National Research Institute of Family Planning, Beijing, 100081, China; Graduate School of Peking Union Medical College & Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100005, China; NHC Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health Engineering Technology Research (NRIFP), National Research Institute for Family Planning, 100081 Beijing, China.
| | - Su-Ren Chen
- Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Regulation Biology, Ministry of Education, Department of Biology, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China.
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Cao H, Xu H, Zhou Y, Xu W, Lu Q, Jiang L, Rong Y, Zhang Q, Yu C. BBOF1 is required for sperm motility and male fertility by stabilizing the flagellar axoneme in mice. Cell Mol Life Sci 2023; 80:152. [PMID: 37198331 PMCID: PMC11072524 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-023-04800-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Revised: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
The sperm flagellum is a specialized type of motile cilium composed of a typical "9 + 2" axonemal structure with peri-axonemal structures, such as outer dense fibers (ODFs). This flagellar arrangement is crucial for sperm movement and fertilization. However, the association of axonemal integrity with ODFs remains poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that mouse BBOF1 could interact with both MNS1, an axonemal component, and ODF2, an ODF protein, and is required for sperm flagellar axoneme maintenance and male fertility. BBOF1 is expressed exclusively in male germ cells from the pachytene stage onwards and is detected in sperm axoneme fraction. Spermatozoa derived from Bbof1-knockout mice exhibit a normal morphology, however, reduced motility due to the absence of certain microtubule doublets, resulting in the failure to fertilize mature oocytes. Furthermore, BBOF1 is found to interact with ODF2 and MNS1 and is also required for their stability. Our findings in mice suggest that Bbof1 could also be essential for human sperm motility and male fertility, thus is a novel potential candidate gene for asthenozoospermia diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huiwen Cao
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Haomang Xu
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Yiqing Zhou
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Wei Xu
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Qinglin Lu
- Zhejiang University-University of Edinburgh Institute (ZJU-UoE Institute), Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 718 East Haizhou Road, Haining, 314400, China
| | - Lingying Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Dysfunction Management of Zhejiang Province, Assisted Reproduction Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Yan Rong
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Dysfunction Management of Zhejiang Province, Assisted Reproduction Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Qianting Zhang
- Zhejiang University-University of Edinburgh Institute (ZJU-UoE Institute), Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 718 East Haizhou Road, Haining, 314400, China.
- The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
| | - Chao Yu
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, 310058, China.
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Dysfunction Management of Zhejiang Province, Assisted Reproduction Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, 310058, China.
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Abu-Halima M, Becker LS, Al Smadi MA, Abdul-Khaliq H, Raeschle M, Meese E. Sperm Motility Annotated Genes: Are They Associated with Impaired Fecundity? Cells 2023; 12:cells12091239. [PMID: 37174638 PMCID: PMC10177407 DOI: 10.3390/cells12091239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Revised: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Sperm motility is a prerequisite for achieving pregnancy, and alterations in sperm motility, along with sperm count and morphology, are commonly observed in subfertile men. The aim of the study was to determine whether the expression level of genes annotated with the Gene Ontology (GO) term 'sperm motility' differed in sperm collected from healthy men and men diagnosed with oligoasthenozoospermia. Reverse transcription quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR), quantitative mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), and enrichment analyses were used to validate a set of 132 genes in 198 men present at an infertility clinic. Out of the 132 studied sperm-motility-associated genes, 114 showed differentially expressed levels in oligoasthenozoospermic men compared to those of normozoospermic controls using an RT-qPCR analysis. Of these, 94 genes showed a significantly lower expression level, and 20 genes showed a significantly higher expression level. An MS analysis of sperm from an independent cohort of healthy and subfertile men identified 692 differentially expressed proteins, of which 512 were significantly lower and 180 were significantly higher in oligoasthenozoospermic men compared to those of the normozoospermic controls. Of the 58 gene products quantified with both techniques, 48 (82.75%) showed concordant regulation. Besides the sperm-motility-associated proteins, the unbiased proteomics approach uncovered several novel proteins whose expression levels were specifically altered in abnormal sperm samples. Among these deregulated proteins, there was a clear overrepresentation of annotation terms related to sperm integrity, the cytoskeleton, and energy-related metabolism, as well as human phenotypes related to spermatogenesis and sperm-related abnormalities. These findings suggest that many of these proteins may serve as diagnostic markers of male infertility. Our study reveals an extended number of sperm-motility-associated genes with altered expression levels in the sperm of men with oligoasthenozoospermia. These genes and/or proteins can be used in the future for better assessments of male factor infertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masood Abu-Halima
- Institute of Human Genetics, Saarland University, 66421 Homburg, Germany
- Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Saarland University Medical Center, 66421 Homburg, Germany
| | - Lea Simone Becker
- Institute of Human Genetics, Saarland University, 66421 Homburg, Germany
| | - Mohammad A Al Smadi
- Reproductive Endocrinology and IVF Unit, King Hussein Medical Centre, Amman 11733, Jordan
| | - Hashim Abdul-Khaliq
- Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Saarland University Medical Center, 66421 Homburg, Germany
| | - Markus Raeschle
- Department of Molecular Genetics, TU Kaiserslautern, 67653 Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Eckart Meese
- Institute of Human Genetics, Saarland University, 66421 Homburg, Germany
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Zhang J, Kanoatov M, Jarvi K, Gauthier-Fisher A, Moskovtsev SI, Librach C, Drabovich AP. Germ cell-specific proteins AKAP4 and ASPX facilitate identification of rare spermatozoa in non-obstructive azoospermia. Mol Cell Proteomics 2023; 22:100556. [PMID: 37087050 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcpro.2023.100556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Revised: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/16/2023] [Indexed: 04/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA), the most severe form of male infertility, could be treated with intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection, providing spermatozoa were retrieved with the microdissection testicular sperm extraction (mTESE). We hypothesized that testis- and germ cell-specific proteins would facilitate flow cytometry-assisted identification of rare spermatozoa in semen cell pellets of NOA patients, thus enabling non-invasive diagnostics prior to mTESE. Data mining, targeted proteomics, and immunofluorescent microscopy identified and verified a panel of highly testis-specific proteins expressed at the continuum of germ cell differentiation. Late germ cell-specific proteins AKAP4_HUMAN and ASPX_HUMAN (ACRV1 gene) revealed exclusive localization in spermatozoa tails and acrosomes, respectively. A multiplex imaging flow cytometry assay facilitated fast and unambiguous identification of rare but morphologically intact AKAP4+/ASPX+/Hoechst+ spermatozoa within debris-laden semen pellets of NOA patients. While the previously suggested markers for spermatozoa retrieval suffered from low diagnostic specificity, the multi-step gating strategy and visualization of AKAP4+/ASPX+/Hoechst+ cells with elongated tails and acrosome-capped nuclei facilitated fast and unambiguous identification of the mature intact spermatozoa. AKAP4+/ASPX+/Hoechst+ assay may emerge as a non-invasive test to predict retrieval of morphologically intact spermatozoa by mTESE, thus improving diagnostics and treatment of severe forms of male infertility.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mirzo Kanoatov
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Keith Jarvi
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Surgery, Division of Urology, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | - Sergey I Moskovtsev
- CReATe Fertility Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Clifford Librach
- CReATe Fertility Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Andrei P Drabovich
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
