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Stallmeyer B, Dicke AK, Tüttelmann F. How exome sequencing improves the diagnostics and management of men with non-syndromic infertility. Andrology 2024. [PMID: 39120565 DOI: 10.1111/andr.13728] [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: 03/03/2024] [Revised: 07/07/2024] [Accepted: 07/24/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024]
Abstract
Male infertility affects approximately 17% of all men and represents a complex disorder in which not only semen parameters such as sperm motility, morphology, and number of sperm are highly variable, but also testicular phenotypes range from normal spermatogenesis to complete absence of germ cells. Genetic factors significantly contribute to the disease but chromosomal aberrations, mostly Klinefelter syndrome, and microdeletions of the Y-chromosome have remained the only diagnostically and clinically considered genetic causes. Monogenic causes remain understudied and, thus, often unidentified, leaving the majority of the male factor couple infertility pathomechanistically unexplained. This has been changing mostly because of the introduction of exome sequencing that allows the analysis of multiple genes in large patient cohorts. As a result, pathogenic variants in single genes have been associated with non-syndromic forms of all aetiologic sub-categories in the last decade. This review highlights the contribution of exome sequencing to the identification of novel disease genes for isolated (non-syndromic) male infertility by presenting the results of a comprehensive literature search. Both, reduced sperm count in azoospermic and oligozoospermic patients, and impaired sperm motility and/or morphology, in asthenozoospermic and/or teratozoospermic patients are highly heterogeneous diseases with well over 100 different candidate genes described for each entity. Applying the standardized evaluation criteria of the ClinGen gene curation working group, 70 genes with at least moderate evidence to contribute to the disease are highlighted. The implementation of these valid disease genes in clinical exome sequencing is important to increase the diagnostic yield in male infertility and, thus, improve clinical decision-making and appropriate genetic counseling. Future advances in androgenetics will continue to depend on large-scale exome and genome sequencing studies of comprehensive international patient cohorts, which are the most promising approaches to identify additional disease genes and provide reliable data on the gene-disease relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Birgit Stallmeyer
- Centre of Medical Genetics, Institute of Reproductive Genetics, University of Münster, Munster, Germany
| | - Ann-Kristin Dicke
- Centre of Medical Genetics, Institute of Reproductive Genetics, University of Münster, Munster, Germany
| | - Frank Tüttelmann
- Centre of Medical Genetics, Institute of Reproductive Genetics, University of Münster, Munster, Germany
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2
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Miyata H, Shimada K, Kaneda Y, Ikawa M. Development of functional spermatozoa in mammalian spermiogenesis. Development 2024; 151:dev202838. [PMID: 39036999 DOI: 10.1242/dev.202838] [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: 07/23/2024]
Abstract
Infertility is a global health problem affecting one in six couples, with 50% of cases attributed to male infertility. Spermatozoa are male gametes, specialized cells that can be divided into two parts: the head and the flagellum. The head contains a vesicle called the acrosome that undergoes exocytosis and the flagellum is a motility apparatus that propels the spermatozoa forward and can be divided into two components, axonemes and accessory structures. For spermatozoa to fertilize oocytes, the acrosome and flagellum must be formed correctly. In this Review, we describe comprehensively how functional spermatozoa develop in mammals during spermiogenesis, including the formation of acrosomes, axonemes and accessory structures by focusing on analyses of mouse models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haruhiko Miyata
- Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Keisuke Shimada
- Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Yuki Kaneda
- Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Masahito Ikawa
- Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
- The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8639, Japan
- Center for Infectious Disease Education and Research, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
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3
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Guseva EA, Buev VS, Mirzaeva SE, Pletnev PI, Dontsova OA, Sergiev PV. Structure and Composition of Spermatozoa Fibrous Sheath in Diverse Groups of Metazoa. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:7663. [PMID: 39062905 PMCID: PMC11276731 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25147663] [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: 05/29/2024] [Revised: 07/01/2024] [Accepted: 07/08/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The proper functioning and assembly of the sperm flagella structures contribute significantly to spermatozoa motility and overall male fertility. However, the fine mechanisms of assembly steps are poorly studied due to the high diversity of cell types, low solubility of the corresponding protein structures, and high tissue and cell specificity. One of the open questions for investigation is the attachment of longitudinal columns to the doublets 3 and 8 of axonemal microtubules through the outer dense fibers. A number of mutations affecting the assembly of flagella in model organisms are known. Additionally, evolutionary genomics data and comparative analysis of flagella morphology are available for a set of non-model species. This review is devoted to the analysis of diverse ultrastructures of sperm flagellum of Metazoa combined with an overview of the evolutionary distribution and function of the mammalian fibrous sheath proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ekaterina A. Guseva
- Center of Life Sciences, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, 143025 Skolkovo, Russia; (E.A.G.); (O.A.D.)
- Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia
- Faculty of Chemistry, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (V.S.B.); (S.E.M.); (P.I.P.)
| | - Vitaly S. Buev
- Faculty of Chemistry, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (V.S.B.); (S.E.M.); (P.I.P.)
- Faculty of Bioengeneering and Bioinformatics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Sabina E. Mirzaeva
- Faculty of Chemistry, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (V.S.B.); (S.E.M.); (P.I.P.)
| | - Philipp I. Pletnev
- Faculty of Chemistry, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (V.S.B.); (S.E.M.); (P.I.P.)
| | - Olga A. Dontsova
- Center of Life Sciences, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, 143025 Skolkovo, Russia; (E.A.G.); (O.A.D.)
- Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia
- Faculty of Chemistry, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (V.S.B.); (S.E.M.); (P.I.P.)
- Shemyakin–Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, 117997 Moscow, Russia
| | - Petr V. Sergiev
- Center of Life Sciences, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, 143025 Skolkovo, Russia; (E.A.G.); (O.A.D.)
- Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia
- Faculty of Chemistry, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (V.S.B.); (S.E.M.); (P.I.P.)
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Graziani A, Rocca MS, Vinanzi C, Masi G, Grande G, De Toni L, Ferlin A. Genetic Causes of Qualitative Sperm Defects: A Narrative Review of Clinical Evidence. Genes (Basel) 2024; 15:600. [PMID: 38790229 PMCID: PMC11120687 DOI: 10.3390/genes15050600] [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: 03/28/2024] [Revised: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Several genes are implicated in spermatogenesis and fertility regulation, and these genes are presently being analysed in clinical practice due to their involvement in male factor infertility (MFI). However, there are still few genetic analyses that are currently recommended for use in clinical practice. In this manuscript, we reviewed the genetic causes of qualitative sperm defects. We distinguished between alterations causing reduced sperm motility (asthenozoospermia) and alterations causing changes in the typical morphology of sperm (teratozoospermia). In detail, the genetic causes of reduced sperm motility may be found in the alteration of genes associated with sperm mitochondrial DNA, mitochondrial proteins, ion transport and channels, and flagellar proteins. On the other hand, the genetic causes of changes in typical sperm morphology are related to conditions with a strong genetic basis, such as macrozoospermia, globozoospermia, and acephalic spermatozoa syndrome. We tried to distinguish alterations approved for routine clinical application from those still unsupported by adequate clinical studies. The most important aspect of the study was related to the correct identification of subjects to be tested and the correct application of genetic tests based on clear clinical data. The correct application of available genetic tests in a scenario where reduced sperm motility and changes in sperm morphology have been observed enables the delivery of a defined diagnosis and plays an important role in clinical decision-making. Finally, clarifying the genetic causes of MFI might, in future, contribute to reducing the proportion of so-called idiopathic MFI, which might indeed be defined as a subtype of MFI whose cause has not yet been revealed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Graziani
- Department of Medicine, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy; (A.G.); (G.M.); (L.D.T.)
| | - Maria Santa Rocca
- Unit of Andrology and Reproductive Medicine, University Hospital of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy; (M.S.R.); (C.V.); (G.G.)
| | - Cinzia Vinanzi
- Unit of Andrology and Reproductive Medicine, University Hospital of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy; (M.S.R.); (C.V.); (G.G.)
| | - Giulia Masi
- Department of Medicine, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy; (A.G.); (G.M.); (L.D.T.)
| | - Giuseppe Grande
- Unit of Andrology and Reproductive Medicine, University Hospital of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy; (M.S.R.); (C.V.); (G.G.)
| | - Luca De Toni
- Department of Medicine, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy; (A.G.); (G.M.); (L.D.T.)
| | - Alberto Ferlin
- Department of Medicine, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy; (A.G.); (G.M.); (L.D.T.)
- Unit of Andrology and Reproductive Medicine, University Hospital of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy; (M.S.R.); (C.V.); (G.G.)
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Zhao S, Liu Q, Su L, Meng L, Tan C, Wei C, Zhang H, Luo T, Zhang Q, Tan YQ, Tu C, Chen H, Gao X. Identification of novel homozygous asthenoteratospermia-causing ARMC2 mutations associated with multiple morphological abnormalities of the sperm flagella. J Assist Reprod Genet 2024; 41:1297-1306. [PMID: 38492154 PMCID: PMC11143164 DOI: 10.1007/s10815-024-03087-9] [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: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE To identify the genetic causes of multiple morphological abnormalities in sperm flagella (MMAF) and male infertility in patients from two unrelated Han Chinese families. METHODS Whole-exome sequencing was conducted using blood samples from the two individuals with MMAF and male infertility. Hematoxylin and eosin staining and scanning electron microscopy were performed to evaluate sperm morphology. Ultrastructural and immunostaining analyses of the spermatozoa were performed. The HEK293T cells were used to confirm the pathogenicity of the variants. RESULTS We identified two novel homozygous missense ARMC2 variants: c.314C > T: p.P105L and c.2227A > G: p.N743D. Both variants are absent or rare in the human population genome data and are predicted to be deleterious. In vitro experiments indicated that both ARMC2 variants caused a slightly increased protein expression. ARMC2-mutant spermatozoa showed multiple morphological abnormalities (bent, short, coiled, absent, and irregular) in the flagella. In addition, the spermatozoa of the patients revealed a frequent absence of the central pair complex and disrupted axonemal ultrastructure. CONCLUSION We identified two novel ARMC2 variants that caused male infertility and MMAF in Han Chinese patients. These findings expand the mutational spectrum of ARMC2 and provide insights into the complex causes and pathogenesis of MMAF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siyi Zhao
- Department of Urology, The First Clinical College of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qiong Liu
- Reproductive Medical Center, Jiangxi Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Affiliated Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
- Nanchang Medical College, Nanchang, China
| | - Lilan Su
- National Engineering and Research Center of Human Stem Cells and Institute of Reproductive and Stem Cell Engineering, Key Laboratory of Human Stem Cell and Reproductive Engineering, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Lanlan Meng
- National Engineering and Research Center of Human Stem Cells and Institute of Reproductive and Stem Cell Engineering, Key Laboratory of Human Stem Cell and Reproductive Engineering, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Reproductive and Genetic Hospital of CITIC-Xiangya and Clinical Research Center For Reproduction and Genetics in Hunan Province, Changsha, China
| | - Chen Tan
- Reproductive and Genetic Hospital of CITIC-Xiangya and Clinical Research Center For Reproduction and Genetics in Hunan Province, Changsha, China
| | - Chunjia Wei
- National Engineering and Research Center of Human Stem Cells and Institute of Reproductive and Stem Cell Engineering, Key Laboratory of Human Stem Cell and Reproductive Engineering, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Huan Zhang
- National Engineering and Research Center of Human Stem Cells and Institute of Reproductive and Stem Cell Engineering, Key Laboratory of Human Stem Cell and Reproductive Engineering, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Reproductive and Genetic Hospital of CITIC-Xiangya and Clinical Research Center For Reproduction and Genetics in Hunan Province, Changsha, China
| | - Tao Luo
- Institute of Biomedical Innovation, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Qianjun Zhang
- National Engineering and Research Center of Human Stem Cells and Institute of Reproductive and Stem Cell Engineering, Key Laboratory of Human Stem Cell and Reproductive Engineering, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Reproductive and Genetic Hospital of CITIC-Xiangya and Clinical Research Center For Reproduction and Genetics in Hunan Province, Changsha, China
| | - Yue-Qiu Tan
- National Engineering and Research Center of Human Stem Cells and Institute of Reproductive and Stem Cell Engineering, Key Laboratory of Human Stem Cell and Reproductive Engineering, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Reproductive and Genetic Hospital of CITIC-Xiangya and Clinical Research Center For Reproduction and Genetics in Hunan Province, Changsha, China
| | - Chaofeng Tu
- National Engineering and Research Center of Human Stem Cells and Institute of Reproductive and Stem Cell Engineering, Key Laboratory of Human Stem Cell and Reproductive Engineering, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, China.
