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Cannarella R, Leanza C, Crafa A, Barbagallo F, La Vignera S, Condorelli RA, Calogero AE. Sperm Mesoderm Specific Transcript Gene Methylation Status in Infertile Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. World J Mens Health 2024; 42:543-554. [PMID: 37853535 PMCID: PMC11216954 DOI: 10.5534/wjmh.230094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Revised: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE The mesoderm specific transcription (MEST) gene is a paternally expressed imprinted gene that appears to play a role in embryo survival. The latest meta-analysis on MEST methylation pattern in spermatozoa of infertile patients found higher methylation in spermatozoa from infertile patients than fertile controls. To provide an updated and comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis on the MEST gene methylation pattern in patients with abnormal sperm parameters compared to men with normal parameters. MATERIALS AND METHODS This meta-analysis was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42023397056) and performed following the MOOSE guidelines for Meta-analyses and Systematic Reviews of Observational Studies and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P). Only original articles evaluating MEST gene methylation in spermatozoa from patients with infertility or abnormalities in one or more sperm parameters compared to fertile or normozoospermic men were included. RESULTS Of 354 abstracts evaluated for eligibility, only 6 studies were included in the quantitative synthesis, involving a total of 301 patients and 163 controls. Our analysis showed significantly higher levels of MEST gene methylation in patients compared with controls (standard mean difference [SMD] 2.150, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.377, 3.922; p=0.017), although there was significant heterogeneity between studies (Q-value=239.90, p<0.001; I²=97.91%). No significant evidence of publication bias was found, although one study was sensitive enough to skew the results, leading to a loss of significance (SMD 1.543, 95% CI -0.300, 3.387; p=0.101). In meta-regression analysis, we found that the results were independent of both ages (p=0.6519) and sperm concentration (p=0.2360). CONCLUSIONS Sperm DNA methylation may be associated with epigenetic risk in assisted reproductive techniques (ART). The MEST gene could be included in the genetic panel of prospective studies aimed at identifying the most representative and cost-effective genes to be analyzed in couples undergoing ART.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rossella Cannarella
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
- Glickman Urological & Kidney Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH, USA.
| | - Claudia Leanza
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Andrea Crafa
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Federica Barbagallo
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Sandro La Vignera
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | | | - Aldo Eugenio Calogero
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
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Gardner CC, Abele JA, Winkler TJ, Reckers CN, Anas SA, James PF. Common as well as unique methylation-sensitive DNA regulatory elements in three mammalian SLC9C1 genes. Gene 2024; 893:147897. [PMID: 37832806 PMCID: PMC10841394 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2023.147897] [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: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023]
Abstract
The SLC9C1 gene (which encodes the NHE10 protein) is essential for male fertility in both mice and humans, however the epigenetic mechanisms regulating its testis/sperm-specific gene expression have yet to be studied. Here we identify and characterize DNA regulatory elements of the SLC9C1 gene across three mammalian species: mouse, rat, and human. First, in silico analysis of these mammalian SLC9C1 genes identified a CpG island located upstream of the transcription start site in the same relative position in all three genes. Further analysis reveals that this CpG island behaves differently, with respect to gene regulatory activity, in the mouse SLC9C1 gene than it does in the rat and human SLC9C1 gene. The mouse SLC9C1 CpG island displays strong promoter activity by itself and seems to have a stronger gene regulatory effect than either the rat or human SLC9C1 CpG islands. While the function of the upstream SLC9C1 CpG island may be divergent across the three studied species, it appears that the promoters of these three mammalian SLC9C1 genes share similar DNA methylation-sensitive regulatory mechanisms. All three SLC9C1 promoter regions are differentially methylated in lung and testis, being more hypermethylated in lung relative to the testis, and DNA sequence alignments provide strong evidence of primary sequence conservation. Luciferase assays reveal that in vitro methylation of constructs containing different elements of the three SLC9C1 genes largely exhibit methylation-sensitive promoter activity (reduced promoter activity when methylated) in both HEK 293 and GC-1spg cells. In total, our data suggest that the DNA methylation-sensitive elements of the mouse, rat, and human SLC9C1 promoters are largely conserved, while the upstream SLC9C1 CpG island common to all three species seems to perform a different function in mouse than it does in rat and human. This work provides evidence that while homologous genes can all be regulated by DNA methylation-dependent epigenetic mechanisms, the location of the specific cis-regulatory elements responsible for this regulation can differ across species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jason A Abele
- Department of Biology, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA
| | | | | | - Sydney A Anas
- Department of Biology, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA
| | - Paul F James
- Department of Biology, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA.