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Wen Y, Wang X, Zheng R, Dai S, Li J, Yang Y, Shen Y. Sequencing of the ZMYND15 gene in a cohort of infertile Chinese men reveals novel mutations in patients with teratozoospermia. J Med Genet 2023; 60:380-390. [PMID: 35973810 DOI: 10.1136/jmg-2022-108727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The information of ZMYND15 in human reproduction is very limited, resulting in the unclear link between ZMYND15 variants and male infertility. METHODS Whole exome sequencing and Sanger sequencing to identify the potential pathogenic variation of ZMYND15 in infertile men, Papanicolaou staining and electron microscopy to investigate the spermatozoa morphology, western blotting and immunofluorescence staining to confirm the pathogenicity of the identified variants, and proteomic analysis and coimmunoprecipitation to clarify the potential molecular mechanism. RESULTS A total of 31 ZMYND15 variants were identified in 227 infertile patients. Three deleterious biallelic variants, including a novel compound heterozygous variant of c.1105delG (p.A369Qfs*15) and c.1853T>C (p.F618S), a new homozygous splicing mutation of c.1297+5G>A and a reported homozygous nonsense mutation of c.1209T>A (p.Y403*), were detected in three affected individuals with oligoasthenoteratozoospermia, showing a biallelic pathogenic mutation frequency of 1.3% (3/227). No biallelic pathogenic mutation was found in 692 fertile men. Morphology analysis showed abnormalities in sperm morphology in the patients harbouring ZMYND15 mutations. Western blotting and immunofluorescence staining confirmed the nearly absent ZMYND15 expression in the sperm of the patients. Mechanistically, ZMYND15 might regulate spermatogenesis by interacting with key molecules involved in sperm development, such as DPY19L2, AKAP4 and FSIP2, and might also mediate the expression of the autophagy-associated protein SPATA33 to maintain sperm individualisation and unnecessary cytoplasm removal. CONCLUSION Our findings broaden the variant and phenotype spectrum of ZMYND15 in male infertility, and reveal the potential signalling pathway of ZMYND15 regulating spermatogenesis, finally confirming the essential role of ZMYND15 in human fertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuting Wen
- Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology, Joint Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine (SCU-CUHK), Key Laboratory of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiang Wang
- Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology, Joint Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine (SCU-CUHK), Key Laboratory of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Rui Zheng
- Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology, Joint Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine (SCU-CUHK), Key Laboratory of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Siyu Dai
- Medical Genetics Department/Prenatal Diagnostic Center, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Jinhui Li
- Department of Neonatology, Key Laboratory of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yihong Yang
- Reproduction Medical Center of West China Second University Hospital, Key Laboratory of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Ying Shen
- Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology, Joint Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine (SCU-CUHK), Key Laboratory of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
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Zhang J, Pan L, Zhang Q, Zhao Y, Wang W, Lin N, Zhang S, Wu Q. MFN2 deficiency affects calcium homeostasis in lung adenocarcinoma cells via downregulation of UCP4. FEBS Open Bio 2023. [PMID: 36877954 DOI: 10.1002/2211-5463.13591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Revised: 12/29/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Mitofusin-2 (MFN2) is a transmembrane GTPase that regulates mitochondrial fusion and thereby modulates mitochondrial function. However, the role of MFN2 in lung adenocarcinoma remains controversial. Here, we investigated the effect of MFN2 regulation on mitochondria in lung adenocarcinoma. We found that MFN2 deficiency resulted in decreased UCP4 expression and mitochondrial dysfunction in A549 and H1975 cells. UCP4 overexpression restored ATP and intracellular calcium concentration, but not mtDNA copy number, mitochondrial membrane potential or reactive oxygen species level. Furthermore, mass spectrometry analysis identified 460 overlapping proteins after independent overexpression of MFN2 and UCP4; these proteins were significantly enriched in the cytoskeleton, energy production, and calponin homology (CH) domains. Moreover, the calcium signaling pathway was confirmed to be enriched in KEGG pathway analysis. We also found by protein-protein interaction network analysis that PINK1 may be a key regulator of MFN2- and UCP4-mediated calcium homeostasis. Furthermore, PINK1 increased MFN2/UCP4-mediated intracellular Ca2+ concentration in A549 and H1975 cells. Finally, we demonstrated that low expression levels of MFN2 and UCP4 in lung adenocarcinoma are associated with poor clinical prognosis. In conclusion, our data suggest not only a potential role of MFN2 and UCP4 in co-regulating calcium homeostasis in lung adenocarcinoma but also their potential use as therapeutic targets in lung cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingjing Zhang
- Department of Translational Medicine Research Center, Key Laboratory of Clinical Cancer Pharmacology and Toxicology Research of Zhejiang Province, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China.,Department of Oncology, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Cancer Center, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Lifang Pan
- Department of Translational Medicine Research Center, Key Laboratory of Clinical Cancer Pharmacology and Toxicology Research of Zhejiang Province, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Qiang Zhang
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Chemical Engineering, Zhengzhou Business Technicians Institute, China
| | - Yanyan Zhao
- Department of Translational Medicine Research Center, Key Laboratory of Clinical Cancer Pharmacology and Toxicology Research of Zhejiang Province, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China.,Department of Oncology, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Cancer Center, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Wenwen Wang
- Department of Translational Medicine Research Center, Key Laboratory of Clinical Cancer Pharmacology and Toxicology Research of Zhejiang Province, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China.,Department of Oncology, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Cancer Center, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Nengming Lin
- Department of Translational Medicine Research Center, Key Laboratory of Clinical Cancer Pharmacology and Toxicology Research of Zhejiang Province, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China.,Department of Oncology, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Cancer Center, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Shirong Zhang
- Department of Translational Medicine Research Center, Key Laboratory of Clinical Cancer Pharmacology and Toxicology Research of Zhejiang Province, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China.,Department of Oncology, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Cancer Center, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Qiong Wu
- Department of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, The Cancer Hospital of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Zhejiang Cancer Hospital), Hangzhou, China
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New Mutations in DNHD1 Cause Multiple Morphological Abnormalities of the Sperm Flagella. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24032559. [PMID: 36768883 PMCID: PMC9916431 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24032559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Revised: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Male infertility is a common and complex disease and presents as a wide range of heterogeneous phenotypes. Multiple morphological abnormalities of the sperm flagellum (MMAF) phenotype is a peculiar condition of extreme morphological sperm defects characterized by a mosaic of sperm flagellum defects to a total asthenozoospermia. At this time, about 40 genes were associated with the MMAF phenotype. However, mutation prevalence for most genes remains individually low and about half of individuals remain without diagnosis, encouraging us to pursue the effort to identify new mutations and genes. In the present study, an a cohort of 167 MMAF patients was analyzed using whole-exome sequencing, and we identified three unrelated patients with new pathogenic mutations in DNHD1, a new gene recently associated with MMAF. Immunofluorescence experiments showed that DNHD1 was totally absent from sperm cells from DNHD1 patients, supporting the deleterious effect of the identified mutations. Transmission electron microscopy reveals severe flagellum abnormalities of sperm cells from one mutated patient, which appeared completely disorganized with the absence of the central pair and midpiece defects with a shortened and misshapen mitochondrial sheath. Immunostaining of IFT20 was not altered in mutated patients, suggesting that IFT may be not affected by DNHD1 mutations. Our data confirmed the importance of DNHD1 for the function and structural integrity of the sperm flagellum. Overall, this study definitively consolidated its involvement in MMAF phenotype on a second independent cohort and enriched the mutational spectrum of the DNHD1 gene.