- Reproductive and Genetic Hospital of CITIC-Xiangya and Clinical Research Center For Reproduction and Genetics in Hunan Province, Changsha, China.
| | - Houyang Chen
- Reproductive Medical Center, Jiangxi Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Affiliated Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China.
| | - Xingcheng Gao
- Department of Urology, The First Clinical College of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
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6
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Muroňová J, Kherraf ZE, Giordani E, Lambert E, Eckert S, Cazin C, Amiri-Yekta A, Court M, Chevalier G, Martinez G, Neirijnck Y, Kühne F, Wehrli L, Klena N, Hamel V, De Macedo L, Escoffier J, Guichard P, Coutton C, Mustapha SFB, Kharouf M, Bouin AP, Zouari R, Thierry-Mieg N, Nef S, Geimer S, Loeuillet C, Ray PF, Arnoult C. Lack of CCDC146, a ubiquitous centriole and microtubule-associated protein, leads to non-syndromic male infertility in human and mouse. eLife 2024; 12:RP86845. [PMID: 38441556 PMCID: PMC10942651 DOI: 10.7554/elife.86845] [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: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
From a cohort of 167 infertile patients suffering from multiple morphological abnormalities of the flagellum (MMAF), pathogenic bi-allelic mutations were identified in the CCDC146 gene. In somatic cells, CCDC146 is located at the centrosome and at multiple microtubule-related organelles during mitotic division, suggesting that it is a microtubule-associated protein (MAP). To decipher the molecular pathogenesis of infertility associated with CCDC146 mutations, a Ccdc146 knock-out (KO) mouse line was created. KO male mice were infertile, and sperm exhibited a phenotype identical to CCDC146 mutated patients. CCDC146 expression starts during late spermiogenesis. In the spermatozoon, the protein is conserved but is not localized to centrioles, unlike in somatic cells, rather it is present in the axoneme at the level of microtubule doublets. Expansion microscopy associated with the use of the detergent sarkosyl to solubilize microtubule doublets suggests that the protein may be a microtubule inner protein (MIP). At the subcellular level, the absence of CCDC146 impacted all microtubule-based organelles such as the manchette, the head-tail coupling apparatus (HTCA), and the axoneme. Through this study, a new genetic cause of infertility and a new factor in the formation and/or structure of the sperm axoneme were characterized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana Muroňová
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), INSERM 1209GrenobleFrance
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), CNRS UMR 5309GrenobleFrance
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), Université Grenoble AlpesGrenobleFrance
| | - Zine Eddine Kherraf
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), INSERM 1209GrenobleFrance
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), CNRS UMR 5309GrenobleFrance
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), Université Grenoble AlpesGrenobleFrance
- UM GI-DPI, CHU Grenoble AlpesGrenobleFrance
| | - Elsa Giordani
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), INSERM 1209GrenobleFrance
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), CNRS UMR 5309GrenobleFrance
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), Université Grenoble AlpesGrenobleFrance
| | - Emeline Lambert
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), INSERM 1209GrenobleFrance
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), CNRS UMR 5309GrenobleFrance
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), Université Grenoble AlpesGrenobleFrance
| | - Simon Eckert
- Cell Biology/ Electron Microscopy, University of BayreuthBayreuthGermany
| | - Caroline Cazin
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), INSERM 1209GrenobleFrance
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), CNRS UMR 5309GrenobleFrance
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), Université Grenoble AlpesGrenobleFrance
- UM GI-DPI, CHU Grenoble AlpesGrenobleFrance
| | - Amir Amiri-Yekta
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), INSERM 1209GrenobleFrance
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), CNRS UMR 5309GrenobleFrance
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), Université Grenoble AlpesGrenobleFrance
- Department of Genetics, Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECRTehranIslamic Republic of Iran
| | - Magali Court
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), INSERM 1209GrenobleFrance
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), CNRS UMR 5309GrenobleFrance
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), Université Grenoble AlpesGrenobleFrance
| | - Geneviève Chevalier
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), INSERM 1209GrenobleFrance
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), CNRS UMR 5309GrenobleFrance
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), Université Grenoble AlpesGrenobleFrance
| | - Guillaume Martinez
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), INSERM 1209GrenobleFrance
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), CNRS UMR 5309GrenobleFrance
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), Université Grenoble AlpesGrenobleFrance
- UM de Génétique Chromosomique, Hôpital Couple-Enfant, CHU Grenoble AlpesGrenobleFrance
| | - Yasmine Neirijnck
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva Medical SchoolGenevaSwitzerland
| | - Francoise Kühne
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva Medical SchoolGenevaSwitzerland
| | - Lydia Wehrli
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva Medical SchoolGenevaSwitzerland
| | - Nikolai Klena
- University of Geneva, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Sciences IIIGenevaSwitzerland
| | - Virginie Hamel
- University of Geneva, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Sciences IIIGenevaSwitzerland
| | - Lisa De Macedo
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), INSERM 1209GrenobleFrance
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), CNRS UMR 5309GrenobleFrance
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), Université Grenoble AlpesGrenobleFrance
| | - Jessica Escoffier
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), INSERM 1209GrenobleFrance
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), CNRS UMR 5309GrenobleFrance
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), Université Grenoble AlpesGrenobleFrance
| | - Paul Guichard
- University of Geneva, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Sciences IIIGenevaSwitzerland
| | - Charles Coutton
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), INSERM 1209GrenobleFrance
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), CNRS UMR 5309GrenobleFrance
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), Université Grenoble AlpesGrenobleFrance
- UM de Génétique Chromosomique, Hôpital Couple-Enfant, CHU Grenoble AlpesGrenobleFrance
| | | | - Mahmoud Kharouf
- Polyclinique les Jasmins, Centre d'Aide Médicale à la Procréation, Centre Urbain NordTunisTunisia
| | - Anne-Pacale Bouin
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), INSERM 1209GrenobleFrance
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), CNRS UMR 5309GrenobleFrance
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), Université Grenoble AlpesGrenobleFrance
| | - Raoudha Zouari
- Polyclinique les Jasmins, Centre d'Aide Médicale à la Procréation, Centre Urbain NordTunisTunisia
| | - Nicolas Thierry-Mieg
- Laboratoire TIMC/MAGe, CNRS UMR 5525, Pavillon Taillefer, Faculté de MedecineLa TroncheFrance
| | - Serge Nef
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva Medical SchoolGenevaSwitzerland
| | - Stefan Geimer
- Cell Biology/ Electron Microscopy, University of BayreuthBayreuthGermany
| | - Corinne Loeuillet
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), INSERM 1209GrenobleFrance
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), CNRS UMR 5309GrenobleFrance
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), Université Grenoble AlpesGrenobleFrance
| | - Pierre F Ray
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), INSERM 1209GrenobleFrance
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), CNRS UMR 5309GrenobleFrance
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), Université Grenoble AlpesGrenobleFrance
- UM GI-DPI, CHU Grenoble AlpesGrenobleFrance
| | - Christophe Arnoult
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), INSERM 1209GrenobleFrance
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), CNRS UMR 5309GrenobleFrance
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), Université Grenoble AlpesGrenobleFrance
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7
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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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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: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [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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Braham A, Ghedir H, Ben Khedher MB, Ajina M, Saad A, Ibala-Romdhane S. Nuclear sperm integrity and ICSI prognosis in Tunisian patients with MMAF syndrome (multiple morphological abnormalities of the sperm flagella). HUM FERTIL 2023; 26:1429-1438. [PMID: 37671855 DOI: 10.1080/14647273.2023.2251679] [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: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/07/2023]
Abstract
Multiple Morphological Abnormalities of the Sperm Flagella (MMAF) is a severe form of teratozoospermia associated with several sperm flagellar abnormalities. The study included 52 patients with MMAF syndrome and a control group of 25 fertile men. The impact of nuclear sperm quality on intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) results was studied in 20 couples. TUNEL assay was used to assess sperm DNA fragmentation and aniline-blue staining was used to assess chromatin condensation. To investigate chromosomal meiotic segregation, we used fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Semen morphology analysis revealed a mosaic of multiple flagella morphological abnormalities, including 46.73% short flagella, 16.22% bent flagella, 22.07% coiled flagella, and 10.90% absent flagella, all of which were associated with a high percentage of sperm head abnormalities. The mean DNA fragmentation index was substantially higher in patients compared to controls (p = 0.001), whereas the rate of aniline blue-reacted spermatozoa was not significantly different. There was a significant difference in aneuploidy frequencies between the two groups (p < 0.05). Infertile males with MMAF syndrome had lower sperm nuclear quality, which affected ICSI results. As a result, better sperm selection procedures are being employed to increase the success rate of assisted reproductive technologies (ART).
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Affiliation(s)
- Asma Braham
- Department of Cytogenetic and Reproductive Biology, Farhat Hached University Hospital, Sousse, Tunisia
| | - Houda Ghedir
- Department of Cytogenetic and Reproductive Biology, Farhat Hached University Hospital, Sousse, Tunisia
| | - Myriam Beya Ben Khedher
- Department of Cytogenetic and Reproductive Biology, Farhat Hached University Hospital, Sousse, Tunisia
| | - Mounir Ajina
- Reproductive Medicine Unit, University Hospital Farhat Hached, Sousse, Tunisia
- University of Medicine of Sousse, Farhat Hached Hospital, University of Sousse, Sousse, Tunisia
| | - Ali Saad
- Department of Cytogenetic and Reproductive Biology, Farhat Hached University Hospital, Sousse, Tunisia
- University of Medicine of Sousse, Farhat Hached Hospital, University of Sousse, Sousse, Tunisia
| | - Samira Ibala-Romdhane
- Department of Cytogenetic and Reproductive Biology, Farhat Hached University Hospital, Sousse, Tunisia
- University of Medicine of Sousse, Farhat Hached Hospital, University of Sousse, Sousse, Tunisia
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Greither T, Dejung M, Behre HM, Butter F, Herlyn H. The human sperm proteome-Toward a panel for male fertility testing. Andrology 2023; 11:1418-1436. [PMID: 36896575 DOI: 10.1111/andr.13431] [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: 10/07/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/05/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although male factor accounts for 40%-50% of unintended childlessness, we are far from fully understanding the detailed causes. Usually, affected men cannot even be provided with a molecular diagnosis. OBJECTIVES We aimed at a higher resolution of the human sperm proteome for better understanding of the molecular causes of male infertility. We were particularly interested in why reduced sperm count decreases fertility despite many normal-looking spermatozoa and which proteins might be involved. MATERIAL AND METHODS Applying mass spectrometry analysis, we qualitatively and quantitatively examined the proteomic profiles of spermatozoa from 76 men differing in fertility. Infertile men had abnormal semen parameters and were involuntarily childless. Fertile subjects exhibited normozoospermia and had fathered children without medical assistance. RESULTS We discovered proteins from about 7000 coding genes in the human sperm proteome. These were mainly known for involvements in cellular motility, response to stimuli, adhesion, and reproduction. Numbers of sperm proteins showing at least threefold deviating abundances increased from oligozoospermia (N = 153) and oligoasthenozoospermia (N = 154) to oligoasthenoteratozoospermia (N = 368). Deregulated sperm proteins primarily engaged in flagellar assembly and sperm motility, fertilization, and male gametogenesis. Most of these participated in a larger network of male infertility genes and proteins. DISCUSSION We expose 31 sperm proteins displaying deviant abundances under infertility, which already were known before to have fertility relevance, including ACTL9, CCIN, CFAP47, CFAP65, CFAP251 (WDR66), DNAH1, and SPEM1. We propose 18 additional sperm proteins with at least eightfold differential abundance for further testing of their diagnostic potential, such as C2orf16, CYLC1, SPATA31E1, SPATA31D1, SPATA48, EFHB (CFAP21), and FAM161A. CONCLUSION Our results shed light on the molecular background of the dysfunctionality of the fewer spermatozoa produced in oligozoospermia and syndromes including it. The male infertility network presented may prove useful in further elucidating the molecular mechanism of male infertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Greither
- Center for Reproductive Medicine and Andrology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| | - Mario Dejung
- Proteomics Core Facility, Institute of Molecular Biology, Mainz, Germany
| | - Hermann M Behre
- Center for Reproductive Medicine and Andrology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| | - Falk Butter
- Department of Quantitative Proteomics, Institute of Molecular Biology, Mainz, Germany
| | - Holger Herlyn
- Anthropology, Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
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Song B, Yang T, Shen Q, Liu Y, Wang C, Li G, Gao Y, Cao Y, He X. Novel mutations in DNAH17 cause sperm flagellum defects and their influence on ICSI outcome. J Assist Reprod Genet 2023; 40:2485-2492. [PMID: 37574497 PMCID: PMC10504183 DOI: 10.1007/s10815-023-02897-7] [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] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE To identify new mutations in DNAH17 that cause male infertility and analyze intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) outcomes in patients with DNAH17 mutations. METHODS A total of five cases of new DNAH17 mutations exhibiting the multiple morphological abnormalities of the sperm flagella (MMAF) phenotype were identified through semen analysis and genetic testing. They were recruited at our reproductive medicine center from September 2018 to July 2022. Information on DNAH17 genetic mutations and ICSI outcomes was systematically explored following a literature review. RESULTS Three novel compound mutations in DNAH17 were identified in patients with male infertility caused by MMAF. This study and previous publications included 21 patients with DNAH17 mutations. DNAH17 has been associated with asthenozoospermia and male infertility, but different types of DNAH17 variants appear to be involved in different sperm phenotypes. In 11 couples of infertile patients with DNAH17 mutations, there were 17 ICSI cycles and 13 embryo transplantation cycles. Only three men with DNAH17 variants ultimately achieved clinical pregnancy with their partners through ICSI combined with assisted oocyte activation (AOA). CONCLUSIONS Loss-of-function mutations in DNAH17 can lead to severe sperm flagellum defects and male infertility. Patients with MMAF-harboring DNAH17 mutations generally have worse pregnancy outcomes following ICSI. ICSI combined with AOA may improve the outcome of assisted reproductive techniques (ARTs) for men with DNAH17 variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bing Song
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032 China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Study On Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032 China
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032 China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health and Genetics, Hefei, 230032 China
- Biopreservation and Artificial Organs, Anhui Provincial Engineering Research Center, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032 China
| | - Tianjin Yang
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032 China
| | - Qunshan Shen
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032 China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Study On Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032 China
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032 China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health and Genetics, Hefei, 230032 China
- Biopreservation and Artificial Organs, Anhui Provincial Engineering Research Center, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032 China
| | - Yiyuan Liu
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032 China
| | - Chao Wang
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032 China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Study On Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032 China
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032 China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health and Genetics, Hefei, 230032 China
- Biopreservation and Artificial Organs, Anhui Provincial Engineering Research Center, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032 China
| | - Guanjian Li
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032 China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Study On Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032 China
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032 China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health and Genetics, Hefei, 230032 China
- Biopreservation and Artificial Organs, Anhui Provincial Engineering Research Center, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032 China
| | - Yang Gao
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032 China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Study On Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032 China
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032 China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health and Genetics, Hefei, 230032 China
- Biopreservation and Artificial Organs, Anhui Provincial Engineering Research Center, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032 China
| | - Yunxia Cao
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032 China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Study On Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032 China
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032 China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health and Genetics, Hefei, 230032 China
- Biopreservation and Artificial Organs, Anhui Provincial Engineering Research Center, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032 China
| | - Xiaojin He
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032 China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Study On Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032 China
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032 China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health and Genetics, Hefei, 230032 China
- Biopreservation and Artificial Organs, Anhui Provincial Engineering Research Center, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032 China
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12
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Neila-Montero M, Alvarez M, Riesco MF, Montes-Garrido R, Palacin-Martinez C, Silva-Rodríguez A, Martín-Cano FE, Peña FJ, de Paz P, Anel L, Anel-Lopez L. Ovine fertility by artificial insemination in the breeding season could be affected by intraseasonal variations in ram sperm proteomic profile. Theriogenology 2023; 208:28-42. [PMID: 37290145 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2023.05.030] [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: 02/16/2023] [Revised: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
It is important to note that seasonality could affect ram reproductive parameters, and therefore, fertility results after artificial insemination. In this work, 1) we assessed fertility rates after cervical artificial insemination of 11,805 ewes at the beginning (June 21st to July 20th) and at the end (November 20th to December 21st) of the reproductive season in the Assaf breed for the last four years, and 2) we aimed to identify male factors influencing the different reproductive success obtained depending on the time at the mating season in which ovine artificial insemination was performed. For this purpose, we evaluated certain ram reproductive and ultrasonographical parameters as well as we performed a multiparametric and proteomic sperm analysis of 6-19 rams at two very distant points in the mating season (July as Early Breeding Season -EBS- and November as Late Breeding Season -LBS-). Rutinary assessments carried out in the ovine reproduction centers (testicular volume, libido, sperm production and mass motility) showed non-significant differences (P ≥ 0.05) between both studied times, as well as the ram ultrasonographic evaluation (Resistive and Pulsatility Index as Doppler parameters; and pixels mean gray level, and hypoechoic areas percentage and density as echotexture parameters). However, at level of sperm functionality, although sperm quality appeared non-significantly lower (P ≥ 0.05) in the EBS, we identified a significantly different (P < 0.05) sperm proteomic profile between the seasonality points. The following proteins were identified with the lowest abundance in the EBS with a fold change > 4, a P = 2.40e-07, and a q = 2.23e-06: Fibrous Sheath-Interacting Protein 2, Disintegrin and Metalloproteinase Domain-Containing Protein 20-like, Phosphoinositide-Specific Phospholipase C, Tektin 5, Armadillo Repeat-Containing Protein 12 Isoform X3, Solute Carrier Family 9B1, Radial Spoke Head Protein 3 Homolog, Pro-Interleukin-16, NADH Dehydrogenase [Ubiquinone] 1 Alpha Subcomplex Subunit 8, Testis, Prostate and Placenta-Expressed Protein, and Acyl Carrier Protein Mitochondrial. In conclusion, while our basic analyses on male and sperm quality showed similar results between the beginning and the end of the breeding season, on a proteomic level we detected a lower expression of sperm proteins linked to the energy metabolism, sperm-oocyte interactions, and flagellum structure in the EBS. Probably, this different protein expression could be related to the lower fertility rate of Assaf ewes after cervical artificial insemination at this time. More importantly, sperm proteins can be used as highly effective molecular markers in predicting sperm fertilization ability related to intraseasonal variations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Neila-Montero
- Itra-ULE, INDEGSAL, University of León, León, Spain; Animal Reproduction and Obstetrics, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Surgery and Anatomy, University of León, León, Spain
| | - Mercedes Alvarez
- Itra-ULE, INDEGSAL, University of León, León, Spain; Animal Reproduction and Obstetrics, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Surgery and Anatomy, University of León, León, Spain
| | - Marta F Riesco
- Itra-ULE, INDEGSAL, University of León, León, Spain; Cellular Biology, Department of Molecular Biology, University of León, León, Spain.