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3
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Wan C, Ma H, Liu J, Liu F, Liu J, Dong G, Zeng X, Li D, Yu Z, Wang X, Li J, Zhang G. Quantitative relationships of FAM50B and PTCHD3 methylation with reduced intelligence quotients in school aged children exposed to lead: Evidence from epidemiological and in vitro studies. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 907:167976. [PMID: 37866607 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
At present, the application of DNA methylation (DNAm) biomarkers in environmental health risk assessment (EHRA) is more challenging due to the unclearly quantitative relationship between them. We aimed to explore the role of FAM50B and PTCHD3 at the level of signaling pathways, and establish the quantitative relationship between them and children's intelligence quotients (IQs). DNAm of target regions was measured in multiple cell models and was compared with the human population data. Then the dose-response relationships of lead exposure with neurotoxicity and DNAm were established by benchmark dose (BMD) model, followed by potential signaling pathway screening. Results showed that there was a quantitative linear relationship between children's IQs and FAM50B/PTCHD3 DNAm (DNAm between 51.40 % - 78.78 % and 31.41 % - 74.19 % for FAM50B and PTCHD3, respectively), and this relationship was more significant when children's IQs > 90. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and calibration curves showed that FAM50B/PTCHD3 DNAm had a satisfying accuracy and consistency in predicting children's IQs, which was confirmed by sensitivity analysis of gender and CpG site grouping data. In cell experiments, there was also a quantitative linear relationship between FAM50B DNAm and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, which was mediated by PI3K-AKT signaling pathway. In addition, the lead BMD of ROS was close to that of FAM50B DNAm, suggesting that FAM50B DNAm was a suitable biomarker for the risk assessments of adverse outcomes induced by lead. Taken collectively, these results suggest that FAM50B/PTCHD3 can be applied to EHRA and the prevention/intervention of adverse effects of lead on children's IQs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cong Wan
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Resources Utilization, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Deep Earth Science, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Huimin Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Resources Utilization, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Deep Earth Science, Guangzhou 510640, China.
| | - Jiahong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Resources Utilization, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Deep Earth Science, Guangzhou 510640, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Fei Liu
- School of Business Administration, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510641, China
| | - Jing Liu
- Guangzhou First People's Hospital, Guangzhou 510180, China
| | - Guanghui Dong
- Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Xiaowen Zeng
- Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Daochuan Li
- Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Zhiqiang Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Resources Utilization, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Deep Earth Science, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Xinming Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Resources Utilization, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Deep Earth Science, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Jun Li
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Resources Utilization, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Deep Earth Science, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Gan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Resources Utilization, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Deep Earth Science, Guangzhou 510640, China
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Crafa A, Leanza C, Condorelli RA, La Vignera S, Calogero AE, Cannarella R. Relationship between degree of methylation of sperm long interspersed nuclear element-1 (LINE-1) gene and alteration of sperm parameters and age: a meta-regression analysis. J Assist Reprod Genet 2024; 41:87-97. [PMID: 37921972 PMCID: PMC10789695 DOI: 10.1007/s10815-023-02980-z] [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: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/05/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The long interspersed nuclear element-1 (LINE1) gene is a retrotransposon whose methylation status appears to play a role in spermatogenesis, the outcome of assisted reproductive techniques (ART), and even in recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL). Advanced paternal age appears associated with altered sperm parameters, RPL, poor ART outcomes, and compromised offspring health. The methylation status of LINE1 has been reported to be affected by age. The latest meta-analysis on the LINE1 methylation pattern in spermatozoa found no significant differences in methylation levels between infertile patients and fertile controls. However, to the best of our knowledge, no updated meta-analysis on this topic has been published recently. Furthermore, no comprehensive meta-regression analysis was performed to investigate the association between sperm LINE1 methylation pattern and age. OBJECTIVES To provide an updated and comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis on sperm LINE1 gene methylation degree in patients with abnormal sperm parameters compared to men with normal sperm parameters and to probe the association between sperm LINE1 methylation status and age and/or sperm concentration. METHODS This meta-analysis was registered in PROSPERO (registration n. CRD42023397056). It was performed according to the MOOSE guidelines for Meta-analyses and Systematic Reviews of Observational Studies and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P). Only original articles evaluating LINE1 gene methylation in spermatozoa from patients with infertility or abnormalities in one or more sperm parameters compared to fertile or normozoospermic men were included. RESULTS Of 192 abstracts evaluated for eligibility, only 5 studies were included in the quantitative synthesis, involving a total of 340 patients and 150 controls. Our analysis showed no significant difference in LINE1 gene methylation degree in patients with infertility and/or abnormal sperm parameters compared to fertile controls and/or men with normal sperm parameters, although there was significant heterogeneity across studies. No significant evidence of publication bias was found, and no study was sensitive enough to alter the results. In meta-regression analysis, we found that the results were independent of both ages and sperm concentration. A sub-analysis examining patients and controls separately was also conducted and we found a trend for a positive correlation between LINE1 methylation and sperm concentration in the control group only. CONCLUSIONS The results of this systematic review and meta-analysis do not suggest a determining role of sperm LINE1 gene methylation degree in patients with infertility and/or abnormal sperm parameters. Therefore, we do not suggest including LINE1 in the genetic panel of prospective studies aimed at identifying the most representative and cost-effective genes to be analyzed in couples undergoing ART cycles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Crafa
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Claudia Leanza
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Rosita A Condorelli
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Sandro La Vignera
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Aldo E Calogero
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Rossella Cannarella
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
- Glickman Urological & Kidney Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH, USA.