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31
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Chao HH, Zhang Y, Dong PY, Gurunathan S, Zhang XF. Comprehensive review on the positive and negative effects of various important regulators on male spermatogenesis and fertility. Front Nutr 2023; 9:1063510. [PMID: 36726821 PMCID: PMC9884832 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2022.1063510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
With the increasing global incidence of infertility, the influence of environmental factors, lifestyle habits, and nutrients on reproductive health has gradually attracted the attention of researchers. The quantity and quality of sperm play vital roles in male fertility, and both characteristics can be affected by external and internal factors. In this review, the potential role of genetic, environmental, and endocrine factors; nutrients and trace elements in male reproductive health, spermatozoa function, and fertility potency and the underlying mechanisms are considered to provide a theoretical basis for clinical treatment of infertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hu-He Chao
- Development Center for Medical Science and Technology, National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China, Beijing, China
| | - Ye Zhang
- Advanced Medical Research Institute, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Pei-Yu Dong
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, China
| | | | - Xi-Feng Zhang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, China,*Correspondence: Xi-Feng Zhang ✉ ; ✉
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32
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Zhang Z, Zhou H, Deng X, Zhang R, Qu R, Mu J, Liu R, Zeng Y, Chen B, Wang L, Sang Q, Bao S. IQUB deficiency causes male infertility by affecting the activity of p-ERK1/2/RSPH3. Hum Reprod 2023; 38:168-179. [PMID: 36355624 DOI: 10.1093/humrep/deac244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2022] [Revised: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
STUDY QUESTION Can new genetic factors responsible for male infertility be identified, especially for those characterized by asthenospermia despite normal sperm morphology? SUMMARY ANSWER We identified the novel pathogenetic gene IQ motif and ubiquitin-like domain-containing (IQUB) as responsible for male infertility characterized by asthenospermia, involving sperm radial spoke defects. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY To date, only a few genes have been found to be responsible for asthenospermia with normal sperm morphology. Iqub, encoding the IQUB protein, is highly and specifically expressed in murine testes and interacts with the proteins radial spoke head 3 (RSPH3), CEP295 N-terminal like (CEP295NL or DDC8), glutathione S-transferase mu 1 (GSTM1) and outer dense fiber of sperm tails 1 (ODF1) in the yeast two-hybrid system. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION The IQUB variant was identified by whole-exome sequencing in a cohort of 126 male infertility patients with typical asthenospermia recruited between 2015 and 2020. Knockout (KO) and knockin (KI) mouse models, scanning and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and other functional assays were performed, between 2019 and 2021. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS The IQUB variant was identified by whole-exome sequencing and confirmed by Sanger sequencing. Iqub KO and KI mice were constructed to mimic the phenotype of the affected individual. After recapitulating the phenotype of human male infertility, scanning and TEM were performed to check the ultrastructure of the sperm. Western blot and co-immunoprecipitation were performed to clarify the pathological mechanism of the IQUB variant. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE We identified a homozygous nonsense IQUB variant (NM_001282855.2:c.942T> G(p.Tyr314*)) from an infertile male. Iqub KO and KI mice mimicked the infertility phenotype and confirmed IQUB to be the pathogenetic gene. Scanning and TEM showed that sperm of both the mouse models and the affected individual had radial spoke defects. The functional assay suggested that IQUB may recruit calmodulin in lower Ca2+ environments to facilitate the normal assembly of radial spokes by inhibiting the activity of RSPH3/p-ERK1/2 (a nontypical AKAP (A-Kinase Anchoring Protein) forming by RSPH3 and phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 and 2 (p-ERK1/2)). LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION Additional cases are needed to confirm the genetic contribution of IQUB variants to male infertility. In addition, because no IQUB antibody is available for immunofluorescence and the polyclonal antibody we generated was only effective in western blotting, immunostaining for IQUB was not performed in this study. Therefore, this study lacks direct in vivo proof to confirm the effect of the variant on IQUB protein level. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS Our results suggest a causal relation between IQUB variants and male infertility owing to asthenospermia, and partly clarify the pathological mechanism of IQUB variants. This expands our knowledge of the genes involved in human sperm asthenospermia and potentially provides a new genetic marker for male infertility. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) This work was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2021YFC2700100), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (32130029, 82171643, 81971450, 82001538, and 81971382) and the Guangdong Science and Technology Department Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Innovation Project (2020A0505140003). There are no competing interests to declare. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER N/A.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhihua Zhang
- The Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, The State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences and Huadong Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hongbin Zhou
- The Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, The State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences and Huadong Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xujing Deng
- Department of Reproductive Immunology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Shanghai Institute of Maternal-Fetal Medicine and Gynecologic Oncology, Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ruixiu Zhang
- Department of Reproductive Immunology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Shanghai Institute of Maternal-Fetal Medicine and Gynecologic Oncology, Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ronggui Qu
- The Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, The State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences and Huadong Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jian Mu
- The Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, The State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences and Huadong Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ruyi Liu
- The Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, The State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences and Huadong Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yang Zeng
- The Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, The State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences and Huadong Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Biaobang Chen
- NHC Key Lab of Reproduction Regulation (Shanghai Institute for Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Technologies), Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Lei Wang
- The Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, The State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences and Huadong Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Zhuhai Fudan Innovation Institute, Zhuhai, China
| | - Qing Sang
- The Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, The State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences and Huadong Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Zhuhai Fudan Innovation Institute, Zhuhai, China
| | - Shihua Bao
- Department of Reproductive Immunology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Shanghai Institute of Maternal-Fetal Medicine and Gynecologic Oncology, Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
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Hao X, Wang H, Cui F, Yang Z, Ye L, Huang R, Meng J. Reduction of SLC7A11 and GPX4 Contributing to Ferroptosis in Sperm from Asthenozoospermia Individuals. Reprod Sci 2023; 30:247-257. [PMID: 35729458 DOI: 10.1007/s43032-022-01004-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Ferroptosis is a newly defined form of regulated cell death, which is involved in various pathophysiological conditions. However, the role of ferroptosis in male infertility remains unclear. In this study, 42 asthenozoospermic and 45 normozoospermic individuals participated. To investigate the ferroptosis level in the two groups, the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), malondialdehyde (MDA), and iron were measured, and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) was detected as an indicator of mitochondrial injuries. Compared with the normozoospermic group, ROS (p < 0.05), MDA (p < 0.001), and iron (p < 0.001) of the asthenozoospermic group were significantly increased. However, the asthenozoospermia group had a decreased MMP level (p < 0.05). In addition, the expression levels of GSH-dependent peroxidase 4 (GPX4) (p < 0.001) and solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11) (p < 0.05) were also reduced in asthenozoospermic individuals. In asthenozoospermic samples, a significantly high positive correlation was observed between GPX4 mRNA levels and progressive motility (r = 0.397, p = 0.009) and total motility (r = 0.389, p = 0.011), while a negative correlation was observed between GPX4 and iron concentration (r = - 0.276, p = 0.077). The function of ferroptosis in asthenozoospermic males has never been studied before. In our study, we concluded that GPX4 and SLC7A11 expression levels in asthenozoospermia patients were related to increased ferroptosis and impaired sperm function, revealing novel molecular insights into the complex systems involved in male infertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoling Hao
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Key Laboratory of Diagnostic Medicine Designated By the Ministry of Education, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Hong Wang
- Key Laboratory of Diagnostic Medicine Designated By the Ministry of Education, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- School of Laboratory Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Fang Cui
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Zihan Yang
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Key Laboratory of Diagnostic Medicine Designated By the Ministry of Education, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Sichuan Provincial Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, No. 290, Shayan West Second Street, Wuhou District, Chengdu City, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Liu Ye
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Run Huang
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jiangping Meng
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
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Single-Cell RNA Sequencing of the Testis of Ciona intestinalis Reveals the Dynamic Transcriptional Profile of Spermatogenesis in Protochordates. Cells 2022; 11:cells11243978. [PMID: 36552742 PMCID: PMC9776925 DOI: 10.3390/cells11243978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Revised: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Spermatogenesis is a complex and continuous process of germ-cell differentiation. This complex process is regulated by many factors, of which gene regulation in spermatogenic cells plays a decisive role. Spermatogenesis has been widely studied in vertebrates, but little is known about spermatogenesis in protochordates. Here, for the first time, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) on 6832 germ cells from the testis of adult Ciona intestinalis. We identified six germ cell populations and revealed dynamic gene expression as well as transcriptional regulation during spermatogenesis. In particular, we identified four spermatocyte subtypes and key genes involved in meiosis in C. intestinalis. There were remarkable similarities and differences in gene expression during spermatogenesis between C. intestinalis and two other vertebrates (Chinese tongue sole and human). We identified many spermatogenic-cell-specific genes with functions that need to be verified. These findings will help to further improve research on spermatogenesis in chordates.