| | - Rafael Montes-Garrido
- Itra-ULE, INDEGSAL, University of León, León, Spain; Animal Reproduction and Obstetrics, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Surgery and Anatomy, University of León, León, Spain
| | - Cristina Palacin-Martinez
- Itra-ULE, INDEGSAL, University of León, León, Spain; Animal Reproduction and Obstetrics, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Surgery and Anatomy, University of León, León, Spain
| | - Antonio Silva-Rodríguez
- Facility of Innovation and Analysis in Animal Source Foodstuffs, University of Extremadura, Cáceres, Spain
| | - Francisco E Martín-Cano
- Laboratory of Equine Reproduction and Equine Spermatology, Veterinary Teaching Hospital, University of Extremadura, Cáceres, Spain
| | - Fernando J Peña
- Laboratory of Equine Reproduction and Equine Spermatology, Veterinary Teaching Hospital, University of Extremadura, Cáceres, Spain
| | - Paulino de Paz
- Itra-ULE, INDEGSAL, University of León, León, Spain; Cellular Biology, Department of Molecular Biology, University of León, León, Spain
| | - Luis Anel
- Itra-ULE, INDEGSAL, University of León, León, Spain; Animal Reproduction and Obstetrics, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Surgery and Anatomy, University of León, León, Spain
| | - Luis Anel-Lopez
- Itra-ULE, INDEGSAL, University of León, León, Spain; Anatomy, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Surgery and Anatomy, University of León, León, Spain
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Liu M, Dai S, Zhang J, Yang Y, Shen Y, Liu H, Yang Y, Jiang C, Tian E. A novel mutation in CFAP47 causes male infertility due to multiple morphological abnormalities of the sperm flagella. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2023; 14:1155639. [PMID: 37424856 PMCID: PMC10326514 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1155639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction A previous study suggested that loss of CFAP47 function is involved in multiple morphological abnormalities of the sperm flagella (MMAF) in humans and mice. However, the comprehensive role of CFAP47 in spermatogenesis is largely unknown. Methods Whole-exome sequencing (WES) was conducted to identify pathogenic variant in two patients with MMAF. The functional effect of the identified mutations was investigated by immunofluorescence staining and western blotting. Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) was used to assist fertilization for the patient with MMAF. Results In this study, we identified a novel missense mutation (c.1414G>A; p.V472M) in CFAP47 in two unrelated patients with oligoasthenoteratozoospermia. Intriguingly, in addition to the MMAF phenotype very analogous to the previous report, the two patients notably presented abnormal morphology of sperm heads, the sperm mitochondrial sheath was obviously disorganized, and the sperm annulus were almost defective. Further functional experiments confirmed that the expression of CFAP47 was markedly reduced in the spermatozoa of the patients. Mechanism analysis suggested that CFAP47 might regulate the expression of CFAP65, CFAP69 and SEPTIN4 through their physical interactions and thus modulating sperm morphogenesis. Conclusion we revealed a novel mutation in CFAP47 and further expanded the phenotype and mutation spectrum of CFAP47, as well as the potential mechanism of CFAP47 manipulating spermatogenesis, finally providing important guidance for genetic counseling and targeted treatment for CFAP47 mutation-related male infertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center, Chengdu, China
| | - Siyu Dai
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Medical Genetics Department/Prenatal Diagnostic Center, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Jiying Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center, Chengdu, China
| | - Yihong Yang
- Key Laboratory of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of Ministry of Education, Reproduction Medical Center of West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 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, China
| | - Hongqian Liu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Medical Genetics Department/Prenatal Diagnostic Center, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yanting Yang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Medical Genetics Department/Prenatal Diagnostic Center, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 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, China
| | - Erpo Tian
- Department of Andrology, Xi’nan Gynecology Hospital, Chengdu, China
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14
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Díez-Del-Molino D, Dehasque M, Chacón-Duque JC, Pečnerová P, Tikhonov A, Protopopov A, Plotnikov V, Kanellidou F, Nikolskiy P, Mortensen P, Danilov GK, Vartanyan S, Gilbert MTP, Lister AM, Heintzman PD, van der Valk T, Dalén L. Genomics of adaptive evolution in the woolly mammoth. Curr Biol 2023; 33:1753-1764.e4. [PMID: 37030294 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.03.084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Revised: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/10/2023]
Abstract
Ancient genomes provide a tool to investigate the genetic basis of adaptations in extinct organisms. However, the identification of species-specific fixed genetic variants requires the analysis of genomes from multiple individuals. Moreover, the long-term scale of adaptive evolution coupled with the short-term nature of traditional time series data has made it difficult to assess when different adaptations evolved. Here, we analyze 23 woolly mammoth genomes, including one of the oldest known specimens at 700,000 years old, to identify fixed derived non-synonymous mutations unique to the species and to obtain estimates of when these mutations evolved. We find that at the time of its origin, the woolly mammoth had already acquired a broad spectrum of positively selected genes, including ones associated with hair and skin development, fat storage and metabolism, and immune system function. Our results also suggest that these phenotypes continued to evolve during the last 700,000 years, but through positive selection on different sets of genes. Finally, we also identify additional genes that underwent comparatively recent positive selection, including multiple genes related to skeletal morphology and body size, as well as one gene that may have contributed to the small ear size in Late Quaternary woolly mammoths.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Díez-Del-Molino
- Centre for Palaeogenetics, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, 10405 Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Marianne Dehasque
- Centre for Palaeogenetics, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, 10405 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - J Camilo Chacón-Duque
- Centre for Palaeogenetics, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Archaeology and Classical Studies, Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Patrícia Pečnerová
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, 10405 Stockholm, Sweden; Section for Computational and RNA Biology, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Alexei Tikhonov
- Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 190121 Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | | | | | - Foteini Kanellidou
- Centre for Palaeogenetics, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Clinical Genomics Facility, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Pavel Nikolskiy
- Geological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119017 Moscow, Russia
| | - Peter Mortensen
- Department of Zoology, Swedish Museum of Natural History, 10405 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Gleb K Danilov
- Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography, Kunstkamera, Russian Academy of Sciences, 199034 Saint-Petersburg, Russia
| | - Sergey Vartanyan
- North-East Interdisciplinary Scientific Research Institute N.A. Shilo, Far East Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences (NEISRI FEB RAS), 685000 Magadan, Russia
| | - M Thomas P Gilbert
- Center for Evolutionary Hologenomics, GLOBE Institute, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, 1353 Copenhagen, Denmark; University Museum NTNU, 7012 Trondheim, Norway
| | | | - Peter D Heintzman
- Centre for Palaeogenetics, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Geological Sciences, Stockholm University, 11418 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Tom van der Valk
- Centre for Palaeogenetics, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, 10405 Stockholm, Sweden; Science for Life Laboratory, 17165 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Love Dalén
- Centre for Palaeogenetics, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, 10405 Stockholm, Sweden.
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15
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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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16
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Zheng R, Wang Y, Li Y, Guo J, Wen Y, Jiang C, Yang Y, Shen Y. FSIP2 plays a role in the acrosome development during spermiogenesis. J Med Genet 2023; 60:254-264. [PMID: 35654582 DOI: 10.1136/jmedgenet-2021-108406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Loss-of-function mutations in FSIP2 result in multiple morphological abnormalities of the flagella in humans and mice. Intriguingly, a recent study found that FSIP2 might regulate the expression of acrosomal proteins, indicating that Fsip2 might be involved in acrosome development in mice. However, whether FSIP2 also function in acrosome biogenesis in humans is largely unknown, and the underlying mechanism of which is unexplored. OBJECTIVE Our objective was to reveal potential function of FSIP2 in regulating sperm acrosome formation. METHODS We performed whole exome sequencing on four asthenoteratozoospermic patients. Western blot analysis and immunofluorescence staining were conducted to assess the protein expression of FSIP2. Proteomics approach, liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and co-immunoprecipitation were implemented to clarify the molecules in acrosome biogenesis regulated by FSIP2. RESULTS Biallelic FSIP2 variants were identified in four asthenoteratozoospermic individuals. The protein expression of MUT-FSIP2 was sharply decreased or absent in vitro or in vivo. Interestingly, aside from the sperm flagellar defects, the acrosomal hypoplasia was detected in numerous sperm from the four patients. FSIP2 co-localised with peanut agglutinin in the acrosome during spermatogenesis. Moreover, FSIP2 interacted with proteins (DPY19L2, SPACA1, HSP90B1, KIAA1210, HSPA2 and CLTC) involved in acrosome biogenesis. In addition, spermatozoa from patients carrying FSIP2 mutations showed downregulated expression of DPY19L2, ZPBP, SPACA1, CCDC62, CCIN, SPINK2 and CSNK2A2. CONCLUSION Our findings unveil that FSIP2 might involve in sperm acrosome development, and consequently, its mutations might contribute to globozoospermia or acrosomal aplasia. We meanwhile first uncover the potential molecular mechanism of FSIP2 regulating acrosome biogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Zheng
- Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology, Key Laboratory of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of Ministry of Education, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 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, Sichuan, China
| | - Yaqian Li
- Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology, Key Laboratory of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of Ministry of Education, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Juncen Guo
- Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology, Key Laboratory of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of Ministry of Education, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yuting Wen
- Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology, Key Laboratory of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of Ministry of Education, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Chuan Jiang
- Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology, Key Laboratory of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of Ministry of Education, 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, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Ying Shen
- Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology, Key Laboratory of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of Ministry of Education, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
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17
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Compound Heterozygous Mutations in FSIP2 Cause Morphological Abnormalities in Sperm Flagella Leading to Male Infertility. Andrologia 2023. [DOI: 10.1155/2023/9222954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Multiple morphological abnormalities of sperm flagella (MMAF) indicate severe teratozoospermia. The fibrous sheath interacting protein 2 (FSIP2) plays an important role in the normal construction of the flagella. In this study, a novel compound heterozygous mutation site of FSIP2, involving c.272_275delinsAGGTTTTTATA (p.L92Vfster74) and c.16788_16791del (p.E5596fs), was identified using whole-exome sequencing in a 32-year-old male. Electron microscope images revealed thick sperm neck, scattered sperm mitochondria, and short sperm tail. In addition, FSIP2 could not be visualized in sperm cells via immunofluorescence staining. Moreover, we used a protein domain prediction tool to identify a potential FSIP2 functional domain (5901-6774), the corresponding deletion of which was responsible for the MMAF phenotype in the infertile man. Finally, we reviewed the literature on FSIP2 and found that FSIP2 mutations are relatively concentrated, with high-frequency mutation regions in exon 16 and exon 17 accounting for 50% (10/20) and 35% (7/20) of cases, respectively. In conclusion, FISP2 is a common pathogenic gene of MMAF, which may provide a rationale for genetic counseling in the next generation of patients with male infertility.