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Beiraghdar M, Beiraghdar M, Khosravi S. The methylation status of GATA3 potentially predicts the outcomes of assisted reproductive technologies. HUM FERTIL 2023; 26:1279-1285. [PMID: 36625441 DOI: 10.1080/14647273.2023.2164871] [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: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 10/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Evaluation of methylation status of genes in sperm samples has been suggested for diagnosis of male infertility as well as prognosis of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) outcomes. In this study, we compared the methylation pattern of the GATA3 gene in infertile and fertile men as well as in infertile men with positive and negative ART outcome based on clinical pregnancy. Ejaculates were obtained from 42 infertile men with a negative ART outcome (group 1), 30 infertile men with a positive ART outcome (group 2), and 21 fertile men (control). Then, samples were subjected to genomic DNA isolation and subsequent TUNEL assay and methylation-specific PCR. The number of infertile men with at least one methylated allele of GATA3 was significantly higher compared to the control group (p = 0.022). Also, the number of patients with at least one methylated allele was significantly higher in group 1 compared to group 2 (p = 0.013). Moreover, the TUNEL assay revealed that the amount of sperm DNA fragmentation is higher in group 1 compared to group 2 (p = 0.008). The findings of our study demonstrated that the degree of GATA3 methylation can potentially differentiate between infertile and fertile men and more importantly can potentially predict the outcome of ART.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mina Beiraghdar
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Basic Science, Islamic Azad University of Center Tehran Branch, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mozhdeh Beiraghdar
- Department of pathology, specialist of anatomical and clinical pathology, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Sharifeh Khosravi
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, Isfahan University of Medical Science, Isfahan, Iran
- Genetic Lab in Majesty of Maryam Infertility Center, Martyr Beheshti Hospital, Isfahan University of Medical Science, Isfahan, Iran
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Amjadian T, Yaghmaei P, Nasim HR, Yari K. Impact of DNA methylation of the human mesoderm-specific transcript ( MEST) on male infertility. Heliyon 2023; 9:e21099. [PMID: 37928396 PMCID: PMC10622617 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e21099] [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: 04/08/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Male infertility accounts for nearly 40%-50% of all infertile cases. One of the most prevalent disorders detected in infertile men is errors in the MEST differentially methylated region (DMR), which has been correlated with poor sperm indexes. The aim of our study was to characterize the methylation pattern of the MEST gene, along with assessing seminal factors and chromatin condensation in sperm samples from both infertile patients and fertile cases, all of whom were candidates for intracytoplasmic sperm injection. We collected forty-five semen specimens from men undergoing routine spermiogram analysis at the Infertility Treatment Center. The specimens consisted of 15 samples of normospermia as the control group, 15 individuals of asthenospermia, and 15 individuals of oligoasthenoteratospermia as the cases group. Standard semen analysis and the chromatin quality and sperm maturity tests using aniline blue staining were performed. The DNA from spermatozoa was extracted and treated with a sodium bisulfite-based procedure. The methylation measure was done quantitatively at the DMRs of the MEST gene by quantitative methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (qMSP). The mean percentages of total motility, progression, and morphology in normospermia were significantly higher than oligoasthenoteratospermia and asthenospermia, and they were substantially higher in asthenospermia compared to oligoasthenoteratospermia (P ≤ 0.05). The mean percentages of histone transition abnormality and MEST methylation in oligoasthenoteratospermia were significantly higher than asthenospermia and normospermia (P ≤ 0.05). A negative correlation existed between the histone transition abnormality and MEST methylation with sperm parameters. In conclusion, chromatin integrity, sperm maturity, and MEST methylation may be considered important predictors for addressing male factor infertility. Therefore, we suggest that male infertility may be linked to methylation of the imprinted genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tayebeh Amjadian
- Department of Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Parichehreh Yaghmaei
- Department of Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hayati Roodbari Nasim
- Department of Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Kheirollah Yari
- Medical Biology Research Center, Health Technology Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