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Wang J, Wang W, Shen L, Zheng A, Meng Q, Li H, Yang S. Clinical detection, diagnosis and treatment of morphological abnormalities of sperm flagella: A review of literature. Front Genet 2022; 13:1034951. [PMID: 36425067 PMCID: PMC9679630 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.1034951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Sperm carries male genetic information, and flagella help move the sperm to reach oocytes. When the ultrastructure of the flagella is abnormal, the sperm is unable to reach the oocyte and achieve insemination. Multiple morphological abnormalities of sperm flagella (MMAF) is a relatively rare idiopathic condition that is mainly characterized by multiple defects in sperm flagella. In the last decade, with the development of high-throughput DNA sequencing approaches, many genes have been revealed to be related to MMAF. However, the differences in sperm phenotypes and reproductive outcomes in many cases are attributed to different pathogenic genes or different pathogenic mutations in the same gene. Here, we will review information about the various phenotypes resulting from different pathogenic genes, including sperm ultrastructure and encoding proteins with their location and functions as well as assisted reproductive technology (ART) outcomes. We will share our clinical detection and diagnosis experience to provide additional clinical views and broaden the understanding of this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Shenmin Yang
- Center for Reproduction and Genetics, Suzhou Municipal Hospital, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Gusu School, Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, China
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36
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Chen Z, Xu Y, Ma D, Li C, Yu Z, Liu C, Jin T, Du Z, Li Z, Sun Q, Xu Y, Liu R, Wu Y, Luo M. Loss of Cep72 affects the morphology of spermatozoa in mice. Front Physiol 2022; 13:948965. [PMID: 36277211 PMCID: PMC9585255 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.948965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The centrosome regulates mammalian meiosis by affecting recombination, synapsis, chromosome segregation, and spermiogenesis. Cep72 is one of the critical components of the centrosome. However, the physiological role of Cep72 in spermatogenesis and fertility remains unclear. In this study, we identify Cep72 as a testis-specific expression protein. Although Cep72 knockout mice were viable and fertile, their sperms were morphologically abnormal with incomplete flagellum structures. Transcriptome analysis reveals significant differences in six genes (Gm49527, Hbb-bt, Hba-a2, Rps27a-ps2, Gm29647, and Gm8430), which were not previously associated with spermatogenesis. Overall, these results indicate that Cep72 participates in regulating sperm morphology and yet is dispensable for fertility in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Chen
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, TaiKang Medical School (School of Basic Medical Sciences), Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yating Xu
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, TaiKang Medical School (School of Basic Medical Sciences), Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Dupeng Ma
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, TaiKang Medical School (School of Basic Medical Sciences), Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Changrong Li
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, TaiKang Medical School (School of Basic Medical Sciences), Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Ziqi Yu
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, TaiKang Medical School (School of Basic Medical Sciences), Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Cong Liu
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, TaiKang Medical School (School of Basic Medical Sciences), Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Tingyu Jin
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, TaiKang Medical School (School of Basic Medical Sciences), Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Ziye Du
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, TaiKang Medical School (School of Basic Medical Sciences), Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Zejia Li
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, TaiKang Medical School (School of Basic Medical Sciences), Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Qi Sun
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, TaiKang Medical School (School of Basic Medical Sciences), Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yumin Xu
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, TaiKang Medical School (School of Basic Medical Sciences), Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Rong Liu
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, TaiKang Medical School (School of Basic Medical Sciences), Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yuerong Wu
- Center for Animal Experiment, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- *Correspondence: Yuerong Wu, ; Mengcheng Luo,
| | - Mengcheng Luo
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, TaiKang Medical School (School of Basic Medical Sciences), Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- *Correspondence: Yuerong Wu, ; Mengcheng Luo,
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Bisconti M, Leroy B, Gallagher MT, Senet C, Martinet B, Arcolia V, Wattiez R, Kirkman-Brown JC, Simon JF, Hennebert E. The ribosome inhibitor chloramphenicol induces motility deficits in human spermatozoa: A proteomic approach identifies potentially involved proteins. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:965076. [PMID: 36120567 PMCID: PMC9478589 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.965076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Mature spermatozoa are almost completely devoid of cytoplasm; as such it has long been believed that they do not contain ribosomes and are therefore not capable of synthesising proteins. However, since the 1950s, various studies have shown translational activity within spermatozoa, particularly during their in vitro capacitation. But the type of ribosomes involved (cytoplasmic or mitochondrial) is still debated. Here, we investigate the presence and activity of the two types of ribosomes in mature human spermatozoa. By targeting ribosomal RNAs and proteins, we show that both types of ribosomes are localized in the midpiece as well as in the neck and the base of the head of the spermatozoa. We assessed the impact of cycloheximide (CHX) and chloramphenicol (CP), inhibitors of cytoplasmic and mitochondrial ribosomes, respectively, on different sperm parameters. Neither CHX, nor CP impacted sperm vitality, mitochondrial activity (measured through the ATP content), or capacitation (measured through the content in phosphotyrosines). However, increasing CP concentrations induced a decrease in total and progressive motilities as well as on some kinematic parameters while no effect was observed with CHX. A quantitative proteomic analysis was performed by mass spectrometry in SWATH mode to compare the proteomes of spermatozoa capacitated in the absence or presence of the two ribosome inhibitors. Among the ∼700 proteins identified in the different tested conditions, 3, 3 and 25 proteins presented a modified abundance in the presence of 1 and 2 mg/ml of CHX, and 1 mg/ml of CP, respectively. The observed abundance variations of some CP-down regulated proteins were validated using Multiple-Reaction Monitoring (MRM). Taken together, our results are in favor of an activity of mitochondrial ribosomes. Their inhibition by CP results in a decrease in the abundance of several proteins, at least FUNDC2 and QRICH2, and consequently induces sperm motility deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Bisconti
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Research Institute for Biosciences, Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, University of Mons, Mons, Belgium
| | - Baptiste Leroy
- Laboratory of Proteomics and Microbiology, CISMa, Research Institute for Biosciences, University of Mons, Mons, Belgium
| | - Meurig T. Gallagher
- Centre for Systems Modelling and Quantitative Biomedicine, University of Birmingham, Centre for Human Reproductive Science, Birmingham Women’s and Children’s National Health Service Foundation Trust, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Coralie Senet
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Research Institute for Biosciences, Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, University of Mons, Mons, Belgium
| | - Baptiste Martinet
- Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Vanessa Arcolia
- Clinique de Fertilité Régionale de Mons, CHU Ambroise Paré Hospital, Mons, Belgium
| | - Ruddy Wattiez
- Laboratory of Proteomics and Microbiology, CISMa, Research Institute for Biosciences, University of Mons, Mons, Belgium
| | - Jackson C. Kirkman-Brown
- Institute of Metabolism and Systems Research, University of Birmingham, Centre for Human Reproductive Science, Birmingham Women’s and Children’s National Health Service Foundation Trust, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Jean-François Simon
- Clinique de Fertilité Régionale de Mons, CHU Ambroise Paré Hospital, Mons, Belgium
| | - Elise Hennebert
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Research Institute for Biosciences, Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, University of Mons, Mons, Belgium
- *Correspondence: Elise Hennebert,
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Hardy J, Pollock N, Gingrich T, Sweet P, Ramesh A, Kuong J, Basar A, Jiang H, Hwang K, Vukina J, Jaffe T, Olszewska M, Kurpisz M, Yatsenko AN. Genomic testing for copy number and single nucleotide variants in spermatogenic failure. J Assist Reprod Genet 2022; 39:2103-2114. [PMID: 35849255 PMCID: PMC9474750 DOI: 10.1007/s10815-022-02538-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE To identify clinically significant genomic copy number (CNV) and single nucleotide variants (SNV) in males with unexplained spermatogenic failure (SPGF). MATERIALS AND METHODS Peripheral blood DNA from 97/102 study participants diagnosed with oligozoospermia, severe oligozoospermia, or non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) was analyzed for CNVs via array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) and SNVs using whole-exome sequencing (WES). RESULTS Of the 2544 CNVs identified in individuals with SPGF, > 90% were small, ranging from 0.6 to 75 kb. Thirty, clinically relevant genomic aberrations, were detected in 28 patients (~ 29%). These included likely diagnostic CNVs in 3/41 NOA patients (~ 7%): 1 hemizygous, intragenic TEX11 deletion, 1 hemizygous DDX53 full gene deletion, and 1 homozygous, intragenic STK11 deletion. High-level mosaicism for X chromosome disomy (~ 10% 46,XY and ~ 90% 47,XXY) was also identified in 3 of 41 NOA patients who previously tested normal with conventional karyotyping. The remaining 24 CNVs detected were heterozygous, autosomal recessive carrier variants. Follow-up WES analysis confirmed 8 of 27 (30%) CNVs (X chromosome disomy excluded). WES analysis additionally identified 13 significant SNVs and/or indels in 9 patients (~ 9%) including X-linked AR, KAL1, and NR0B1 variants. CONCLUSION Using a combined genome-wide aCGH/WES approach, we identified pathogenic and likely pathogenic SNVs and CNVs in 15 patients (15%) with unexplained SPGF. This value equals the detection rate of conventional testing for aneuploidies and is considerably higher than the prevalence of Y chromosome microdeletions. Our results underscore the importance of comprehensive genomic analysis in emerging diagnostic testing of complex conditions like male infertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Hardy
- Department of OBGYN and Reproductive Sciences, Magee-Womens Research Institute, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, 204 Craft Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - N Pollock
- Department of OBGYN and Reproductive Sciences, Magee-Womens Research Institute, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, 204 Craft Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - T Gingrich
- Department of OBGYN and Reproductive Sciences, Magee-Womens Research Institute, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, 204 Craft Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - P Sweet
- Department of OBGYN and Reproductive Sciences, Magee-Womens Research Institute, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, 204 Craft Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - A Ramesh
- Department of OBGYN and Reproductive Sciences, Magee-Womens Research Institute, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, 204 Craft Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - J Kuong
- Department of OBGYN and Reproductive Sciences, Magee-Womens Research Institute, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, 204 Craft Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - A Basar
- Department of OBGYN and Reproductive Sciences, Magee-Womens Research Institute, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, 204 Craft Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - H Jiang
- Department of OBGYN and Reproductive Sciences, Magee-Womens Research Institute, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, 204 Craft Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - K Hwang
- Department of Urology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - J Vukina
- Department of Urology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - T Jaffe
- Department of Urology, School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - M Olszewska
- Institute of Human Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - M Kurpisz
- Institute of Human Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - A N Yatsenko
- Department of OBGYN and Reproductive Sciences, Magee-Womens Research Institute, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, 204 Craft Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA.