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18
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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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19
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Sudhakar DVS, Phanindranath R, Jaishankar S, Ramani A, Kalamkar KP, Kumar U, Pawar AD, Dada R, Singh R, Gupta NJ, Deenadayal M, Tolani AD, Sharma Y, Anand A, Gopalakrishnan J, Thangaraj K. Exome sequencing and functional analyses revealed CETN1 variants leads to impaired cell division and male fertility. Hum Mol Genet 2023; 32:533-542. [PMID: 36048845 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddac216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Human spermatogenesis requires an orchestrated expression of numerous genes in various germ cell subtypes. Therefore, the genetic landscape of male infertility is highly complex. Known genetic factors alone account for at least 15% of male infertility. However, ~40% of infertile men remain undiagnosed and are classified as idiopathic infertile men. We performed exome sequencing in 47 idiopathic infertile men (discovery cohort), followed by replication study (40 variants in 33 genes) in 844 infertile men and 709 controls using Sequenom MassARRAY® based genotyping. We report 17 variants in twelve genes that comprise both previously reported (DNAH8, DNAH17, FISP2 and SPEF2) and novel candidate genes (BRDT, CETN1, CATSPERD, GMCL1, SPATA6, TSSK4, TSKS and ZNF318) for male infertility. The latter have a strong biological nexus to human spermatogenesis and their respective mouse knockouts are concordant with human phenotypes. One candidate gene CETN1, identified in this study, was sequenced in another independent cohort of 840 infertile and 689 fertile men. Further, CETN1 variants were functionally characterized using biophysical and cell biology approaches. We demonstrate that CETN1 variant- p.Met72Thr leads to multipolar cells, fragmented nuclei during mitosis leading to cell death and show significantly perturbed ciliary disassembly dynamics. Whereas CETN1-5' UTR variant; rs367716858 leads to loss of a methylation site and increased reporter gene expression in vitro. We report a total of eight novel candidate genes identified by exome sequencing, which may have diagnostic relevance and can contribute to improved diagnostic workup and clinical management of male infertility.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Regur Phanindranath
- CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad, 500007, India
| | - Shveta Jaishankar
- Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bengaluru, India
| | - Anand Ramani
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, Düsseldorf 40225, Germany
| | - Kaustubh P Kalamkar
- Institute for Neurophysiology, University of Cologne, Cologne D-50931, Germany
| | - Umesh Kumar
- CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad, 500007, India
| | - Asmita D Pawar
- CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad, 500007, India
| | - Rima Dada
- All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Rajender Singh
- Division of Endocrinology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, India
| | | | | | | | - Yogendra Sharma
- CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad, 500007, India.,Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Berhampur, Odisha, India
| | - Anuranjan Anand
- Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bengaluru, India
| | - Jay Gopalakrishnan
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, Düsseldorf 40225, Germany
| | - Kumarasamy Thangaraj
- CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad, 500007, India.,Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD), Hyderabad, India
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20
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Nagirnaja L, Lopes AM, Charng WL, Miller B, Stakaitis R, Golubickaite I, Stendahl A, Luan T, Friedrich C, Mahyari E, Fadial E, Kasak L, Vigh-Conrad K, Oud MS, Xavier MJ, Cheers SR, James ER, Guo J, Jenkins TG, Riera-Escamilla A, Barros A, Carvalho F, Fernandes S, Gonçalves J, Gurnett CA, Jørgensen N, Jezek D, Jungheim ES, Kliesch S, McLachlan RI, Omurtag KR, Pilatz A, Sandlow JI, Smith J, Eisenberg ML, Hotaling JM, Jarvi KA, Punab M, Rajpert-De Meyts E, Carrell DT, Krausz C, Laan M, O’Bryan MK, Schlegel PN, Tüttelmann F, Veltman JA, Almstrup K, Aston KI, Conrad DF. Diverse monogenic subforms of human spermatogenic failure. Nat Commun 2022; 13:7953. [PMID: 36572685 PMCID: PMC9792524 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35661-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) is the most severe form of male infertility and typically incurable. Defining the genetic basis of NOA has proven challenging, and the most advanced classification of NOA subforms is not based on genetics, but simple description of testis histology. In this study, we exome-sequenced over 1000 clinically diagnosed NOA cases and identified a plausible recessive Mendelian cause in 20%. We find further support for 21 genes in a 2-stage burden test with 2072 cases and 11,587 fertile controls. The disrupted genes are primarily on the autosomes, enriched for undescribed human "knockouts", and, for the most part, have yet to be linked to a Mendelian trait. Integration with single-cell RNA sequencing data shows that azoospermia genes can be grouped into molecular subforms with synchronized expression patterns, and analogs of these subforms exist in mice. This analysis framework identifies groups of genes with known roles in spermatogenesis but also reveals unrecognized subforms, such as a set of genes expressed across mitotic divisions of differentiating spermatogonia. Our findings highlight NOA as an understudied Mendelian disorder and provide a conceptual structure for organizing the complex genetics of male infertility, which may provide a rational basis for disease classification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liina Nagirnaja
- grid.5288.70000 0000 9758 5690Division of Genetics, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Beaverton, OR USA
| | - Alexandra M. Lopes
- grid.5808.50000 0001 1503 7226i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal ,grid.5808.50000 0001 1503 7226IPATIMUP - Instituto de Patologia e Imunologia Molecular da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Wu-Lin Charng
- grid.4367.60000 0001 2355 7002Department of Neurology, Washington University, St. Louis, MO USA
| | - Brian Miller
- grid.5288.70000 0000 9758 5690Division of Genetics, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Beaverton, OR USA
| | - Rytis Stakaitis
- grid.475435.4Department of Growth and Reproduction, Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark ,grid.475435.4International Center for Research and Research Training in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark ,grid.45083.3a0000 0004 0432 6841Laboratory of Molecular Neurooncology, Neuroscience Institute, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania
| | - Ieva Golubickaite
- grid.475435.4Department of Growth and Reproduction, Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark ,grid.475435.4International Center for Research and Research Training in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark ,grid.45083.3a0000 0004 0432 6841Department of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania
| | - Alexandra Stendahl
- grid.5288.70000 0000 9758 5690Division of Genetics, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Beaverton, OR USA
| | - Tianpengcheng Luan
- grid.1008.90000 0001 2179 088XSchool of BioSciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC Australia
| | - Corinna Friedrich
- grid.5949.10000 0001 2172 9288Institute of Reproductive Genetics, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Eisa Mahyari
- grid.5288.70000 0000 9758 5690Division of Genetics, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Beaverton, OR USA
| | - Eloise Fadial
- grid.5288.70000 0000 9758 5690Division of Genetics, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Beaverton, OR USA
| | - Laura Kasak
- grid.10939.320000 0001 0943 7661Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Katinka Vigh-Conrad
- grid.5288.70000 0000 9758 5690Division of Genetics, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Beaverton, OR USA
| | - Manon S. Oud
- grid.10417.330000 0004 0444 9382Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Miguel J. Xavier
- grid.1006.70000 0001 0462 7212Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK
| | - Samuel R. Cheers
- grid.1008.90000 0001 2179 088XSchool of BioSciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC Australia
| | - Emma R. James
- grid.223827.e0000 0001 2193 0096Andrology and IVF Laboratory, Department of Surgery (Urology), University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT USA ,grid.223827.e0000 0001 2193 0096Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT USA
| | - Jingtao Guo
- grid.223827.e0000 0001 2193 0096Andrology and IVF Laboratory, Department of Surgery (Urology), University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT USA
| | - Timothy G. Jenkins
- grid.223827.e0000 0001 2193 0096Andrology and IVF Laboratory, Department of Surgery (Urology), University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT USA
| | - Antoni Riera-Escamilla
- grid.418813.70000 0004 1767 1951Andrology Department, Fundació Puigvert, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas Sant Pau (IIB-Sant Pau), Barcelona, Catalonia Spain ,grid.7080.f0000 0001 2296 0625Molecular Biology Laboratory, Fundació Puigvert, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas Sant Pau (IIB Sant Pau), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia 08025 Spain
| | - Alberto Barros
- grid.5808.50000 0001 1503 7226i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal ,grid.5808.50000 0001 1503 7226Serviço de Genética, Departamento de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Filipa Carvalho
- grid.5808.50000 0001 1503 7226i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal ,grid.5808.50000 0001 1503 7226Serviço de Genética, Departamento de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Susana Fernandes
- grid.5808.50000 0001 1503 7226i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal ,grid.5808.50000 0001 1503 7226Serviço de Genética, Departamento de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - João Gonçalves
- grid.422270.10000 0001 2287 695XDepartamento de Genética Humana, Instituto Nacional de Saúde Dr. Ricardo Jorge, Lisboa, Portugal ,grid.10772.330000000121511713Centre for Toxicogenomics and Human Health, Nova Medical School, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Christina A. Gurnett
- grid.4367.60000 0001 2355 7002Department of Neurology, Washington University, St. Louis, MO USA
| | - Niels Jørgensen
- grid.475435.4Department of Growth and Reproduction, Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark ,grid.475435.4International Center for Research and Research Training in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Davor Jezek
- grid.4808.40000 0001 0657 4636Department of Histology and Embryology, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Emily S. Jungheim
- grid.16753.360000 0001 2299 3507Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Northwestern University, Division of Reproductive Endocrinology, Chicago, IL USA
| | - Sabine Kliesch
- grid.16149.3b0000 0004 0551 4246Department of Clinical and Surgical Andrology, Centre of Reproductive Medicine and Andrology, University Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Robert I. McLachlan
- grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857Hudson Institute of Medical Research and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC Australia
| | - Kenan R. Omurtag
- grid.34477.330000000122986657Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Washington University, Division of Reproductive Endocrinology, St. Louis, MO USA
| | - Adrian Pilatz
- grid.8664.c0000 0001 2165 8627Clinic for Urology, Pediatric Urology and Andrology, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
| | - Jay I. Sandlow
- grid.30760.320000 0001 2111 8460Department of Urology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI USA
| | - James Smith
- grid.266102.10000 0001 2297 6811Department of Urology, University California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA USA
| | - Michael L. Eisenberg
- grid.168010.e0000000419368956Department of Urology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA USA
| | - James M. Hotaling
- grid.223827.e0000 0001 2193 0096Andrology and IVF Laboratory, Department of Surgery (Urology), University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT USA
| | - Keith A. Jarvi
- grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, Mount Sinai Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada
| | - Margus Punab
- grid.412269.a0000 0001 0585 7044Andrology Center, Tartu University Hospital, Tartu, Estonia ,grid.10939.320000 0001 0943 7661Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Ewa Rajpert-De Meyts
- grid.475435.4Department of Growth and Reproduction, Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark ,grid.475435.4International Center for Research and Research Training in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Douglas T. Carrell
- grid.223827.e0000 0001 2193 0096Andrology and IVF Laboratory, Department of Surgery (Urology), University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT USA
| | - Csilla Krausz
- grid.8404.80000 0004 1757 2304Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Maris Laan
- grid.10939.320000 0001 0943 7661Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Moira K. O’Bryan
- grid.1008.90000 0001 2179 088XSchool of BioSciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC Australia ,grid.1002.30000 0004 1936 7857School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC Australia
| | - Peter N. Schlegel
- grid.5386.8000000041936877XDepartment of Urology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY USA
| | - Frank Tüttelmann
- grid.5949.10000 0001 2172 9288Institute of Reproductive Genetics, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Joris A. Veltman
- grid.1006.70000 0001 0462 7212Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK
| | - Kristian Almstrup
- grid.475435.4Department of Growth and Reproduction, Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark ,grid.475435.4International Center for Research and Research Training in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kenneth I. Aston
- grid.223827.e0000 0001 2193 0096Andrology and IVF Laboratory, Department of Surgery (Urology), University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT USA
| | - Donald F. Conrad
- grid.5288.70000 0000 9758 5690Division of Genetics, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Beaverton, OR USA
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21
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Ozgun G, Nichols C, Kollmannsberger C, Nappi L. Genomic features of mediastinal germ cell tumors: a narrative review. MEDIASTINUM (HONG KONG, CHINA) 2022; 6:34. [PMID: 36582975 PMCID: PMC9792832 DOI: 10.21037/med-22-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Germ cell tumors (GCTs) are uncommon malignancies generally originating from gonads. However, about 5% of GCTs arise outside the gonad (extragonadal), of which 80% develop from the mediastinum. While the prognosis of seminomas is not affected by the gonadal or extragonadal primary location, the prognosis of nonseminoma primary mediastinal GCTs (NS-PMGCTs) is poor, compared to its gonadal counterpart with an estimated 5-year overall survival of about 50%. The current treatments are sub-optimal to increase the cure rate of these rare GCTs. Therefore, molecular insights into these tumors would be valuable to develop novel therapies. The main objective of this review is to describe and dissect the genomic features associated with primary mediastinal GCTs (PMGCTs), highlighting the more frequent genomic alterations and their correlation with clinical outcomes. METHODS We conducted a narrative review of the English literature available in PubMed and Google Scholar between 1982 and 2021, including meta-analyses, systematic reviews, case series and case reports regarding the genomic and clinical features of PMGCTs. We analyzed the available data to describe the molecular characteristics of PMGCTs compared to testicular GCTs (TGCTs), highlighting the most relevant biological and prognostic factors. KEY CONTENT AND FINDINGS The high percentage of platinum resistance, the unique association with hematologic malignancies (HMs) and other malignancies, the higher prevalence of P53 mutations, and a distinct genomic landscape characterize this rare disease. CONCLUSIONS Although some studies have unveiled recurrent molecular alterations in PMGCTs, few are particularly suitable for targeted therapy. Due to the rarity of PMGCTs, data sharing and the creation of an international consortium would be helpful to have a better understanding of the molecular drivers of these tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guliz Ozgun
- Vancouver Prostate Centre, Department of Urologic Sciences, University of British Columbia, British Columbia, Canada
| | | | | | - Lucia Nappi
- Vancouver Prostate Centre, Department of Urologic Sciences, University of British Columbia, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Medical Oncology, BC Cancer, British Columbia, Canada
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22
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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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23
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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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24
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Zhou W, Nguyen HH, van de Laarschot DM, Howe TS, Koh JS, Milat F, van Rooij JG, Verlouw JA, van der Eerden BC, Stevenson M, Thakker RV, Zillikens MC, Ebeling PR. Whole Exome Sequencing in Two
Southeast
Asian Families With Atypical Femur Fractures. JBMR Plus 2022; 6:e10659. [PMID: 35991532 PMCID: PMC9382867 DOI: 10.1002/jbm4.10659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Revised: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Wei Zhou
- Department of Internal Medicine Erasmus Medical Center Rotterdam The Netherlands
| | - Hanh H. Nguyen
- Department of Medicine School of Clinical Sciences, Monash University Clayton VI Australia
- Department of Endocrinology Monash Health Clayton VI Australia
| | | | - Tet Sen Howe
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Singapore General Hospital Singapore Singapore
| | - Joyce S.B. Koh
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Singapore General Hospital Singapore Singapore
| | - Frances Milat
- Department of Medicine School of Clinical Sciences, Monash University Clayton VI Australia
- Department of Endocrinology Monash Health Clayton VI Australia
| | | | - Joost A.M. Verlouw
- Department of Internal Medicine Erasmus Medical Center Rotterdam The Netherlands
| | | | - Mark Stevenson
- Academic Endocrine Unit, Radcliffe Department of Medicine University of Oxford Oxford UK
| | - Rajesh V. Thakker
- Academic Endocrine Unit, Radcliffe Department of Medicine University of Oxford Oxford UK
| | - M. Carola Zillikens
- Department of Internal Medicine Erasmus Medical Center Rotterdam The Netherlands
| | - Peter R. Ebeling
- Department of Medicine School of Clinical Sciences, Monash University Clayton VI Australia
- Department of Endocrinology Monash Health Clayton VI Australia
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25
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Novel Compound Heterozygous Mutation in FSIP2 Causes Multiple Morphological Abnormalities of the Sperm Flagella (MMAF) and Male Infertility. Reprod Sci 2022; 29:2697-2702. [DOI: 10.1007/s43032-022-00965-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Accepted: 05/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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26
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Wu X, Zhou L, Shi J, Cheng CY, Sun F. Multiomics analysis of male infertility. Biol Reprod 2022; 107:118-134. [PMID: 35639635 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioac109] [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: 12/13/2021] [Revised: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Infertility affects 8-12% of couples globally, and the male factor is a primary cause in approximately 50% of couples. Male infertility is a multifactorial reproductive disorder, which can be caused by paracrine and autocrine factors, hormones, genes, and epigenetic changes. Recent studies in rodents and most notably in humans using multiomics approach have yielded important insights into understanding the biology of spermatogenesis. Nonetheless, the etiology and pathogenesis of male infertility are still largely unknown. In this review, we summarized and critically evaluated findings based on the use of advanced technologies to compare normal and obstructive azoospermia (OA) versus non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) men, including whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS), single cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq), whole exome sequencing (WES), and ATAC-seq. It is obvious that the multiomics approach is the method of choice for basic research and clinical studies including clinical diagnosis of male infertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolong Wu