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Alagundagi DB, Ghate SD, Shetty P, Gollapalli P, Shetty P, Patil P. Integrated molecular-network analysis reveals infertility-associated key genes and transcription factors in the non-obstructive azoospermia. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol 2023; 288:183-190. [PMID: 37549510 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejogrb.2023.07.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Male infertility is a multifactorial reproductive health problem with complex causes. Non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) is characterized by failure of spermatogenesis, leading to the absence of spermatozoa in ejaculates. The molecular mechanism underlying the NOA is still not well understood. OBJECTIVES This study aims to identify the key genes involved in male infertility that could be a potential biomarker in the diagnosis and prognosis of azoospermia. STUDY DESIGN The microarray expression profiles dataset GSE45885 and GSE45887 were downloaded from the NCBI's Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and analyzed for male infertility-associated differentially expressed genes (DEGs) using the GEO2R tool. The common DEGs between the two datasets were combined and their protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed using Cytoscape to reveal the hub genes by topology and module analysis. In addition, transcription factors (TFs) and protein kinases regulating the hub genes were identified using the X2K tool. Then, the expression of the hub genes was validated by analyzing the GSE190752 microarray dataset. Further, the PPI network was screened for biological roles and enriched pathways using DAVID software. RESULTS About 256 DEGs associated with NOA were identified and constructed the PPI network to find the infertility-associated proteins. The biological processes linked with these proteins were spermatogenesis, cell differentiation, flagellated sperm motility, and spermatid development. The topology and module analysis of the infertility-associated protein network identified the hub genes TEX38, FAM71F, PRR30, FAM166A, LYZL6, TPPP2, ARMC12, SPACA4, and FAM205A, which were found to be upregulated in the non-obstructive azoospermia. In addition, a total of 23 transcription factors and 3 protein kinases that are regulating these key hub genes were identified. Further these hub genes expression was validated using the microarray data and found that their expression was increased in the testicular biopsies obtained from NOA subjects, compared to healthy individuals. CONCLUSION The identified key genes and its associated transcription factors are known to regulate the infertility-related processes in the non-obstructive azoospermia. Also, the clinical sample-based microarray data validation for the expression of these key hub genes indicates their potentiality to develop them as diagnostic or prognostic biomarkers for NOA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dhananjay B Alagundagi
- Central Research Laboratory, K S Hegde Medical Academy, NITTE (Deemed to be University), Mangaluru 575018, Karnataka, India.
| | - Sudeep D Ghate
- Center for Bioinformatics and Biostatistics, NITTE (Deemed to be University), Mangaluru 575018, Karnataka, India.
| | - Prasannakumar Shetty
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Justice K S Hegde Charitable Hospital, K S Hegde Medical Academy, NITTE (Deemed to be University), Mangaluru 575018, Karnataka, India.
| | - Pavan Gollapalli
- Center for Bioinformatics and Biostatistics, NITTE (Deemed to be University), Mangaluru 575018, Karnataka, India.
| | - Praveenkumar Shetty
- Central Research Laboratory, K S Hegde Medical Academy, NITTE (Deemed to be University), Mangaluru 575018, Karnataka, India; Department of Biochemistry, K S Hegde Medical Academy, NITTE (Deemed to be University), Mangaluru 575018, Karnataka, India.
| | - Prakash Patil
- Central Research Laboratory, K S Hegde Medical Academy, NITTE (Deemed to be University), Mangaluru 575018, Karnataka, India.
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Gardner CC, Abele JA, Winkler TJ, Reckers CN, Anas SA, James PF. Common as well as unique methylation-sensitive DNA regulatory elements in three mammalian SLC9C1 genes. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.29.555319. [PMID: 37693488 PMCID: PMC10491193 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.29.555319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
The SLC9C1 gene (which encodes the NHE10 protein) is essential for male fertility in both mice and humans, however the epigenetic mechanisms regulating its testis/sperm-specific gene expression have yet to be studied. Here we identify and characterize DNA regulatory elements of the SLC9C1 gene across three mammalian species: mouse, rat, and human. First, in silico analysis of these mammalian SLC9C1 genes identified a CpG island located upstream of the transcription start site in the same relative position in all three genes. Further analysis reveals that this CpG island behaves differently, with respect to gene regulatory activity, in the mouse SLC9C1 gene than it does in the rat and human SLC9C1 gene. The mouse SLC9C1 CpG island displays strong promoter activity by itself and seems to have a stronger gene regulatory effect than either the rat or human SLC9C1 CpG islands. While the function of the upstream SLC9C1 CpG island may be divergent across the three studied species, it appears that the promoters of these three mammalian SLC9C1 genes share similar DNA methylation-sensitive regulatory mechanisms. All three SLC9C1 promoter regions are differentially methylated in lung and testis, being more hypermethylated in lung relative to the testis, and DNA sequence alignments provide strong evidence of primary sequence conservation. Luciferase assays reveal that in vitro methylation of constructs containing different elements of the three SLC9C1 genes largely exhibit methylation-sensitive promoter activity (reduced promoter activity when methylated) in both HEK 293 and GC-1spg cells. In total, our data suggest that the DNA methylation-sensitive elements of the mouse, rat, and human SLC9C1 promoters are largely conserved, while the upstream SLC9C1 CpG island common to all three species seems to perform a different function in mouse than it does in rat and human. This work provides evidence that while homologous genes can all be regulated by DNA methylation-dependent epigenetic mechanisms, the location of the specific cis-regulatory elements responsible for this regulation can differ across species.