- Department of Genetics, School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.
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Yin Y, Mu W, Yu X, Wang Z, Xu K, Wu X, Cai Y, Zhang M, Lu G, Chan WY, Ma J, Huang T, Liu H. LRRC46 Accumulates at the Midpiece of Sperm Flagella and Is Essential for Spermiogenesis and Male Fertility in Mouse. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:8525. [PMID: 35955660 PMCID: PMC9369233 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23158525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The sperm flagellum is essential for male fertility. Multiple morphological abnormalities of the sperm flagella (MMAF) is a severe form of asthenoteratozoospermia. MMAF phenotypes are understood to result from pathogenic variants of genes from multiple families including AKAP, DANI, DNAH, RSPH, CCDC, CFAP, TTC, and LRRC, among others. The Leucine-rich repeat protein (LRRC) family includes two members reported to cause MMAF phenotypes: Lrrc6 and Lrrc50. Despite vigorous research towards understanding the pathogenesis of MMAF-related diseases, many genes remain unknown underlying the flagellum biogenesis. Here, we found that Leucine-rich repeat containing 46 (LRRC46) is specifically expressed in the testes of adult mice, and show that LRRC46 is essential for sperm flagellum biogenesis. Both scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Papanicolaou staining (PS) presents that the knockout of Lrrc46 in mice resulted in typical MMAF phenotypes, including sperm with short, coiled, and irregular flagella. The male KO mice had reduced total sperm counts, impaired sperm motility, and were completely infertile. No reproductive phenotypes were detected in Lrrc46-/- female mice. Immunofluorescence (IF) assays showed that LRRC46 was present throughout the entire flagella of control sperm, albeit with evident concentration at the mid-piece. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) demonstrated striking flagellar defects with axonemal and mitochondrial sheath malformations. About the important part of the Materials and Methods, SEM and PS were used to observe the typical MMAF-related irregular flagella morphological phenotypes, TEM was used to further inspect the sperm flagellum defects in ultrastructure, and IF was chosen to confirm the location of protein. Our study suggests that LRRC46 is an essential protein for sperm flagellum biogenesis, and its mutations might be associated with MMAF that causes male infertility. Thus, our study provides insights for understanding developmental processes underlying sperm flagellum formation and contribute to further observe the pathogenic genes that cause male infertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingying Yin
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China; (Y.Y.); (W.M.); (X.Y.); (Z.W.); (K.X.); (X.W.); (Y.C.); (M.Z.); (J.M.)
- Research Unit of Gametogenesis and Health of ART-Offspring, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan 250012, China
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology of Ministry of Education, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Wenyu Mu
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China; (Y.Y.); (W.M.); (X.Y.); (Z.W.); (K.X.); (X.W.); (Y.C.); (M.Z.); (J.M.)
- Research Unit of Gametogenesis and Health of ART-Offspring, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan 250012, China
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology of Ministry of Education, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Xiaochen Yu
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China; (Y.Y.); (W.M.); (X.Y.); (Z.W.); (K.X.); (X.W.); (Y.C.); (M.Z.); (J.M.)
- Research Unit of Gametogenesis and Health of ART-Offspring, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan 250012, China
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology of Ministry of Education, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Ziqi Wang
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China; (Y.Y.); (W.M.); (X.Y.); (Z.W.); (K.X.); (X.W.); (Y.C.); (M.Z.); (J.M.)
- Research Unit of Gametogenesis and Health of ART-Offspring, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan 250012, China
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology of Ministry of Education, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Ke Xu
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China; (Y.Y.); (W.M.); (X.Y.); (Z.W.); (K.X.); (X.W.); (Y.C.); (M.Z.); (J.M.)
- Research Unit of Gametogenesis and Health of ART-Offspring, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan 250012, China
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology of Ministry of Education, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Xinyue Wu
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China; (Y.Y.); (W.M.); (X.Y.); (Z.W.); (K.X.); (X.W.); (Y.C.); (M.Z.); (J.M.)
- Research Unit of Gametogenesis and Health of ART-Offspring, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan 250012, China
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology of Ministry of Education, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Yuling Cai
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China; (Y.Y.); (W.M.); (X.Y.); (Z.W.); (K.X.); (X.W.); (Y.C.); (M.Z.); (J.M.)
- Research Unit of Gametogenesis and Health of ART-Offspring, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan 250012, China
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology of Ministry of Education, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Mingyu Zhang
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China; (Y.Y.); (W.M.); (X.Y.); (Z.W.); (K.X.); (X.W.); (Y.C.); (M.Z.); (J.M.)
- Research Unit of Gametogenesis and Health of ART-Offspring, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan 250012, China
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology of Ministry of Education, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Gang Lu
- CUHK-SDU Joint Laboratory on Reproductive Genetics, School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (G.L.); (W.-Y.C.)
| | - Wai-Yee Chan
- CUHK-SDU Joint Laboratory on Reproductive Genetics, School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (G.L.); (W.-Y.C.)
| | - Jinlong Ma
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China; (Y.Y.); (W.M.); (X.Y.); (Z.W.); (K.X.); (X.W.); (Y.C.); (M.Z.); (J.M.)
- Research Unit of Gametogenesis and Health of ART-Offspring, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan 250012, China
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology of Ministry of Education, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
- CUHK-SDU Joint Laboratory on Reproductive Genetics, School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (G.L.); (W.-Y.C.)
| | - Tao Huang
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China; (Y.Y.); (W.M.); (X.Y.); (Z.W.); (K.X.); (X.W.); (Y.C.); (M.Z.); (J.M.)
- Research Unit of Gametogenesis and Health of ART-Offspring, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan 250012, China
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology of Ministry of Education, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Hongbin Liu
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China; (Y.Y.); (W.M.); (X.Y.); (Z.W.); (K.X.); (X.W.); (Y.C.); (M.Z.); (J.M.)
- Research Unit of Gametogenesis and Health of ART-Offspring, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan 250012, China
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology of Ministry of Education, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
- CUHK-SDU Joint Laboratory on Reproductive Genetics, School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (G.L.); (W.-Y.C.)