- Department of Urology & Andrology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310016, China.,Institute of Reproductive Medicine, Nantong University School of Medicine, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, China
| | - Liwei Zhou
- Institute of Reproductive Medicine, Nantong University School of Medicine, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, China
| | - Jie Shi
- Institute of Reproductive Medicine, Nantong University School of Medicine, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, China
| | - C Yan Cheng
- Department of Urology & Andrology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310016, China.,Institute of Reproductive Medicine, Nantong University School of Medicine, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, China
| | - Fei Sun
- Department of Urology & Andrology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310016, China.,Institute of Reproductive Medicine, Nantong University School of Medicine, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, China
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27
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Chen H, Li P, Du X, Zhao Y, Wang L, Tian Y, Song X, Shuai L, Bai X, Chen L. Homozygous Loss of Septin12, but not its Haploinsufficiency, Leads to Male Infertility and Fertilization Failure. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:850052. [PMID: 35547809 PMCID: PMC9082362 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.850052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The SEPTIN12 gene has been associated with male infertility. Male Septin12+/− chimera mice were infertile, supporting the prevailing view that SEPTIN12 haploinsufficiency causes male infertility. In this study, we identified a heterozygous mutation on SEPTIN12, c.72C>A (p.Cys24Ter) in the male partner of a patient couple, who had a previous fertilization failure (FF) after intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and became pregnant after ICSI together with artificial oocyte activation (AOA). To investigate the role of SEPTIN12 in FF and oocyte activation, we constructed Septin12 knockout mice. Surprisingly, Septin12−/− male mice, but not Septin12+/− male mice, are infertile, and have reduced sperm counts and abnormal sperm morphology. Importantly, AOA treatment enhances the 2-cell embryo rate of ICSI embryos injected with Septin12−/− sperm, indicating that FF caused by male Septin12 deficiency is overcome by AOA. Mechanistically, loss of PLCζ around the acrosome might be the reason for FF of Septin12−/− sperm. Taken together, our data indicated that homozygous knockout of Septin12, but not Septin12 haploinsufficiency, leads to male infertility and FF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haixia Chen
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Health and Eugenics, Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Peng Li
- Tianjin Union Medical Center, State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Protein Sciences, Frontiers Science Center for Cell Responses, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Biology Education and College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Institute of Translational Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Xiaoling Du
- Tianjin Union Medical Center, State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Protein Sciences, Frontiers Science Center for Cell Responses, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Biology Education and College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Institute of Translational Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Yiding Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology and College of Pharmacy, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Lingling Wang
- Tianjin Union Medical Center, State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Protein Sciences, Frontiers Science Center for Cell Responses, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Biology Education and College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Institute of Translational Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Ye Tian
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Health and Eugenics, Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Xueru Song
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Health and Eugenics, Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Ling Shuai
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology and College of Pharmacy, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Xiaohong Bai
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Health and Eugenics, Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Lingyi Chen
- Tianjin Union Medical Center, State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Protein Sciences, Frontiers Science Center for Cell Responses, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Biology Education and College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Institute of Translational Medicine, Tianjin, China
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28
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Liu F, Zhou J, Zhang X, Fang S, Liu R, Chen G, Luo Y, Zhang Z, Cheng Y, Wang L, Guo J, Zou Y. Whole-exome sequencing and functional validation reveals a rare missense variant in MMP7 confers ovarian endometriosis risk. Hum Mol Genet 2022; 31:2595-2605. [PMID: 35288736 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddac062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Revised: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Prior studies have shown that genetic factors play important roles in ovarian endometriosis. Herein, we first analyzed the WES data from 158 patients with ovarian endometriosis and 385 local control women without endometriosis. Among which, a rare missense variant in the MMP7 (p.I79T, rs150338402) gene exhibited significant frequency difference. This rare variant was screened in an additional 1176 patients and 600 control women via direct DNA sequencing. Meanwhile, a total of 38 available clinical characteristics were collected. Our results showed 45 out of 1334 (3.37%) patients, while 15 out of 985 control women (1.52%) (P = 0.0076) harbored this rare variant, respectively. This rare variant was associated with clinical features such as follicle stimulating hormone (FSH, Padj = 0.0342), luteinizing hormone (LH, Padj = 0.0038), progesterone (PROG, Padj = 1.4e-7), testosterone (TESTO, Padj = 0.0923), total bilirubin (TBIL, Padj = 0.0699), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA, Padj = 0.0665), and squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC, Padj = 0.0817), respectively. Functional assays showed this rare variant could promote cell migration, invasion, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and increase the proteolytic protein activity of MMP7, implicating that the increased capacities of cell invasion, migration, and EMT might be mediated by enhanced proteolytic activity of MMP7 mutant. These results showed the MMP7 rare missense variant (p.I79T) played important roles in the pathogenesis of ovarian endometriosis. In conclusion, we identified for the first time, a significantly enriched MMP7 rare variant in ovarian endometriosis; this rare variant was closely associated with certain clinical features in ovarian endometriosis, thus, it could be a promising early diagnostic biomarker for this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faying Liu
- Key Laboratory of Women's Reproductive Health of Jiangxi Province, Jiangxi Provincial Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, China.,Central Laboratory, Jiangxi Provincial Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, China
| | - Jiangyan Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Women's Reproductive Health of Jiangxi Province, Jiangxi Provincial Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, China.,Department of Gynecology, Jiangxi Provincial Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, China
| | - Xiaoling Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Women's Reproductive Health of Jiangxi Province, Jiangxi Provincial Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, China.,Department of Gynecology, Jiangxi Provincial Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, China
| | - Shufen Fang
- Key Laboratory of Women's Reproductive Health of Jiangxi Province, Jiangxi Provincial Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, China.,Department of Gynecology, Jiangxi Provincial Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, China
| | - Rongfang Liu
- Key Laboratory of Women's Reproductive Health of Jiangxi Province, Jiangxi Provincial Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, China.,Department of Oncology, Jiangxi Provincial Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, China
| | - Ge Chen
- Key Laboratory of Women's Reproductive Health of Jiangxi Province, Jiangxi Provincial Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, China.,Central Laboratory, Jiangxi Provincial Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, China
| | - Yong Luo
- Key Laboratory of Women's Reproductive Health of Jiangxi Province, Jiangxi Provincial Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, China.,Central Laboratory, Jiangxi Provincial Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, China
| | - Ziyu Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Women's Reproductive Health of Jiangxi Province, Jiangxi Provincial Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, China.,Central Laboratory, Jiangxi Provincial Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, China
| | - Yufen Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Women's Reproductive Health of Jiangxi Province, Jiangxi Provincial Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, China.,Department of Gynecology, Jiangxi Provincial Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, China
| | - Liqun Wang
- Key Laboratory of Women's Reproductive Health of Jiangxi Province, Jiangxi Provincial Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, China.,Department of Reproductive Health, Jiangxi Provincial Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, China
| | - Jiubai Guo
- Key Laboratory of Women's Reproductive Health of Jiangxi Province, Jiangxi Provincial Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, China.,Department of Gynecology, Jiangxi Provincial Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, China
| | - Yang Zou
- Key Laboratory of Women's Reproductive Health of Jiangxi Province, Jiangxi Provincial Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, China.,Central Laboratory, Jiangxi Provincial Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, China
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29
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Wang X, Yin L, Wen Y, Yuan S. Mitochondrial regulation during male germ cell development. Cell Mol Life Sci 2022; 79:91. [PMID: 35072818 PMCID: PMC11072027 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-022-04134-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Mitochondria tailor their morphology to execute their specialized functions in different cell types and/or different environments. During spermatogenesis, mitochondria undergo continuous morphological and distributional changes with germ cell development. Deficiencies in these processes lead to mitochondrial dysfunction and abnormal spermatogenesis, thereby causing male infertility. In recent years, mitochondria have attracted considerable attention because of their unique role in the regulation of piRNA biogenesis in male germ cells. In this review, we describe the varied characters of mitochondria and focus on key mitochondrial factors that play pivotal roles in the regulation of spermatogenesis, from primordial germ cells to spermatozoa, especially concerning metabolic shift, stemness and reprogramming, mitochondrial transformation and rearrangement, and mitochondrial defects in human sperm. Further, we discuss the molecular mechanisms underlying these processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoli Wang
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Lisha Yin
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Yujiao Wen
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Shuiqiao Yuan
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
- Laboratory Animal Center, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
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30
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Yuan Y, Xu WQ, Chen ZY, Chen Y, Zhang L, Zheng L, Luo T, Chen HY. Successful outcomes of intracytoplasmic sperm injection-embryo transfer using ejaculated spermatozoa from two Chinese asthenoteratozoospermic brothers with a compound heterozygous FSIP2 mutation. Andrologia 2021; 54:e14351. [PMID: 34935173 DOI: 10.1111/and.14351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Revised: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Multiple morphological abnormalities of the sperm flagella (MMAF) is a characteristic form of severe asthenozoospermia and closely related to male infertility. However, it is not sure whether intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) allows MMAF patients reproductive success. The present study reported the first case of successful intracytoplasmic sperm injection-embryo transfer (ICSI-ET) in Chinese brothers with a novel compound heterozygous mutation of FSIP2 (fibrous sheath interacting protein 2), a newly identified MMAF-related genes. The proband and his brother were referred for MMAF because of their abnormal sperm flagellum. Through whole-exome sequencing in the genetic analyses of the proband, his brother and parents showed that the proband and his brother carry a novel compound heterozygous FSIP2 mutation (c.1750T>A and c.13600A>G), which will lead to abnormal expression of FSIP2 and loss of its function. Considering that these brothers had the MMAF phenotype, we recommended ICSI treatment. The successful outcome of ICSI indicated that a lose-function mutation of FSIP2 might not have any effect on ICSI, although the latest report showed a failed outcome of ICSI in a patient with FSIP2 mutation. This study provides new knowledge to understand the effect of MMAF caused by FSIP2 mutation on ICSI outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Yuan
- Institute of Life Science and School of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Wen-Qing Xu
- Institute of Life Science and School of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Zi-Yi Chen
- Institute of Life Science and School of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China.,Key Laboratory of Reproductive Physiology and Pathology in Jiangxi Province, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Ying Chen
- Institute of Life Science and School of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China.,Key Laboratory of Reproductive Physiology and Pathology in Jiangxi Province, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Li Zhang
- Nuprobe Company, Shanghai, China
| | - Liping Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Physiology and Pathology in Jiangxi Province, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Tao Luo
- Institute of Life Science and School of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China.,Key Laboratory of Reproductive Physiology and Pathology in Jiangxi Province, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Hou-Yang Chen
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Physiology and Pathology in Jiangxi Province, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China.,Reproductive Medical Center, Jiangxi Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Affiliated Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
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31
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Liu S, Zhang J, Kherraf ZE, Sun S, Zhang X, Cazin C, Coutton C, Zouari R, Zhao S, Hu F, Fourati Ben Mustapha S, Arnoult C, Ray PF, Liu M. CFAP61 is required for sperm flagellum formation and male fertility in human and mouse. Development 2021; 148:273455. [PMID: 34792097 DOI: 10.1242/dev.199805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Defects in the structure or motility of cilia and flagella may lead to severe diseases such as primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD), a multisystemic disorder with heterogeneous manifestations affecting primarily respiratory and reproductive functions. We report that CFAP61 is a conserved component of the calmodulin- and radial spoke-associated complex (CSC) of cilia. We find that a CFAP61 splice variant, c.143+5G>A, causes exon skipping/intron retention in human, inducing a multiple morphological abnormalities of the flagella (MMAF) phenotype. We generated Cfap61 knockout mice that recapitulate the infertility phenotype of the human CFAP61 mutation, but without other symptoms usually observed in PCD. We find that CFAP61 interacts with the CSC, radial spoke stalk and head. During early stages of Cfap61-/- spermatid development, the assembly of radial spoke components is impaired. As spermiogenesis progresses, the axoneme in Cfap61-/- cells becomes unstable and scatters, and the distribution of intraflagellar transport proteins is disrupted. This study reveals an organ-specific mechanism of axoneme stabilization that is related to male infertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siyu Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, 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
| | - Zine Eddine Kherraf
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, INSERM U1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Team Genetics Epigenetics and Therapies of Infertility, Grenoble, F-38000, France.,CHU de Grenoble, UM GI-DPI, Grenoble, F-38000, France
| | - Shuya Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China
| | - Xin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China
| | - Caroline Cazin
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, INSERM U1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Team Genetics Epigenetics and Therapies of Infertility, Grenoble, F-38000, France.,CHU de Grenoble, UM GI-DPI, Grenoble, F-38000, France
| | - Charles Coutton
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, INSERM U1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Team Genetics Epigenetics and Therapies of Infertility, Grenoble, F-38000, France.,CHU de Grenoble, UM de Génétique Chromosomique, Grenoble, F-38000, France
| | - Raoudha Zouari
- Polyclinique les Jasmins, Centre d'Aide Médicale à la Procréation, Centre Urbain Nord, 1003 Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Shuqin Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Animal Core Facility of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Fan Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China
| | | | - Christophe Arnoult
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, INSERM U1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Team Genetics Epigenetics and Therapies of Infertility, Grenoble, F-38000, France
| | - Pierre F Ray
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, INSERM U1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Team Genetics Epigenetics and Therapies of Infertility, Grenoble, F-38000, France.,CHU de Grenoble, UM GI-DPI, Grenoble, F-38000, France
| | - 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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32
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Bi-allelic variants in human WDR63 cause male infertility via abnormal inner dynein arms assembly. Cell Discov 2021; 7:110. [PMID: 34782613 PMCID: PMC8593051 DOI: 10.1038/s41421-021-00327-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Inner dynein arm (IDA), composed of a series of protein complex, is necessary to cilia and flagella bend formation and beating. Previous studies indicated that defects of IDA protein complex result in multiple morphological abnormalities of the sperm flagellum (MMAF) and male infertility. However, the genetic causes and molecular mechanisms in the IDAs need further exploration. Here we identified two loss-of-function variants of WDR63 in both MMAF and non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) affected cohorts. WDR63 encodes an IDA-associated protein that is dominantly expressed in testis. We next generated Wdr63-knockout (Wdr63-KO) mice through the CRISPR-Cas9 technology. Remarkably, Wdr63-KO induced decreased sperm number, abnormal flagellar morphology and male infertility. In addition, transmission electron microscopy assay showed severely disorganized "9 + 2" axoneme and absent inner dynein arms in the spermatozoa from Wdr63-KO male mice. Mechanistically, we found that WDR63 interacted with WDR78 mainly via WD40-repeat domain and is necessary for IDA assembly. Furthermore, WDR63-associated male infertility in human and mice could be overcome by intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) treatment. In conclusion, the present study demonstrates that bi-allelic variants of WDR63 cause male infertility via abnormal inner dynein arms assembly and flagella formation and can be used as a genetic diagnostic indicator for infertility males.