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9
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Cannarella R, Crafa A, Barbagallo F, Lundy SD, La Vignera S, Condorelli RA, Calogero AE. H19 Sperm Methylation in Male Infertility: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24087224. [PMID: 37108386 PMCID: PMC10139270 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24087224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
This systematic review and meta-analysis summarize the difference in the methylation of the H19 gene in patients with abnormal versus normal conventional sperm parameters. It also evaluates the effects of age and sperm concentration on H19 methylation in spermatozoa using meta-regression analysis. It was performed according to the MOOSE guidelines for meta-analyses and Systematic Reviews of Observational Studies and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P). The quality of the evidence reported in the studies included was assessed using the Cambridge Quality Checklists. A total of 11 articles met our inclusion criteria. Quantitative analysis showed that H19 methylation levels were significantly lower in the group of infertile patients than in fertile controls. The reduction in methylation was much more pronounced in patients with oligozoospermia (alone or associated with other sperm parameter abnormalities) and in those with recurrent pregnancy loss. Meta-regression analysis showed the results to be independent of both patient age and sperm concentration. Therefore, the H19 methylation pattern should be evaluated among couples accessing assisted reproductive techniques (ART), in order to gain prognostic information on ART outcome and offspring health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rossella Cannarella
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy
- Glickman Urological & Kidney Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH 44125, USA
| | - Andrea Crafa
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy
| | - Federica Barbagallo
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy
| | - Scott D Lundy
- Glickman Urological & Kidney Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH 44125, USA
| | - Sandro La Vignera
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy
| | - Rosita A Condorelli
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy
| | - Aldo E Calogero
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy
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10
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Yu W, Bao S. Association of male factors with recurrent pregnancy loss. J Reprod Immunol 2022; 154:103758. [PMID: 36332367 DOI: 10.1016/j.jri.2022.103758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The role of male factors in recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) is receiving increased attention since sperm quantity and quality, male genetic mutations, as well as epigenetic modifications, have all been associated with RPL. A growing number of studies have been published on the relationship between male factors and RPL; however, these reports are limited due to small sample sizes, inconsistent inclusion criteria, and detection methods. Herein, we investigate the effects of several male factors on RPL from a genetic and non-genetic perspective to aid clinicians in determining the etiology and optimal treatment strategy for patients with RPL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiling Yu
- Department of Reproductive Immunology, Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Maternal and Fetal Medicine, Shanghai Institute of Maternal-Fetal Medicine and Gynecologic Oncology,Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, School of Medicine,Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Shihua Bao
- Department of Reproductive Immunology, Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Maternal and Fetal Medicine, Shanghai Institute of Maternal-Fetal Medicine and Gynecologic Oncology,Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, School of Medicine,Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China.