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Silva C, Viana P, Barros A, Sá R, Sousa M, Pereira R. Further Insights on RNA Expression and Sperm Motility. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13071291. [PMID: 35886074 PMCID: PMC9319021 DOI: 10.3390/genes13071291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Revised: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Asthenozoospermia is one of the main causes of male infertility and it is characterized by reduced sperm motility. Several mutations in genes that code for structural or functional constituents of the sperm have already been identified as known causes of asthenozoospermia. In contrast, the role of sperm RNA in regulating sperm motility is still not fully understood. Consequently, here we aim to contribute to the knowledge regarding the expression of sperm RNA, and ultimately, to provide further insights into its relationship with sperm motility. We investigated the expression of a group of mRNAs by using real-time PCR (CATSPER3, CFAP44, CRHR1, HIP1, IQCG KRT34, LRRC6, QRICH2, RSPH6A, SPATA33 and TEKT2) and the highest score corresponding to the target miRNA for each mRNA in asthenozoospermic and normozoospermic individuals. We observed a reduced expression of all mRNAs and miRNAs in asthenozoospermic patients compared to controls, with a more accentuated reduction in patients with progressive sperm motility lower than 15%. Our work provides further insights regarding the role of RNA in regulating sperm motility. Further studies are required to determine how these genes and their corresponding miRNA act regarding sperm motility, particularly KRT34 and CRHR1, which have not previously been seen to play a significant role in regulating sperm motility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Silva
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Department of Microscopy, ICBAS-School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Porto, UMIB-Unit for Multidisciplinary Research in Biomedicine, ICBAS/ITR-Laboratory for Integrative and Translational Research in Population Health, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal; (C.S.); (R.S.); (M.S.)
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra (FMUC), 3000-370 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Paulo Viana
- Centre for Reproductive Genetics A. Barros, 4100-012 Porto, Portugal; (P.V.); (A.B.)
| | - Alberto Barros
- Centre for Reproductive Genetics A. Barros, 4100-012 Porto, Portugal; (P.V.); (A.B.)
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto (FMUP), 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
- Institute of Health Research and Innovation (IPATIMUP/i3S), University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Rosália Sá
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Department of Microscopy, ICBAS-School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Porto, UMIB-Unit for Multidisciplinary Research in Biomedicine, ICBAS/ITR-Laboratory for Integrative and Translational Research in Population Health, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal; (C.S.); (R.S.); (M.S.)
| | - Mário Sousa
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Department of Microscopy, ICBAS-School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Porto, UMIB-Unit for Multidisciplinary Research in Biomedicine, ICBAS/ITR-Laboratory for Integrative and Translational Research in Population Health, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal; (C.S.); (R.S.); (M.S.)
| | - Rute Pereira
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Department of Microscopy, ICBAS-School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Porto, UMIB-Unit for Multidisciplinary Research in Biomedicine, ICBAS/ITR-Laboratory for Integrative and Translational Research in Population Health, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal; (C.S.); (R.S.); (M.S.)
- Correspondence:
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41
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Liu Q, Chen X, Qiao J. Advances in studying human gametogenesis and embryonic development in China. Biol Reprod 2022; 107:12-26. [PMID: 35788258 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioac134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Revised: 05/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Reproductive medicine in China has developed rapidly since 1988 due to the support from the government and scientific exploration. However, the success rate of assisted reproduction technology (ART) is around 30-40% and many unknown "black boxes" in gametogenesis and embryo development are still present. With the development of single-cell and low-input sequencing technologies, the network of transcriptome and epigenetic regulation (DNA methylation, chromatin accessibility, and histone modifications) during the development of human primordial germ cells (PGCs), gametes and embryos has been investigated in depth. Furthermore, pre-implantation genetic testing (PGT) has also rapidly developed. In this review, we summarize and analyze China's outstanding progress in these fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Liu
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory of Assisted Reproduction (Peking University), Ministry of Education, Beijing, China.,Beijing Key Laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology and Assisted Reproductive Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Xi Chen
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory of Assisted Reproduction (Peking University), Ministry of Education, Beijing, China.,Beijing Key Laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology and Assisted Reproductive Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Jie Qiao
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory of Assisted Reproduction (Peking University), Ministry of Education, Beijing, China.,Beijing Key Laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology and Assisted Reproductive Technology, Beijing, China.,Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Genomics, Beijing, China.,Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Research Units of Comprehensive Diagnosis and Treatment of Oocyte Maturation Arrest, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
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42
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Zhang R, Wu B, Liu C, Zhang Z, Wang X, Wang L, Xiao S, Chen Y, Wei H, Jiang H, Gao F, Yuan L, Li W. CCDC38 is required for sperm flagellum biogenesis and male fertility in mice. Development 2022; 149:275684. [DOI: 10.1242/dev.200516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT
The sperm flagellum is essential for male fertility, and defects in flagellum biogenesis are associated with male infertility. Deficiency of coiled-coil domain-containing (CCDC) 42 (CCDC42) is specifically associated with malformation of mouse sperm flagella. Here, we find that the testis-specific protein CCDC38 interacts with CCDC42, localizing on the manchette and sperm tail during spermiogenesis. Inactivation of CCDC38 in male mice results in a distorted manchette, multiple morphological abnormalities of the flagella of spermatozoa and eventually male sterility. Furthermore, we find that CCDC38 interacts with intraflagellar transport protein 88 (IFT88), as well as outer dense fibrous 2 (ODF2), and the knockout of Ccdc38 reduces transport of ODF2 to the flagellum. Altogether, our results uncover the essential role of CCDC38 in sperm flagellum biogenesis, and suggest that some mutations of these genes might be associated with male infertility in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruidan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Innovation Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences 1 , Beijing 100101 , China
- Institute of Reproductive Health and Perinatology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University 2 , Guangzhou 510623 , China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences 3 , Beijing 100049 , China
| | - Bingbing Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Innovation Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences 1 , Beijing 100101 , China
- Institute of Reproductive Health and Perinatology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University 2 , Guangzhou 510623 , China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences 3 , Beijing 100049 , China
| | - Chao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Innovation Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences 1 , Beijing 100101 , China
- Institute of Reproductive Health and Perinatology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University 2 , Guangzhou 510623 , China
| | - Zhe Zhang
- Peking University Third Hospital 4 Department of Urology , , Beijing 100191 , China
- Peking University Third Hospital 5 Department of Andrology , , Beijing 100191 , China
- Peking University Third Hospital 6 Department of Reproductive Medicine Center , , Beijing 100191 , China
- Peking University Third Hospital 7 Department of Human Sperm Bank , , Beijing 100191 , China
| | - Xiuge Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Innovation Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences 1 , Beijing 100101 , China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences 3 , Beijing 100049 , China
| | - Liying Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Innovation Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences 1 , Beijing 100101 , China
- Institute of Reproductive Health and Perinatology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University 2 , Guangzhou 510623 , China
| | - Sai Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Innovation Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences 1 , Beijing 100101 , China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences 3 , Beijing 100049 , China
| | - Yinghong Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Innovation Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences 1 , Beijing 100101 , China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences 3 , Beijing 100049 , China
| | - Huafang Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Innovation Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences 1 , Beijing 100101 , China
- Institute of Reproductive Health and Perinatology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University 2 , Guangzhou 510623 , China
| | - Hui Jiang
- Peking University Third Hospital 4 Department of Urology , , Beijing 100191 , China
- Peking University Third Hospital 5 Department of Andrology , , Beijing 100191 , China
- Peking University Third Hospital 6 Department of Reproductive Medicine Center , , Beijing 100191 , China
- Peking University Third Hospital 7 Department of Human Sperm Bank , , Beijing 100191 , China
| | - Fei Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Innovation Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences 1 , Beijing 100101 , China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences 3 , Beijing 100049 , China
| | - Li Yuan
- Savaid Medical School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences 8 , Beijing 100049 , China
| | - Wei Li
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Innovation Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences 1 , Beijing 100101 , China
- Institute of Reproductive Health and Perinatology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University 2 , Guangzhou 510623 , China
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Zhou S, Wu H, Zhang J, He X, Liu S, Zhou P, Hua R, Cao Y, Liu M. Bi-allelic variants in human TCTE1/DRC5 cause asthenospermia and male infertility. Eur J Hum Genet 2022; 30:721-729. [PMID: 35388187 DOI: 10.1038/s41431-022-01095-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Revised: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Asthenozoospermia (AZS) is a common male infertility phenotype, accounting for 18% of infertile patients. The N-DRC (Nexin-dynein Regulatory Complex) complex is the motor regulating device in the flagellum, which is found in most eukaryotic organisms with flagellum. The deletion of TCTE1 (T-Complex-Associated Testis-Expressed 1), a component of the N-DRC complex also known as DRC5 (Dynein regulatory complex subunit 5), has been shown to cause asthenospermia in mice. This study mainly introduces a clinical case of male infertility with normal sperm count, normal morphological structure, but low motility and weak forward movement. By whole-exome sequencing, we found that TCTE1 became a frameshift mutant, ENST00000371505.5: c.396_397insTC (p.Arg133Serfs*33), resulting in the rapid degradation of TCTE1 protein and male infertility. This phenotype is similar to the Tcte1-/- (Tcte1 knockout) mice, which showed structural integrity but reduced motility. Further, different from mice, in vitro Fertilization (IVF) could successfully solve the patient's problem of infertility. Our data provides a better understanding of the biological functions of TCTE1 in human flagellum assembly and male fertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shushu Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China
| | - Huan Wu
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230022, China.,NHC Key Laboratory of Study on Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract (Anhui Medical University), Hefei, 230032, China
| | - Jintao Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China
| | - Xiaojin He
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230022, China.,NHC Key Laboratory of Study on Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract (Anhui Medical University), Hefei, 230032, China
| | - Siyu Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China
| | - Ping Zhou
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230022, China.,NHC Key Laboratory of Study on Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract (Anhui Medical University), Hefei, 230032, China
| | - Rong Hua
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230022, China. .,NHC Key Laboratory of Study on Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract (Anhui Medical University), Hefei, 230032, China. .,Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Hefei, 230032, China.