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Ferreux L, Bourdon M, Chargui A, Schmitt A, Stouvenel L, Lorès P, Ray P, Lousqui J, Pocate-Cheriet K, Santulli P, Dulioust E, Toure A, Patrat C. Genetic diagnosis, sperm phenotype and ICSI outcome in case of severe asthenozoospermia with multiple morphological abnormalities of the flagellum. Hum Reprod 2021; 36:2848-2860. [PMID: 34529793 DOI: 10.1093/humrep/deab200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Revised: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
STUDY QUESTION Are ICSI outcomes impaired in cases of severe asthenozoospermia with multiple morphological abnormalities of the flagellum (MMAF phenotype)? SUMMARY ANSWER Despite occasional technical difficulties, ICSI outcomes for couples with MMAF do not differ from those of other couples requiring ICSI, irrespective of the genetic defect. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Severe asthenozoospermia, especially when associated with the MMAF phenotype, results in male infertility. Recent findings have confirmed that a genetic aetiology is frequently responsible for this phenotype. In such situations, pregnancies can be achieved using ICSI. However, few studies to date have provided detailed analyses regarding the flagellar ultrastructural defects underlying this phenotype, its genetic aetiologies, and the results of ICSI in such cases of male infertility. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION We performed a retrospective study of 25 infertile men exhibiting severe asthenozoospermia associated with the MMAF phenotype identified through standard semen analysis. They were recruited at an academic centre for assisted reproduction in Paris (France) between 2009 and 2017. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and whole exome sequencing (WES) were performed in order to determine the sperm ultrastructural phenotype and the causal mutations, respectively. Finally 20 couples with MMAF were treated by assisted reproductive technologies based on ICSI. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS Patients with MMAF were recruited based on reduced sperm progressive motility and increased frequencies of absent, short, coiled or irregular flagella compared with those in sperm from fertile control men. A quantitative analysis of the several ultrastructural defects was performed for the MMAF patients and for fertile men. The ICSI results obtained for 20 couples with MMAF were compared to those of 378 men with oligoasthenoteratozoospermia but no MMAF as an ICSI control group. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE TEM analysis and categorisation of the flagellar anomalies found in these patients provided important information regarding the structural defects underlying asthenozoospermia and sperm tail abnormalities. In particular, the absence of the central pair of axonemal microtubules was the predominant anomaly observed more frequently than in control sperm (P < 0.01). Exome sequencing, performed for 24 of the 25 patients, identified homozygous or compound heterozygous pathogenic mutations in CFAP43, CFAP44, CFAP69, DNAH1, DNAH8, AK7, TTC29 and MAATS1 in 13 patients (54.2%) (11 affecting MMAF genes and 2 affecting primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD)-associated genes). A total of 40 ICSI cycles were undertaken for 20 MMAF couples, including 13 cycles (for 5 couples) where a hypo-osmotic swelling (HOS) test was required due to absolute asthenozoospermia. The fertilisation rate was not statistically different between the MMAF (65.7%) and the non-MMAF (66.0%) couples and it did not differ according to the genotype or the flagellar phenotype of the subjects or use of the HOS test. The clinical pregnancy rate per embryo transfer did not differ significantly between the MMAF (23.3%) and the non-MMAF (37.1%) groups. To date, 7 of the 20 MMAF couples have achieved a live birth from the ICSI attempts, with 11 babies born without any birth defects. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION The ICSI procedure outcomes were assessed retrospectively on a small number of affected subjects and should be confirmed on a larger cohort. Moreover, TEM analysis could not be performed for all patients due to low sperm concentrations, and WES results are not yet available for all of the included men. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS An early and extensive phenotypic and genetic investigation should be considered for all men requiring ICSI for severe asthenozoospermia. Although our study did not reveal any adverse ICSI outcomes associated with MMAF, we cannot rule out that some rare genetic causes could result in low fertilisation or pregnancy rates. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) No external funding was used for this study and there are no competing interests. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER N/A.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucile Ferreux
- Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Centre-Université de Paris, Hôpital Cochin, Service d'Histologie-Embryologie-Biologie de la Reproduction, Paris, France
| | - Mathilde Bourdon
- Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Centre-Université de Paris, Hôpital Cochin, Service de Gynécologie-Obstétrique II et de Médecine de la Reproduction, Paris, France
| | - Ahmed Chargui
- Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Centre-Université de Paris, Hôpital Cochin, Service d'Histologie-Embryologie-Biologie de la Reproduction, Paris, France
| | - Alain Schmitt
- Université de Paris, Institut Cochin, U1016, INSERM, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Laurence Stouvenel
- Université de Paris, Institut Cochin, U1016, INSERM, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Patrick Lorès
- Université de Paris, Institut Cochin, U1016, INSERM, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Pierre Ray
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Institut pour l'avancée des Biosciences, INSERM, CNRS, Grenoble, France
| | - Johanna Lousqui
- APHP.nord-Université de Paris, Hôpital Bichat, Service d'Histologie-Embryologie-Biologie de la Reproduction, Paris, France
| | - Khaled Pocate-Cheriet
- Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Centre-Université de Paris, Hôpital Cochin, Service d'Histologie-Embryologie-Biologie de la Reproduction, Paris, France
| | - Pietro Santulli
- Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Centre-Université de Paris, Hôpital Cochin, Service de Gynécologie-Obstétrique II et de Médecine de la Reproduction, Paris, France
| | - Emmanuel Dulioust
- Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Centre-Université de Paris, Hôpital Cochin, Service d'Histologie-Embryologie-Biologie de la Reproduction, Paris, France.,Université de Paris, Institut Cochin, U1016, INSERM, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Aminata Toure
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Institut pour l'avancée des Biosciences, INSERM, CNRS, Grenoble, France
| | - Catherine Patrat
- Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Centre-Université de Paris, Hôpital Cochin, Service d'Histologie-Embryologie-Biologie de la Reproduction, Paris, France.,Université de Paris, Institut Cochin, U1016, INSERM, CNRS, Paris, France
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Khan I, Dil S, Zhang H, Zhang B, Khan T, Zeb A, Zhou J, Nawaz S, Zubair M, Khan K, Ma H, Shi Q. A novel stop-gain mutation in ARMC2 is associated with multiple morphological abnormalities of the sperm flagella. Reprod Biomed Online 2021; 43:913-919. [PMID: 34493464 DOI: 10.1016/j.rbmo.2021.07.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2021] [Revised: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
RESEARCH QUESTION Male infertility is a global issue worldwide and multiple morphological abnormalities of the sperm flagella (MMAF) is one of the most severe forms of the qualitative sperm defects with a heterogeneous genetic cause that has not been completely understood. Can whole-exome sequencing (WES) reveal novel genetic causes contributing to MMAF in a consanguineous Pakistani family, comprising three infertile brothers? DESIGN WES and bioinformatic analysis were conducted to screen potential pathogenic variants. The identified variant was validated by Sanger sequencing in all available family members Transmission electron microscopy analyses was carried out to examine the flagella ultrastructure of spermatozoa from patient. RESULTS WES and Sanger sequencing identified a novel homozygous stop-gain mutation (ENST00000392644.4, c.182C>G, p.S61X) in ARMC2, which is expected to lead to loss of protein functions. Transmission electron microscopy analyses revealed that the flagellar ultrastructure of the patient's spermatozoa was disorganized along with a complete absence of central pair complex (CPC), suggesting that ARMC2 is involved in the assembly, stability of the axonemal complex, or both, particularly the CPC. CONCLUSION We report that a familial stop-gain mutation in ARMC2 is associated with male infertility in humans caused by MMAF accompanied with loss of CPCs and axonemal disorganization. We provide genetic evidence that ARMC2 is essential for human spermatogenesis and its mutation may be pathogenic for MMAF. These findings will improve the knowledge about the genetic basis of MMAF and provide information for genetic counselling of this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ihsan Khan
- First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, the CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
| | - Sobia Dil
- First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, the CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
| | - Huan Zhang
- First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, the CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
| | - Beibei Zhang
- First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, the CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
| | - Teka Khan
- Bond life sciences Center, University of Missouri 65211, Columbia Missouri, USA
| | - Aurang Zeb
- First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, the CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
| | - Jianteng Zhou
- First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, the CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
| | - Shoaib Nawaz
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Zubair
- First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, the CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
| | - Khalid Khan
- First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, the CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
| | - Hui Ma
- First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, the CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China.
| | - Qinghua Shi
- First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, the CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China.
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35
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Diagnostics and Management of Male Infertility in Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia. Diagnostics (Basel) 2021; 11:diagnostics11091550. [PMID: 34573892 PMCID: PMC8467018 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics11091550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Revised: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD), a disease caused by the malfunction of motile cilia, manifests mainly with chronic recurrent respiratory infections. In men, PCD is also often associated with infertility due to immotile sperm. Since causative mutations for PCD were identified in over 50 genes, the role of these genes in sperm development should be investigated in order to understand the effect of PCD mutations on male fertility. Previous studies showed that different dynein arm heavy chains are present in respiratory cilia and sperm flagellum, which may partially explain the variable effects of mutations on airways and fertility. Furthermore, recent studies showed that male reproductive tract motile cilia may play an important part in sperm maturation and transport. In some PCD patients, extremely low sperm counts were reported, which may be due to motile cilia dysfunction in the reproductive tract rather than problems with sperm development. However, the exact roles of PCD genes in male fertility require additional studies, as do the treatment options. In this review, we discuss the diagnostic and treatment options for men with PCD based on the current knowledge.
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36
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Fuentes-Albero MC, González-Brusi L, Cots P, Luongo C, Abril-Sánchez S, Ros-Santaella JL, Pintus E, Ruiz-Díaz S, Barros-García C, Sánchez-Calabuig MJ, García-Párraga D, Avilés M, Izquierdo Rico MJ, García-Vázquez FA. Protein Identification of Spermatozoa and Seminal Plasma in Bottlenose Dolphin ( Tursiops truncatus). Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:673961. [PMID: 34336830 PMCID: PMC8323341 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.673961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2021] [Accepted: 05/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Proteins play an important role in many reproductive functions such as sperm maturation, sperm transit in the female genital tract or sperm-oocyte interaction. However, in general, little information concerning reproductive features is available in the case of aquatic animals. The present study aims to characterize the proteome of both spermatozoa and seminal plasma of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) as a model organism for cetaceans. Ejaculate samples were obtained from two trained dolphins housed in an aquarium. Spermatozoa and seminal plasma were analyzed by means of proteomic analyses using an LC-MS/MS, and a list with the gene symbols corresponding to each protein was submitted to the DAVID database. Of the 419 proteins identified in spermatozoa and 303 in seminal plasma, 111 proteins were shared by both. Furthermore, 70 proteins were identified as involved in reproductive processes, 39 in spermatozoa, and 31 in seminal plasma. The five most abundant proteins were also identified in these samples: AKAP3, ODF2, TUBB, GSTM3, ROPN1 for spermatozoa and CST11, LTF, ALB, HSP90B1, PIGR for seminal plasma. In conclusion, this study provides the first characterization of the proteome in cetacean sperm and seminal plasma, opening the way to future research into new biomarkers, the analysis of conservation capacity or possible additional applications in the field of assisted reproductive technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mari-Carmen Fuentes-Albero
- Department of Biology, Avanqua-Oceanogràfic S.L, Valencia, Spain.,Department of Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Leopoldo González-Brusi
- Department of Cell Biology and Histology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Paula Cots
- Department of Cell Biology and Histology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Chiara Luongo
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Silvia Abril-Sánchez
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - José Luis Ros-Santaella
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czechia
| | - Eliana Pintus
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czechia
| | - Sara Ruiz-Díaz
- Department of Animal Reproduction, National Agricultural and Food Research and Technology Institute (INIA), Madrid, Spain
| | | | - María-Jesús Sánchez-Calabuig
- Department of Animal Reproduction, National Agricultural and Food Research and Technology Institute (INIA), Madrid, Spain.,Department of Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Madrid, Spain
| | - Daniel García-Párraga
- Department of Biology, Avanqua-Oceanogràfic S.L, Valencia, Spain.,Research Department, Fundación Oceanogràfic, Valencia, Spain
| | - Manuel Avilés
- Department of Cell Biology and Histology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Mᵃ José Izquierdo Rico
- Department of Cell Biology and Histology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
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Zhang J, He X, Wu H, Zhang X, Yang S, Liu C, Liu S, Hua R, Zhou S, Zhao S, Hu F, Zhang J, Liu W, Cheng H, Gao Y, Zhang F, Cao Y, Liu M. Loss of DRC1 function leads to multiple morphological abnormalities of the sperm flagella and male infertility in human and mouse. Hum Mol Genet 2021; 30:1996-2011. [PMID: 34169321 PMCID: PMC8522639 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddab171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2021] [Revised: 06/18/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Motile cilia and flagellar defects can result in primary ciliary dyskinesia, which is a
multisystemic genetic disorder that affects roughly 1:10 000 individuals. The nexin-dynein
regulatory complex (N-DRC) links neighboring doublet microtubules within flagella, serving
as a central regulatory hub for motility in Chlamydomonas. Herein, we identified two
homozygous DRC1 variants in human patients that were associated with
multiple morphological abnormalities of the sperm flagella (MMAF) and male infertility.
Drc1−/−, Drc1R554X/R554X and
Drc1W244X/W244X mice on the C57BL/6 background suffered from
pre-pubertal mortality. However, when the ICR background was introduced, some of these
mice were able to survive and recapitulate the MMAF phenotypes detected in human patients.
By analyzing these animals, we determined that DRC1 is an essential regulator of N-DRC
assembly in cilia and flagella. When DRC1 is absent, this results in the shortening of
cilia and consequent impairment of their motility. Damage associated with DRC1 deficiency
in sperm flagella was more pronounced than in cilia, as manifested by complete axoneme
structural disorder in addition to the loss of the DRC structure. Altogether, these
findings suggest that DRC1 is required for the structural stability of flagella but not
cilia, emphasizing the key role of this protein in mammalian species.