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11
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Botezatu A, Vladoiu S, Fudulu A, Albulescu A, Plesa A, Muresan A, Stancu C, Iancu IV, Diaconu CC, Velicu A, Popa OM, Badiu C, Dinu-Draganescu D. Advanced molecular approaches in male infertility diagnosis. Biol Reprod 2022; 107:684-704. [PMID: 35594455 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioac105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Revised: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In the recent years a special attention has been given to a major health concern namely to male infertility, defined as the inability to conceive after 12 months of regular unprotected sexual intercourse, taken into account the statistics that highlight that sperm counts have dropped by 50-60% in recent decades. According to the WHO, infertility affects approximately 9% of couples globally, and the male factor is believed to be present in roughly 50% of cases, with exclusive responsibility in 30%. The aim of this manuscript is to present an evidence-based approach for diagnosing male infertility that includes finding new solutions for diagnosis and critical outcomes, retrieving up-to-date studies and existing guidelines. The diverse factors that induce male infertility generated in a vast amount of data that needed to be analysed by a clinician before a decision could be made for each individual. Modern medicine faces numerous obstacles as a result of the massive amount of data generated by the molecular biology discipline. To address complex clinical problems, vast data must be collected, analysed, and used, which can be very challenging. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) methods to create a decision support system can help predict the diagnosis and guide treatment for infertile men, based on analysis of different data as environmental and lifestyle, clinical (sperm count, morphology, hormone testing, karyotype, etc.) and "omics" bigdata. Ultimately, the development of AI algorithms will assist clinicians in formulating diagnosis, making treatment decisions, and predicting outcomes for assisted reproduction techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Botezatu
- "Stefan S. Nicolau" Institute of Virology, Bucharest, Romania
| | - S Vladoiu
- "CI Parhon" National Institute of Endocrinology, Bucharest, Romania
| | - A Fudulu
- "Stefan S. Nicolau" Institute of Virology, Bucharest, Romania
| | - A Albulescu
- "Stefan S. Nicolau" Institute of Virology, Bucharest, Romania.,National Institute for Chemical pharmaceutical Research & Development
| | - A Plesa
- "Stefan S. Nicolau" Institute of Virology, Bucharest, Romania
| | - A Muresan
- "CI Parhon" National Institute of Endocrinology, Bucharest, Romania
| | - C Stancu
- "CI Parhon" National Institute of Endocrinology, Bucharest, Romania
| | - I V Iancu
- "Stefan S. Nicolau" Institute of Virology, Bucharest, Romania
| | - C C Diaconu
- "Stefan S. Nicolau" Institute of Virology, Bucharest, Romania
| | - A Velicu
- "CI Parhon" National Institute of Endocrinology, Bucharest, Romania
| | - O M Popa
- "CI Parhon" National Institute of Endocrinology, Bucharest, Romania
| | - C Badiu
- "CI Parhon" National Institute of Endocrinology, Bucharest, Romania.,"Carol Davila" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania
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12
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Olszewska M, Kordyl O, Kamieniczna M, Fraczek M, Jędrzejczak P, Kurpisz M. Global 5mC and 5hmC DNA Levels in Human Sperm Subpopulations with Differentially Protaminated Chromatin in Normo- and Oligoasthenozoospermic Males. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23094516. [PMID: 35562907 PMCID: PMC9099774 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23094516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Revised: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 04/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic modifications play a special role in the male infertility aetiology. Published data indicate the link between sperm quality and sperm chromatin protamination. This study aimed to determine the relationship between methylation (5mC) and hydroxymethylation (5hmC) in sperm DNA, with respect to sperm chromatin protamination in three subpopulations of fertile normozoospermic controls and infertile patients with oligo-/oligoasthenozoospermia. For the first time, a sequential staining protocol was applied, which allowed researchers to analyse 5mC/5hmC levels by immunofluorescence staining, with a previously determined chromatin protamination status (aniline blue staining), using the same spermatozoa. TUNEL assay determined the sperm DNA fragmentation level. The 5mC/5hmC levels were diversified with respect to chromatin protamination status in both studied groups of males, with the highest values observed in protaminated spermatozoa. The linkage between chromatin protamination and 5mC/5hmC levels in control males disappeared in patients with deteriorated semen parameters. A relationship between 5mC/5hmC and sperm motility/morphology was identified in the patient group. Measuring the 5mC/5hmC status of sperm DNA according to sperm chromatin integrity provides evidence of correct spermatogenesis, and its disruption may represent a prognostic marker for reproductive failure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Olszewska
- Institute of Human Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Strzeszynska 32, 60-479 Poznan, Poland; (M.K.); (M.F.)
- Correspondence: (M.O.); (M.K.)
| | - Oliwia Kordyl
- Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, 61-614 Poznan, Poland;
| | - Marzena Kamieniczna
- Institute of Human Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Strzeszynska 32, 60-479 Poznan, Poland; (M.K.); (M.F.)
| | - Monika Fraczek
- Institute of Human Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Strzeszynska 32, 60-479 Poznan, Poland; (M.K.); (M.F.)
| | - Piotr Jędrzejczak
- Division of Infertility and Reproductive Endocrinology, Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Gynecological Oncology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 60-535 Poznan, Poland;
| | - Maciej Kurpisz
- Institute of Human Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Strzeszynska 32, 60-479 Poznan, Poland; (M.K.); (M.F.)
- Correspondence: (M.O.); (M.K.)