| | - Yunxia Cao
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230022, China. .,NHC Key Laboratory of Study on Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract (Anhui Medical University), Hefei, 230032, China. .,Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Hefei, 230032, China.
| | - Mingxi Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China.
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PRSS55 is a novel potential causative gene for human male infertility. Reprod Biomed Online 2022; 45:553-562. [DOI: 10.1016/j.rbmo.2022.05.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Revised: 05/15/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Martinez G, Coutton C, Loeuillet C, Cazin C, Muroňová J, Boguenet M, Lambert E, Dhellemmes M, Chevalier G, Hograindleur JP, Vilpreux C, Neirijnck Y, Kherraf ZE, Escoffier J, Nef S, Ray PF, Arnoult C. Oligogenic heterozygous inheritance of sperm abnormalities in mouse. eLife 2022; 11:75373. [PMID: 35451961 PMCID: PMC9071268 DOI: 10.7554/elife.75373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Male infertility is an important health concern that is expected to have a major genetic etiology. Although high-throughput sequencing has linked gene defects to more than 50% of rare and severe sperm anomalies, less than 20% of common and moderate forms are explained. We hypothesized that this low success rate could at least be partly due to oligogenic defects – the accumulation of several rare heterozygous variants in distinct, but functionally connected, genes. Here, we compared fertility and sperm parameters in male mice harboring one to four heterozygous truncating mutations of genes linked to multiple morphological anomalies of the flagellum (MMAF) syndrome. Results indicated progressively deteriorating sperm morphology and motility with increasing numbers of heterozygous mutations. This first evidence of oligogenic inheritance in failed spermatogenesis strongly suggests that oligogenic heterozygosity could explain a significant proportion of asthenoteratozoospermia cases. The findings presented pave the way to further studies in mice and man.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Corinne Loeuillet
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, INSERM, CNRS, University Grenoble-Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | | | - Jana Muroňová
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, INSERM, CNRS, University Grenoble-Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Magalie Boguenet
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, INSERM, CNRS, University Grenoble-Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Emeline Lambert
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, INSERM, CNRS, University Grenoble-Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Magali Dhellemmes
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, INSERM, CNRS, University Grenoble-Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Geneviève Chevalier
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, INSERM, CNRS, University Grenoble-Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | | | - Charline Vilpreux
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, INSERM, CNRS, University Grenoble-Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Yasmine Neirijnck
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva Medical School, Genève, Switzerland
| | - Zine Eddine Kherraf
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, INSERM, CNRS, University Grenoble-Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Jessica Escoffier
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, INSERM, CNRS, University Grenoble-Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Serge Nef
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva Medical School, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Pierre F Ray
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, INSERM, CNRS, University Grenoble-Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Christophe Arnoult
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, INSERM, CNRS, University Grenoble-Alpes, Grenoble, France
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Genetic Variations and mRNA Expression of Goat DNAH1 and Their Associations with Litter Size. Cells 2022; 11:cells11081371. [PMID: 35456050 PMCID: PMC9024473 DOI: 10.3390/cells11081371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Revised: 04/02/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Dynein Axonemal Heavy Chain 1 (DNAH1) encodes proteins which provide structural support for the physiological function and motor structure of spermatozoa (hereafter referred to as sperm) and ova. This study found that three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), the 27-bp insertion/deletion (InDel) mutations and three exonic copy number variations (CNVs) within DNAH1 were significantly associated with litter size of Shaanbei white cashmere goats (n = 1101). Goats with the wildtypes of these three SNPs had higher litter sizes than other carriers (p < 0.05). II genotype of the 27-bp InDel had the highest litter size compared with ID carriers (p = 0.000022). The gain genotype had the largest litter sizes compared with the loss or medium carriers for the three CNV mutations (p < 0.01). Individuals with the AA-TT-CC-II-M1-M2-M3 and AA-TT-CC-II-G1-G2-M3 combination genotypes had larger litter sizes compared with the other genotypes. This study also showed the DNAH1 expression in mothers of multiple kids was higher than mothers of single kids. These three SNPs, the 27-bp InDel and three CNVs in DNAH1 could be used as molecular markers for the selection of goat reproductive traits.
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Hiltpold M, Janett F, Mapel XM, Kadri NK, Fang ZH, Schwarzenbacher H, Seefried FR, Spengeler M, Witschi U, Pausch H. A 1-bp deletion in bovine QRICH2 causes low sperm count and immotile sperm with multiple morphological abnormalities. Genet Sel Evol 2022; 54:18. [PMID: 35255804 PMCID: PMC8900305 DOI: 10.1186/s12711-022-00710-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Semen quality and insemination success are monitored in artificial insemination bulls to ensure high male fertility rates. Only ejaculates that fulfill minimum quality requirements are processed and eventually used for artificial inseminations. We examined 70,990 ejaculates from 1343 Brown Swiss bulls to identify bulls from which all ejaculates were rejected due to low semen quality. This procedure identified a bull that produced 12 ejaculates with an aberrantly small number of sperm (0.2 ± 0.2 × 109 sperm per mL) which were mostly immotile due to multiple morphological abnormalities. RESULTS The genome of this bull was sequenced at a 12× coverage to investigate a possible genetic cause. Comparing the sequence variant genotypes of this bull with those from 397 fertile bulls revealed a 1-bp deletion in the coding sequence of the QRICH2 gene which encodes the glutamine rich 2 protein, as a compelling candidate causal variant. This 1-bp deletion causes a frameshift in translation and a premature termination codon (ENSBTAP00000018337.1:p.Cys1644AlafsTer52). The analysis of testis transcriptomes from 76 bulls showed that the transcript with the premature termination codon is subject to nonsense-mediated mRNA decay. The 1-bp deletion resides in a 675-kb haplotype that includes 181 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from the Illumina BovineHD Bead chip. This haplotype segregates at a frequency of 5% in the Brown Swiss cattle population. Our analysis also identified another bull that carried the 1-bp deletion in the homozygous state. Semen analyses from the second bull confirmed low sperm concentration and immotile sperm with multiple morphological abnormalities that primarily affect the sperm flagellum and, to a lesser extent, the sperm head. CONCLUSIONS A recessive loss-of-function allele of the bovine QRICH2 gene likely causes low sperm concentration and immotile sperm with multiple morphological abnormalities. Routine sperm analyses unambiguously identify homozygous bulls for this allele. A direct gene test can be implemented to monitor the frequency of the undesired allele in cattle populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maya Hiltpold
- Animal Genomics, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, ETH Zürich, Universitätstrasse 2, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Fredi Janett
- Clinic of Reproductive Medicine, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 260, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Xena Marie Mapel
- Animal Genomics, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, ETH Zürich, Universitätstrasse 2, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Naveen Kumar Kadri
- Animal Genomics, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, ETH Zürich, Universitätstrasse 2, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Zih-Hua Fang
- Animal Genomics, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, ETH Zürich, Universitätstrasse 2, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
- Present Address: Genome Biology of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Deutsches Zentrum Für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen e. V. (DZNE), Otfried-Müller-Str. 23, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | | | | | | | - Ulrich Witschi
- Swissgenetics, Meielenfeldweg 12, 3052 Zollikofen, Switzerland
| | - Hubert Pausch
- Animal Genomics, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, ETH Zürich, Universitätstrasse 2, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