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Affiliation(s)
- 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
| | - 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
| | - Xin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China
| | - Shenmin Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Center for Reproduction and Genetics, Suzhou Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou 215002, China
| | - Chunyu Liu
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, NHC Key Laboratory of Reproduction Regulation (Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research), State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering at School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200011, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine Related Diseases, Shanghai 200011, 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
| | - Rong Hua
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China
| | - Shushu Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China
| | - Shuqin Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Animal Core Facility of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Fan Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China
| | - Junqiang Zhang
- 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
| | - Wangjie Liu
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, NHC Key Laboratory of Reproduction Regulation (Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research), State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering at School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200011, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine Related Diseases, Shanghai 200011, China
| | - Huiru Cheng
- 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
| | - Yang Gao
- 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
| | - Feng Zhang
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, NHC Key Laboratory of Reproduction Regulation (Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research), State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering at School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200011, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine Related Diseases, Shanghai 200011, 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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38
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Wang WL, Tu CF, Tan YQ. Insight on multiple morphological abnormalities of sperm flagella in male infertility: what is new? Asian J Androl 2021; 22:236-245. [PMID: 31210147 PMCID: PMC7275805 DOI: 10.4103/aja.aja_53_19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The syndrome of multiple morphological abnormalities of the sperm flagella (MMAF) is a specific kind of asthenoteratozoospermia with a mosaic of flagellar morphological abnormalities (absent, short, bent, coiled, and irregular flagella). MMAF was proposed in 2014 and has attracted increasing attention; however, it has not been clearly understood. In this review, we elucidate the definition of MMAF from a systematical view, the difference between MMAF and other conditions with asthenoteratozoospermia or asthenozoospermia (such as primary mitochondrial sheath defects and primary ciliary dyskinesia), the knowledge regarding its etiological mechanism and related genetic findings, and the clinical significance of MMAF for intracytoplasmic sperm injection and genetic counseling. This review provides the basic knowledge for MMAF and puts forward some suggestions for further investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei-Li Wang
- Institute of Reproductive and Stem Cell Engineering, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha 410078, China
| | - Chao-Feng Tu
- Institute of Reproductive and Stem Cell Engineering, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha 410078, China
| | - Yue-Qiu Tan
- Institute of Reproductive and Stem Cell Engineering, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha 410078, China.,Reproductive and Genetic Hospital of CITIC-Xiangya, Changsha 410078, China.,National Engineering and Research Center of Human Stem Cell, Changsha 410078, China
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39
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Azhar M, Altaf S, Uddin I, Cheng J, Wu L, Tong X, Qin W, Bao J. Towards Post-Meiotic Sperm Production: Genetic Insight into Human Infertility from Mouse Models. Int J Biol Sci 2021; 17:2487-2503. [PMID: 34326689 PMCID: PMC8315030 DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.60384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/16/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Declined quality and quantity of sperm is currently the major cause of patients suffering from infertility. Male germ cell development is spatiotemporally regulated throughout the whole developmental process. While it has been known that exogenous factors, such as environmental exposure, diet and lifestyle, et al, play causative roles in male infertility, recent progress has revealed abundant genetic mutations tightly associated with defective male germline development. In mammals, male germ cells undergo dramatic morphological change (i.e., nuclear condensation) and chromatin remodeling during post-meiotic haploid germline development, a process termed spermiogenesis; However, the molecular machinery players and functional mechanisms have yet to be identified. To date, accumulated evidence suggests that disruption in any step of haploid germline development is likely manifested as fertility issues with low sperm count, poor sperm motility, aberrant sperm morphology or combined. With the continually declined cost of next-generation sequencing and recent progress of CRISPR/Cas9 technology, growing studies have revealed a vast number of disease-causing genetic variants associated with spermiogenic defects in both mice and humans, along with mechanistic insights partially attained and validated through genetically engineered mouse models (GEMMs). In this review, we mainly summarize genes that are functional at post-meiotic stage. Identification and characterization of deleterious genetic variants should aid in our understanding of germline development, and thereby further improve the diagnosis and treatment of male infertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Azhar
- Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, University of Science and Technology of China, Anhui, China
| | - Saba Altaf
- Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, University of Science and Technology of China, Anhui, China
| | - Islam Uddin
- Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, University of Science and Technology of China, Anhui, China
| | - Jinbao Cheng
- The 901th hospital of Joint logistics support Force of PLA, Anhui, China
| | - Limin Wu
- Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, University of Science and Technology of China, Anhui, China
| | - Xianhong Tong
- Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, University of Science and Technology of China, Anhui, China
| | - Weibing Qin
- NHC Key Laboratory of Male Reproduction and Genetics, Family Planning Research Institute of Guangdong Province, China
| | - Jianqiang Bao
- Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, University of Science and Technology of China, Anhui, China
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40
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Fang X, Gamallat Y, Chen Z, Mai H, Zhou P, Sun C, Li X, Li H, Zheng S, Liao C, Yang M, Li Y, Yang Z, Ma C, Han D, Zuo L, Xu W, Hu H, Sun L, Li N. Hypomorphic and hypermorphic mouse models of Fsip2 indicate its dosage-dependent roles in sperm tail and acrosome formation. Development 2021; 148:269073. [PMID: 34125190 DOI: 10.1242/dev.199216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Loss-of-function mutations in multiple morphological abnormalities of the sperm flagella (MMAF)-associated genes lead to decreased sperm motility and impaired male fertility. As an MMAF gene, the function of fibrous sheath-interacting protein 2 (FSIP2) remains largely unknown. In this work, we identified a homozygous truncating mutation of FSIP2 in an infertile patient. Accordingly, we constructed a knock-in (KI) mouse model with this mutation. In parallel, we established an Fsip2 overexpression (OE) mouse model. Remarkably, KI mice presented with the typical MMAF phenotype, whereas OE mice showed no gross anomaly except for sperm tails with increased length. Single-cell RNA sequencing of the testes uncovered altered expression of genes related to sperm flagellum, acrosomal vesicle and spermatid development. We confirmed the expression of Fsip2 at the acrosome and the physical interaction of this gene with Acrv1, an acrosomal marker. Proteomic analysis of the testes revealed changes in proteins sited at the fibrous sheath, mitochondrial sheath and acrosomal vesicle. We also pinpointed the crucial motifs of Fsip2 that are evolutionarily conserved in species with internal fertilization. Thus, this work reveals the dosage-dependent roles of Fsip2 in sperm tail and acrosome formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Fang
- Laboratory of Medical Systems Biology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, 510623 Guangzhou, China
| | - Yaser Gamallat
- Laboratory of Medical Systems Biology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, 510623 Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhiheng Chen
- Center of Reproductive Medicine, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, 510623 Guangzhou, China
| | - Hanran Mai
- Department of Andrology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, 510623 Guangzhou, China
| | - Pei Zhou
- Laboratory of Medical Systems Biology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, 510623 Guangzhou, China
| | - Chuanbo Sun
- Laboratory of Medical Systems Biology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, 510623 Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoliang Li
- Key Laboratory of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, 610041 Chengdu, China
| | - Hong Li
- Laboratory of Medical Systems Biology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, 510623 Guangzhou, China
| | - Shuxin Zheng
- Laboratory of Medical Systems Biology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, 510623 Guangzhou, China
| | - Caihua Liao
- Laboratory of Medical Systems Biology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, 510623 Guangzhou, China
| | - Miaomiao Yang
- Laboratory of Medical Systems Biology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, 510623 Guangzhou, China
| | - Yan Li
- Laboratory of Medical Systems Biology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, 510623 Guangzhou, China
| | - Zeyu Yang
- Guangdong Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Shantou, 515063 Guangdong, China
| | - Caiqi Ma
- Center of Reproductive Medicine, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, 510623 Guangzhou, China
| | - Dingding Han
- Laboratory of Medical Systems Biology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, 510623 Guangzhou, China
| | - Liandong Zuo
- Department of Andrology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, 510623 Guangzhou, China
| | - Wenming Xu
- Key Laboratory of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, 610041 Chengdu, China
| | - Hao Hu
- Laboratory of Medical Systems Biology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, 510623 Guangzhou, China.,Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, 450052 Zhengzhou, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Research in Structural Birth Defect Disease, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, 510623 Guangzhou, China
| | - Ling Sun
- Center of Reproductive Medicine, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, 510623 Guangzhou, China
| | - Na Li
- Laboratory of Medical Systems Biology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, 510623 Guangzhou, China
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41
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Kolmykov S, Vasiliev G, Osadchuk L, Kleschev M, Osadchuk A. Whole-Exome Sequencing Analysis of Human Semen Quality in Russian Multiethnic Population. Front Genet 2021; 12:662846. [PMID: 34178030 PMCID: PMC8232892 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.662846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The global trend toward the reduction of human spermatogenic function observed in many countries, including Russia, raised the problem of extensive screening and monitoring of male fertility and elucidation of its genetic and ethnic mechanisms. Recently, whole-exome sequencing (WES) was developed as a powerful tool for genetic analysis of complex traits. We present here the first Russian WES study for identification of new genes associated with semen quality. The experimental 3 × 2 design of the WES study was based on the analysis of 157 samples including three ethnic groups—Slavs (59), Buryats (n = 49), and Yakuts (n = 49), and two different semen quality groups—pathozoospermia (n = 95) and normospermia (n = 62). Additionally, our WES study group was negative for complete AZF microdeletions of the Y-chromosome. The normospermia group included men with normal sperm parameters in accordance with the WHO-recommended reference limit. The pathozoospermia group included men with impaired semen quality, namely, with any combined parameters of sperm concentration <15 × 106/ml, and/or progressive motility <32%, and/or normal morphology <4%. The WES was performed for all 157 samples. Subsequent calling and filtering of variants were carried out according to the GATK Best Practices recommendations. On the genotyping stage, the samples were combined into four cohorts: three sets corresponded to three ethnic groups, and the fourth set contained all the 157 whole-exome samples. Association of the obtained polymorphisms with semen quality parameters was investigated using the χ2 test. To prioritize the obtained variants associated with pathozoospermia, their effects were determined using Ensembl Variant Effect Predictor. Moreover, polymorphisms located in genes expressed in the testis were revealed based on the genomic annotation. As a result, the nine potential SNP markers rs6971091, rs557806, rs610308, rs556052, rs1289658, rs278981, rs1129172, rs12268007, and rs17228441 were selected for subsequent verification on our previously collected population sample (about 1,500 males). The selected variants located in seven genes FAM71F1, PPP1R15A, TRIM45, PRAME, RBM47, WDFY4, and FSIP2 that are expressed in the testis and play an important role in cell proliferation, meiosis, and apoptosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Semyon Kolmykov
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia.,Department of Computational Biology, Sirius University of Science and Technology, Sochi, Russia
| | - Gennady Vasiliev
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Ludmila Osadchuk
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Maxim Kleschev
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Alexander Osadchuk
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
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42
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Oud MS, Houston BJ, Volozonoka L, Mastrorosa FK, Holt GS, Alobaidi BKS, deVries PF, Astuti G, Ramos L, Mclachlan RI, O’Bryan MK, Veltman JA, Chemes HE, Sheth H. Exome sequencing reveals variants in known and novel candidate genes for severe sperm motility disorders. Hum Reprod 2021; 36:2597-2611. [PMID: 34089056 PMCID: PMC8373475 DOI: 10.1093/humrep/deab099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Revised: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
STUDY QUESTION What are the causative genetic variants in patients with male infertility due to severe sperm motility disorders? SUMMARY ANSWER We identified high confidence disease-causing variants in multiple genes previously associated with severe sperm motility disorders in 10 out of 21 patients (48%) and variants in novel candidate genes in seven additional patients (33%). WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Severe sperm motility disorders are a form of male infertility characterised by immotile sperm often in combination with a spectrum of structural abnormalities of the sperm flagellum that do not affect viability. Currently, depending on the clinical sub-categorisation, up to 50% of causality in patients with severe sperm motility disorders can be explained by pathogenic variants in at least 22 genes. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION We performed exome sequencing in 21 patients with severe sperm motility disorders from two different clinics. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHOD Two groups of infertile men, one from Argentina (n = 9) and one from Australia (n = 12), with clinically defined severe sperm motility disorders (motility <5%) and normal morphology values of 0–4%, were included. All patients in the Argentine cohort were diagnosed with DFS-MMAF, based on light and transmission electron microscopy. Sperm ultrastructural information was not available for the Australian cohort. Exome sequencing was performed in all 21 patients and variants with an allele frequency of <1% in the gnomAD population were prioritised and interpreted. MAIN RESULTS AND ROLE OF CHANCE In 10 of 21 patients (48%), we identified pathogenic variants in known sperm assembly genes: CFAP43 (3 patients); CFAP44 (2 patients), CFAP58 (1 patient), QRICH2 (2 patients), DNAH1 (1 patient) and DNAH6 (1 patient). The diagnostic rate did not differ markedly between the Argentinian and the Australian cohort (55% and 42%, respectively). Furthermore, we identified patients with variants in the novel human candidate sperm motility genes: DNAH12, DRC1, MDC1, PACRG, SSPL2C and TPTE2. One patient presented with variants in four candidate genes and it remains unclear which variants were responsible for the severe sperm motility defect in this patient. LARGE SCALE DATA N/A LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION In this study, we described patients with either a homozygous or two heterozygous candidate pathogenic variants in genes linked to sperm motility disorders. Due to unavailability of parental DNA, we have not assessed the frequency of de novo or maternally inherited dominant variants and could not determine the parental origin of the mutations to establish in all cases that the mutations are present on both alleles. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS Our results confirm the likely causal role of variants in six known genes for sperm motility and we demonstrate that exome sequencing is an effective method to diagnose patients with severe sperm motility disorders (10/21 diagnosed; 48%). Furthermore, our analysis revealed six novel candidate genes for severe sperm motility disorders. Genome-wide sequencing of additional patient cohorts and re-analysis of exome data of currently unsolved cases may reveal additional variants in these novel candidate genes. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) This project was supported in part by funding from the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (APP1120356) to M.K.O.B., J.A.V. and R.I.M.L., The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (918-15-667) to J.A.V., the Royal Society and Wolfson Foundation (WM160091) to J.A.V., as well as an Investigator Award in Science from the Wellcome Trust (209451) to J.A.V. and Grants from the National Research Council of Argentina (PIP 0900 and 4584) and ANPCyT (PICT 9591) to H.E.C. and a UUKi Rutherford Fund Fellowship awarded to B.J.H.
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Affiliation(s)
- M S Oud
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - B J Houston
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Monash, Australia
- School of BioSciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - L Volozonoka
- Scientific Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Riga Stradins University, Riga, Latvia
- Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - F K Mastrorosa
- Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - G S Holt
- Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - B K S Alobaidi
- Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - P F deVries
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - G Astuti
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - L Ramos
- Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - R I Mclachlan
- Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Monash University, Clayton, Melbourne, Australia
| | - M K O’Bryan
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Monash, Australia
- School of BioSciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - J A Veltman
- Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
- Correspondence address. Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 4EP, UK. E-mail:
| | - H E Chemes
- Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas “Dr. César Bergadá” CEDIE-CONICET-FEI, Hospital de Niños Ricardo Gutiérrez, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - H Sheth
- Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
- Foundation for Research in Genetics and Endocrinology, Institute of Human Genetics, Ahmedabad, India
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43
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Wu B, Yu X, Liu C, Wang L, Huang T, Lu G, Chen ZJ, Li W, Liu H. Essential Role of CFAP53 in Sperm Flagellum Biogenesis. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:676910. [PMID: 34124066 PMCID: PMC8195676 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.676910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The sperm flagellum is essential for male fertility. Despite vigorous research progress toward understanding the pathogenesis of flagellum-related diseases, much remains unknown about the mechanisms underlying the flagellum biogenesis itself. Here, we show that the cilia and flagella associated protein 53 (Cfap53) gene is predominantly expressed in testes, and it is essential for sperm flagellum biogenesis. The knockout of this gene resulted in complete infertility in male mice but not in the females. CFAP53 localized to the manchette and sperm tail during spermiogenesis, the knockout of this gene impaired flagellum biogenesis. Furthermore, we identified two manchette and sperm tail-associated proteins that interacted with CFAP53 during spermiogenesis. Together, our results suggest that CFAP53 is an essential protein for sperm flagellum biogenesis, and its mutations might be associated with multiple morphological abnormalities of the flagella (MMAF).