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13
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Niu J, Wang X, Liu P, Liu H, Li R, Li Z, He Y, Qi J. Effects of Cryopreservation on Sperm with Cryodiluent in Viviparous Black Rockfish ( Sebastes schlegelii). Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:3392. [PMID: 35328812 PMCID: PMC8955014 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23063392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Revised: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/19/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Black rockfish is an economically important fish in East Asia. Little mention has been paid to the sperm cryopreservation in black rockfish. In this study, the optimal cryodiluent was selected from 48 combinations by detecting various sperm parameters. Transcriptome and methylome analysis were further performed to explore the molecular mechanism of inevitable cryoinjuries. The results showed that cryopreservation had negative effects on the viability, DNA integrity, mitochondrial activity, total ATPase and LDH of sperm even with optimal cryodiluent (FBS + 15% Gly). Transcriptome and methylome analysis revealed that the expression of 179 genes and methylation of 1266 genes were affected by cryopreservation. These genes were enriched in GO terms of death, G-protein coupled receptor signaling pathway, response to external stimulus and KEGG pathways of phospholipase D signaling pathway and xenobiotic and carbohydrate metabolism pathways. The role of PIK3CA and CCNA2 were highlighted in the protein-protein interaction network, and the sperm quality-related imprinted gene mest was identified among the 7 overlapping genes between transcriptome and methylome. Overall, the cryodiluent for black rockfish sperm was optimized, providing a feasible method for cryopreservation. The transcriptome and methylome data further demonstrated the underlying molecular mechanisms of cryoinjuries, proving clues for improvement of cryopreservation method of black rockfish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingjing Niu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao 266003, China; (J.N.); (X.W.); (P.L.); (H.L.); (R.L.); (Z.L.); (Y.H.)
| | - Xuliang Wang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao 266003, China; (J.N.); (X.W.); (P.L.); (H.L.); (R.L.); (Z.L.); (Y.H.)
| | - Pingping Liu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao 266003, China; (J.N.); (X.W.); (P.L.); (H.L.); (R.L.); (Z.L.); (Y.H.)
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Aquatic Germplasm of Hainan Province, Sanya Oceanog Institute, Ocean University of China, Sanya 572000, China
| | - Huaxiang Liu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao 266003, China; (J.N.); (X.W.); (P.L.); (H.L.); (R.L.); (Z.L.); (Y.H.)
| | - Rui Li
- MOE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao 266003, China; (J.N.); (X.W.); (P.L.); (H.L.); (R.L.); (Z.L.); (Y.H.)
| | - Ziyi Li
- MOE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao 266003, China; (J.N.); (X.W.); (P.L.); (H.L.); (R.L.); (Z.L.); (Y.H.)
| | - Yan He
- MOE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao 266003, China; (J.N.); (X.W.); (P.L.); (H.L.); (R.L.); (Z.L.); (Y.H.)
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Aquatic Germplasm of Hainan Province, Sanya Oceanog Institute, Ocean University of China, Sanya 572000, China
| | - Jie Qi
- MOE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao 266003, China; (J.N.); (X.W.); (P.L.); (H.L.); (R.L.); (Z.L.); (Y.H.)
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Aquatic Germplasm of Hainan Province, Sanya Oceanog Institute, Ocean University of China, Sanya 572000, China
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14
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Mortimer R, James K, Bormann CL, Harris AL, Yeh J, Toth TL, Souter I, Roberts DJ, Sacha CR. Male factor infertility and placental pathology in singleton live births conceived with in vitro fertilization. J Assist Reprod Genet 2021; 38:3223-3232. [PMID: 34704166 PMCID: PMC8666390 DOI: 10.1007/s10815-021-02344-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE We sought to determine whether pregnancies conceived in those with male factor infertility have unique placental pathology profiles compared to those undergoing infertility treatments for other indications. METHODS This was a retrospective cohort study of placental pathology from 464 live births conceived from autologous fresh IVF cycles at an academic fertility center from 2004 to 2017. Placental pathology was compared between live births arising from patients with male factor infertility alone and those with another infertility diagnosis. Placental outcomes were compared with parametric or non-parametric tests; logistic regression was performed to account for potential confounders. RESULTS Compared to cycles performed for a non-male factor diagnosis, male factor infertility cycles had a higher mean paternal age (38.2 years vs. 36.5 years, p < 0.001), a higher female mean BMI (24.3 vs. 23.3 kg/m2, p = 0.01), and a lower day 3 follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) level (6.8 vs. 7.3 IU/mL, p = 0.02). The mean numbers of embryos transferred, and day of transfer were similar between groups, and more cycles used ICSI in the male factor infertility group (90.6% vs. 22.5%, p < 0.001). Placental pathology in our adjusted model was similar between the male factor and non-male factor groups. In our unadjusted subgroup analysis, cycles for male factor using ICSI appeared to lead to more small placentas by weight compared to cycles performed with conventional insemination (45.8% < 10th percentile vs. 18.8%, p = 0.04). CONCLUSION Male factor infertility is not associated with significantly different placental pathology compared to other infertility diagnoses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roisin Mortimer
- Department of OB/GYN, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
| | - K James
- Center for Outcomes Research, Department of OB/GYN, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - C L Bormann
- Massachusetts General Hospital Fertility Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - A L Harris