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Liu M, Li J, Jiang C, Zhou Y, Sun Y, Yang Y, Shen Y. A novel homozygous mutation in DNAJB13-a gene associated with the sperm axoneme-leads to teratozoospermia. J Assist Reprod Genet 2022; 39:757-764. [PMID: 35166991 PMCID: PMC8995218 DOI: 10.1007/s10815-022-02431-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE To evaluate the unknown genetic causes of teratozoospermia, and determine the pathogenicity of candidate variants. METHODS A primary infertile patient and his family members were recruited in the West China Second University Hospital of Sichuan University. Whole-exome sequencing was performed to identify causative genes in a man with teratozoospermia. Immunofluorescence staining and western blotting were applied to assess the pathogenicity of the identified variant. Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) was used to assist fertilization for the patient with teratozoospermia. RESULTS We performed whole-exome sequencing (WES) and detected a novel homozygous frameshift mutation of c.335_336del [p.E112Vfs*3] in DNAJB13 on a primary infertile male patient. Intriguingly, we identified abnormal sperm morphology in this patient, with recurrent respiratory infections and chronic cough. Furthermore, we confirmed that this mutation resulted in negative effects on DNAJB13 expression in the spermatozoa of the affected individual, causing ultrastructural defects in his sperm. Remarkably, our staining revealed that DNAJB13 was expressed in the cytoplasm of primary germ cells and in the flagella of spermatids during spermiogenesis in humans and mice. Finally, we are the first group to report a favorable prognosis using ICSI for a patient carrying this DNAJB13 mutation. CONCLUSION Our study revealed a novel homozygous frameshift mutation of c.335_336del [p.E112Vfs*3] in DNAJB13 involved in teratozoospermia phenotype. Our study greatly expands the spectrum of limited DNAJB13 mutations, and is expected to provide a better understanding of genetic counseling diagnoses and subsequent treatment of male infertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohan Liu
- Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology, Key Laboratory of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Jinhui Li
- Department of Neonatology, Key Laboratory of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Chuan Jiang
- Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology, Key Laboratory of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Yanning Zhou
- School of Life Sciences, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya'an, 625014, China
| | - Yongkang Sun
- Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology, Key Laboratory of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Yihong Yang
- Reproduction Medical Center of West China Second University Hospital, Key Laboratory of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of Ministry of Education, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
| | - Ying Shen
- Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology, Key Laboratory of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
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TDRD5 Is Required for Spermatogenesis and Oogenesis in Locusta migratoria. INSECTS 2022; 13:insects13030227. [PMID: 35323525 PMCID: PMC8953433 DOI: 10.3390/insects13030227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2022] [Revised: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Tudor family proteins exist in all eukaryotic organisms and play a role in many cellular processes by recognizing and binding to proteins with methylated arginine or lysine residues. TDRD5, a member of Tudor domain-containing proteins (TDRDs), has been implicated in the P-element-induced wimpy testis-interacting RNA (piRNA) pathway and germ cell development in some model species, but little is known about its function in other species. Therefore, we identified and characterized LmTDRD5, the TDRD5 ortholog in Locusta migratoria, a hemimetabolous pest. The LmTdrd5 gene has 19 exons that encode a protein possessing a single copy of the Tudor domain and three LOTUS domains at its N-terminus. qRT-PCR analysis revealed a high LmTdrd5 expression level in genital glands. Using RNA interference, LmTdrd5 knockdown in males led to a lag in meiosis phase transition, decreased spermatid elongation and sperm production, and downregulated the expression of the two germ cell-specific transcription factors, LmCREM and LmACT, as well as the sperm tail marker gene LmQrich2.LmTdrd5 knockdown in females reduced the expression levels of vitellogenin (Vg) and Vg receptor (VgR) and impaired ovarian development and oocyte maturation, thus decreasing the hatchability rate. These results demonstrate that LmTdrd5 is essential for germ cell development and fertility in locusts, indicating a conserved function for TDRD5.
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Zhang M, Chiozzi RZ, Skerrett-Byrne DA, Veenendaal T, Klumperman J, Heck AJR, Nixon B, Helms JB, Gadella BM, Bromfield EG. High Resolution Proteomic Analysis of Subcellular Fractionated Boar Spermatozoa Provides Comprehensive Insights Into Perinuclear Theca-Residing Proteins. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:836208. [PMID: 35252197 PMCID: PMC8894813 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.836208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The perinuclear theca (PT) is a highly condensed, largely insoluble protein structure that surrounds the nucleus of eutherian spermatozoa. Recent reports have indicated that the PT unexpectedly houses several somatic proteins, such as core histones, which may be important post-fertilization during re-modelling of the male pronucleus, yet little is known regarding the overall proteomic composition of the PT. Here, we report the first in depth, label-free proteomic characterization of the PT of boar spermatozoa following the implementation of a long-established subcellular fractionation protocol designed to increase the detection of low abundance proteins. A total of 1,802 proteins were identified, a result that represents unparalleled depth of coverage for the boar sperm proteome and exceeds the entire annotated proteome of the Sus scrofa species so far. In the PT structure itself, we identified 813 proteins and confirmed the presence of previously characterized PT proteins including the core histones H2A, H2B, H3 and H4, as well as Ras-related protein Rab-2A (RAB2A) and Rab-2B (RAB2B) amongst other RAB proteins. In addition to these previously characterized PT proteins, our data revealed that the PT is replete in proteins critical for sperm-egg fusion and egg activation, including: Izumo family members 1–4 (IZUMO1-4) and phosphoinositide specific phospholipase ζ (PLCZ1). Through Ingenuity Pathway Analysis, we found surprising enrichment of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) proteins and the ER-stress response in the PT. This is particularly intriguing as it is currently held that the ER structure is lost during testicular sperm maturation. Using the String and Cytoscape tools to visualize protein-protein interactions revealed an intricate network of PT protein complexes, including numerous proteasome subunits. Collectively, these data suggest that the PT may be a unique site of cellular homeostasis that houses an abundance of protein degradation machinery. This fits with previous observations that the PT structure dissociates first within the oocyte post-fertilization. It remains to be explored whether proteasome subunits within the PT actively assist in the protein degradation of paternal cell structures post-fertilization and how aberrations in PT protein content may delay embryonic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Zhang
- Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences and Department of Farm and Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Riccardo Zenezini Chiozzi
- Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Bijvoet Centre for Biomolecular Research and Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
- Netherlands Proteomics Centre, Utrecht, Netherlands
- Structural Biochemistry, Bijvoet Centre for Biomolecular Research, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - David A. Skerrett-Byrne
- Priority Research Centre for Reproductive Science, School of Environmental and Life Sciences, Discipline of Biological Sciences, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
| | - Tineke Veenendaal
- Section Cell Biology, Center for Molecular Medicine, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Judith Klumperman
- Section Cell Biology, Center for Molecular Medicine, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Albert J. R. Heck
- Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Bijvoet Centre for Biomolecular Research and Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
- Netherlands Proteomics Centre, Utrecht, Netherlands
- Structural Biochemistry, Bijvoet Centre for Biomolecular Research, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Brett Nixon
- Priority Research Centre for Reproductive Science, School of Environmental and Life Sciences, Discipline of Biological Sciences, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
| | - J. Bernd Helms
- Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences and Department of Farm and Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Bart M. Gadella
- Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences and Department of Farm and Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
- *Correspondence: Bart M. Gadella,
| | - Elizabeth G. Bromfield
- Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences and Department of Farm and Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
- Priority Research Centre for Reproductive Science, School of Environmental and Life Sciences, Discipline of Biological Sciences, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
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