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Affiliation(s)
- 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, Beijing, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaochen Yu
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Key laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology of the Ministry of Education, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Jinan, China
- Shandong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Reproductive Health, Jinan, China
- National Research Center for Assisted Reproductive Technology and Reproductive Genetics, Shandong University, Jinan, 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, Beijing, China
| | - Lina Wang
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, National Clinical Research Center of Respiratory Diseases, Beijing Children’s Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Children’s Health, Beijing, China
| | - Tao Huang
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Key laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology of the Ministry of Education, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Jinan, China
- Shandong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Reproductive Health, Jinan, China
- National Research Center for Assisted Reproductive Technology and Reproductive Genetics, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Gang Lu
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Key laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology of the Ministry of Education, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Jinan, China
- Shandong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Reproductive Health, Jinan, China
- National Research Center for Assisted Reproductive Technology and Reproductive Genetics, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- CUHK-SDU Joint Laboratory on Reproductive Genetics, School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Zi-Jiang Chen
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Key laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology of the Ministry of Education, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Jinan, China
- Shandong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Reproductive Health, Jinan, China
- National Research Center for Assisted Reproductive Technology and Reproductive Genetics, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- CUHK-SDU Joint Laboratory on Reproductive Genetics, School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - 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, Beijing, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hongbin Liu
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Key laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology of the Ministry of Education, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Jinan, China
- Shandong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Reproductive Health, Jinan, China
- National Research Center for Assisted Reproductive Technology and Reproductive Genetics, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- CUHK-SDU Joint Laboratory on Reproductive Genetics, School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
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44
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Ying H, Lin A, Liang J, Zhang J, Luo P. Association Between FSIP2 Mutation and an Improved Efficacy of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Patients With Skin Cutaneous Melanoma. Front Mol Biosci 2021; 8:629330. [PMID: 34113648 PMCID: PMC8186463 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.629330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2020] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have shown remarkable success in treating skin cutaneous melanoma (SKCM); however, the response to treatment varies greatly between patients. Considering that the efficacy of ICI treatment is influenced by many factors, we selected the Fibrosheath interacting protein 2 (FSIP2) gene and systematically analyzed its potential to predict the efficacy of ICI treatment. Methods Patient data were collected from an ICI treatment cohort (n = 120) and a The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)-SKCM cohort (n = 467). The data were divided into an FSIP2-mutant (MT) group and FSIP2-wild-type (WT) group according to FSIP2 mutation status. In this study, we analyzed the patients' overall survival rate, tumor mutational burden (TMB), neoantigen load (NAL), copy number variation (CNV), cell infiltration data and immune-related genes. We used gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) to delineate biological pathways and processes associated with the efficacy of immunotherapy. Results The efficacy of ICI treatment of SKCM patients with FSIP2 mutation was significantly better than that of patients without FSIP2 mutation. The patients in the FSIP2-MT group had higher tumor immunogenicity and lower regulatory T cell (Treg) infiltration. Results of GSEA showed that pathways related to tumor progression (MAPK and FGFR), immunomodulation, and IL-2 synthesis inhibition were significantly downregulated in the FSIP2-MT group. Conclusion Our research suggests that the FSIP2 gene has the potential to predict the efficacy of ICI treatment. The high tumor immunogenicity and low Treg levels observed may be closely related to the fact that patients with FSIP2-MT can benefit from ICI treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haoxuan Ying
- Department of Oncology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Anqi Lin
- Department of Oncology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Junyi Liang
- Department of Oncology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jian Zhang
- Department of Oncology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Peng Luo
- Department of Oncology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
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45
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Jiang C, Zhang X, Zhang H, Guo J, Zhang C, Li J, Yang Y. Novel bi-allelic mutations in DNAH1 cause multiple morphological abnormalities of the sperm flagella resulting in male infertility. Transl Androl Urol 2021; 10:1656-1664. [PMID: 33968654 PMCID: PMC8100829 DOI: 10.21037/tau-20-1434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Male infertility is a major health concern and approximately 10–15% of cases are caused by genetic abnormalities. Defects in the sperm flagella are closely related to male infertility, since flagellar beating allows sperm to swim. The sperm of males afflicted with multiple morphological abnormalities of the flagella (MMAF) possess severe defects of the sperm flagella, may impair sperm motility and lead to male infertility. Currently, known genetic defects only account for MMAF in about 60% of patients and need more intensive efforts to explore the relationship between genes and MMAF. Methods The whole-exome sequencing (WES) was performed to analyze the genetic cause of the MMAF patient. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to observe the morphology of sperm cells and to identify the ultrastructural characteristics of the flagella in the patient. The expression of DNAH1 was analyzed by sperm immunofluorescence staining. Results We identified the negative effects produced by the DNAH1 mutations c. 8170.C>T (p. R2724*) and c. 4670C>T (p. T1557M) on DNAH1 expression and the development of sperm flagella. Conclusions Our findings suggest that DNAH1 is associated with the formation of sperm flagella and homozygous loss-of-function mutations in DNAH1 can impair sperm motility and cause male infertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuan Jiang
- Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology, Joint Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine (SCU-CUHK), Key Laboratory of Obstetric & Gynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects, Ministry of Education, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xueguang Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology, Joint Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine (SCU-CUHK), Key Laboratory of Obstetric & Gynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects, Ministry of Education, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Heng Zhang
- Department of Otolaryngology, The First People's Hospital of Longquanyi District of Chengdu, Chengdu, China
| | - Junliang Guo
- Center of Reproductive Medicine, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.,Key Laboratory of Obstetric & Gynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects, Ministry of Education, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Chaoliang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Jinhong Li
- Center of Reproductive Medicine, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.,Key Laboratory of Obstetric & Gynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects, Ministry of Education, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yihong Yang
- Center of Reproductive Medicine, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.,Key Laboratory of Obstetric & Gynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects, Ministry of Education, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
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46
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Weng M, Sha Y, Zeng YU, Huang N, Liu W, Zhang X, Zhou H. Mutations in DNAH8 contribute to multiple morphological abnormalities of sperm flagella and male infertility. Acta Biochim Biophys Sin (Shanghai) 2021; 53:472-480. [PMID: 33704367 DOI: 10.1093/abbs/gmab013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Asthenoteratospermia is an important cause of male infertility. Here, we report two infertile patients with severe asthenoteratospermia accompanied by new genetic abnormality. Whole-exome sequencing and bioinformatics analysis suggested that compound heterozygous mutations in DNAH8 (MIM:603337) may be responsible for multiple morphological abnormalities of the sperm flagella (MMAF). Immunofluorescence assay showed that DNAH8 protein expression was significantly decreased in the sperm tail of the patients, and electron microscopy exhibited an abnormal flagellum ultrastructure, while clinical pregnancy could be achieved by intracytoplasmic sperm injection. Therefore, the compound heterozygous mutations in the DNAH8 gene may be responsible for MMAF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingxiang Weng
- School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361002, China
| | - Yanwei Sha
- Department of Andrology, United Diagnostic and Research Center for Clinical Genetics, School of Public Health & Women and Children’s Hospital, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Y u Zeng
- Department of Andrology, United Diagnostic and Research Center for Clinical Genetics, School of Public Health & Women and Children’s Hospital, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Ningyu Huang
- Department of Natural Sciences, Shantou Polytechnic, Shantou 515078, China
| | - Wensheng Liu
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510280, China
| | - Xinzong Zhang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Male Reproduction and Genetics, Family Planning Research Institute of Guangdong Province, Guangzhou 510600, China
| | - Huiliang Zhou
- Department of Andrology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350005, China
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47
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Chen L, Ouyang J, Li X, Xiao X, Sun W, Li S, Zhou L, Liao Y, Zhang Q. DNAH17 is essential for rat spermatogenesis and fertility. J Genet 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s12041-021-01264-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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48
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Salas-Huetos A, Aston KI. Defining new genetic etiologies of male infertility: progress and future prospects. Transl Androl Urol 2021; 10:1486-1498. [PMID: 33850783 PMCID: PMC8039605 DOI: 10.21037/tau.2020.03.43] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Male infertility is a common and complex disease, manifesting as a wide range of phenotypes, ranging from apparently normal semen parameters with an inexplicable inability to conceive, to the complete absence of sperm production. The diversity of male infertility phenotypes, coupled with the extreme complexity of spermatogenesis has significantly confounded the identification of the underlying genetic causes for these conditions, though incremental progress has been made, particularly in the past decade. In this review, we discuss the progress that has been made to date, tools and resources that have proven effective in accelerating discovery of novel genetic markers for male infertility, and areas in which we see the greatest potential for advancing the field in the coming years. These include the development and use of robust phenotyping tools, the continued development of in vitro and animal models for variant validation, increased utilization and refinement of whole genome approaches for discovery, and further expansion of consortia that assemble groups of clinicians and basic researchers with the unified goal of disentangling the complex genetic architecture of male infertility. As these resources mature, and funding agencies increasingly recognize the importance of these efforts for improving human health, the discovery of novel genetic markers for male infertility will certainly continue to accelerate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert Salas-Huetos
- Andrology and IVF Laboratory, Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Kenneth I Aston
- Andrology and IVF Laboratory, Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
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49
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Liu M, Sun Y, Li Y, Sun J, Yang Y, Shen Y. Novel mutations in FSIP2 lead to multiple morphological abnormalities of the sperm flagella and poor ICSI prognosis. Gene 2021; 781:145536. [PMID: 33631238 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2021.145536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Revised: 02/07/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Multiple morphological abnormalities of the sperm flagella (MMAF) is defined as deformities that cause sperm motility disorders, further resulting in male infertility. However, the reported genes related to sperm flagellar defects can only explain approximately 60% of human MMAF cases. Here, we report two novel compound heterozygous mutations, c.16246_16247insCCCAAATATCACC (p. T5416fs*7) and c.17323C > T (p.Q5774*), in the fibrous sheath-interacting protein 2 gene (FSIP2; OMIM: 615796) in an infertile patient by whole-exome sequencing (WES). Western blotting and immunofluorescence staining confirmed that the compound heterozygous mutations abrogated FSIP2 protein expression. Notably, our staining revealed that FSIP2 is expressed in the cytoplasm of primary germ cell and flagella of spermatids during the spermiogenesis. Moreover, intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) was carried out using sperm from this patient; however, pregnancy failed after embryo transfer through one cycle. Our findings may be helpful in establishing a genetic diagnosis for MMAF, as well as provide additional beneficial knowledge for genetic counseling and infertility treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohan Liu
- 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 610041, China; State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Yongkang Sun
- 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 610041, China
| | - Yaqian Li
- 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 610041, China
| | - Jianfeng Sun
- Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 610072, 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, 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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50
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Cavarocchi E, Whitfield M, Chargui A, Stouvenel L, Lorès P, Coutton C, Arnoult C, Santulli P, Patrat C, Thierry-Mieg N, Ray PF, Dulioust E, Touré A. The sodium/proton exchanger SLC9C1 (sNHE) is essential for human sperm motility and fertility. Clin Genet 2021; 99:684-693. [PMID: 33462806 DOI: 10.1111/cge.13927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Revised: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Asthenozoospermia, defined by the absence or reduction of sperm motility, constitutes the most frequent cause of human male infertility. This pathological condition is caused by morphological and/or functional defects of the sperm flagellum, which preclude proper sperm progression. While in the last decade many causal genes were identified for asthenozoospermia associated with severe sperm flagellar defects, the causes of purely functional asthenozoospermia are still poorly defined. We describe here the case of an infertile man, displaying asthenozoospermia without major morphological flagellar anomalies and carrying a homozygous splicing mutation in SLC9C1 (sNHE), which we identified by whole-exome sequencing. SLC9C1 encodes a sperm-specific sodium/proton exchanger, which in mouse regulates pH homeostasis and interacts with the soluble adenylyl cyclase (sAC), a key regulator of the signalling pathways involved in sperm motility and capacitation. We demonstrate by means of RT-PCR, immunodetection and immunofluorescence assays on patient's semen samples that the homozygous splicing mutation (c.2748 + 2 T > C) leads to in-frame exon skipping resulting in a deletion in the cyclic nucleotide-binding domain of the protein. Our work shows that in human, similar to mouse, SLC9C1 is required for sperm motility. Overall, we establish a homozygous truncating mutation in SLC9C1 as a novel cause of human asthenozoospermia and infertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Cavarocchi
- Institut Cochin, INSERM, CNRS, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | | | - Ahmed Chargui
- Laboratoire d'Histologie Embryologie - Biologie de la Reproduction - CECOS Groupe Hospitalier Universitaire Paris Centre, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France
| | | | - Patrick Lorès
- Institut Cochin, INSERM, CNRS, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Charles Coutton
- Institut pour l'avancée des Biosciences, INSERM, CNRS, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France.,CHU Grenoble Alpes, UM de Génétique Chromosomique, Grenoble, France
| | - Christophe Arnoult
- Institut pour l'avancée des Biosciences, INSERM, CNRS, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Pietro Santulli
- Service de Chirurgie Gynécologie Obstétrique 2 et Médecine de la Reproduction, Groupe Hospitalier Universitaire Paris Centre, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Catherine Patrat
- Institut Cochin, INSERM, CNRS, Université de Paris, Paris, France.,Laboratoire d'Histologie Embryologie - Biologie de la Reproduction - CECOS Groupe Hospitalier Universitaire Paris Centre, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France
| | | | - Pierre F Ray
- Institut pour l'avancée des Biosciences, INSERM, CNRS, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France.,CHU de Grenoble, UM GI-DPI, Grenoble, France
| | - Emmanuel Dulioust
- Institut Cochin, INSERM, CNRS, Université de Paris, Paris, France.,Laboratoire d'Histologie Embryologie - Biologie de la Reproduction - CECOS Groupe Hospitalier Universitaire Paris Centre, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Aminata Touré
- Institut pour l'avancée des Biosciences, INSERM, CNRS, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
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