- Department of Women's Health, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Wright Patterson AFB, Dayton, OH, USA
- Department of OB/GYN, Boonshoft School of Medicine, Wright State University, Dayton, OH, USA
| | - J Yeh
- Division of Reprod Endo & Infertil, UMass Medical, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - T L Toth
- Boston IVF, Department of OB/GYN, Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - I Souter
- Massachusetts General Hospital Fertility Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - D J Roberts
- Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General, Boston Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - C R Sacha
- Massachusetts General Hospital Fertility Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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15
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Genetic Association of the Functional WDR4 Gene in Male Fertility. J Pers Med 2021; 11:jpm11080760. [PMID: 34442404 PMCID: PMC8399419 DOI: 10.3390/jpm11080760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2021] [Revised: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Infertility is one of the important problems in the modern world. Male infertility is characterized by several clinical manifestations, including low sperm production (oligozoospermia), reduced sperm motility (asthenozoospermia), and abnormal sperm morphology (teratozoospermia). WDR4, known as Wuho, controls fertility in Drosophila. However, it is unclear whether WDR4 is associated with clinical manifestations of male fertility in human. Here, we attempted to determine the physiological functions of WDR4 gene. Two cohorts were applied to address this question. The first cohort was the general population from Taiwan Biobank. Genomic profiles from 68,948 individuals and 87 common physiological traits were applied for phenome-wide association studies (PheWAS). The second cohort comprised patients with male infertility from Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University. In total, 81 male participants were recruited for the genetic association study. Clinical records including gender, age, total testosterone, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), total sperm number, sperm motility, and sperm morphology were collected. In the first cohort, results from PheWAS exhibited no associations between WDR4 genetic variants and 87 common physiological traits. In the second cohort, a total of four tagging single-nucleotide polymorphisms (tSNPs) from WDR4 gene (rs2298666, rs465663, rs2248490, and rs3746939) were selected for genotyping. We found that SNP rs465663 solely associated with asthenozoospermia. Functional annotations through the GTEx portal revealed the correlation between TT or TC genotype and low expression of WDR4. Furthermore, we used mouse embryonic fibroblasts cells from mwdr4 heterozygous (+/‒) mice for functional validation by western blotting. Indeed, low expression of WDR4 contributed to ROS-induced DNA fragmentation. In conclusion, our results suggest a critical role of WDR4 gene variant as well as protein expression in asthenozoospermia.
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16
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Rotondo JC, Lanzillotti C, Mazziotta C, Tognon M, Martini F. Epigenetics of Male Infertility: The Role of DNA Methylation. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:689624. [PMID: 34368137 PMCID: PMC8339558 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.689624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, a number of studies focused on the role of epigenetics, including DNA methylation, in spermatogenesis and male infertility. We aimed to provide an overview of the knowledge concerning the gene and genome methylation and its regulation during spermatogenesis, specifically in the context of male infertility etiopathogenesis. Overall, the findings support the hypothesis that sperm DNA methylation is associated with sperm alterations and infertility. Several genes have been found to be differentially methylated in relation to impaired spermatogenesis and/or reproductive dysfunction. Particularly, DNA methylation defects of MEST and H19 within imprinted genes and MTHFR within non-imprinted genes have been repeatedly linked with male infertility. A deep knowledge of sperm DNA methylation status in association with reduced reproductive potential could improve the development of novel diagnostic tools for this disease. Further studies are needed to better elucidate the mechanisms affecting methylation in sperm and their impact on male infertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Charles Rotondo
- Laboratories of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Carmen Lanzillotti
- Laboratories of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Chiara Mazziotta
- Laboratories of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Mauro Tognon
- Laboratories of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Fernanda Martini
- Laboratories of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
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17
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Zhu W, Jiang L, Pan C, Sun J, Huang X, Ni W. Deoxyribonucleic acid methylation signatures in sperm deoxyribonucleic acid fragmentation. Fertil Steril 2021; 116:1297-1307. [PMID: 34253331 DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2021.06.025] [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: 01/22/2021] [Revised: 05/05/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To evaluate Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) methylation patterns in sperm from men with differential levels of sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI). DESIGN Prospective study. SETTING University-affiliated reproductive medicine center. PATIENT(S) A total of 278 male patients consulting for couple infertility were recruited from the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University. INTERVENTION(S) None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) Genome-wide DNA methylation analysis was performed using Infinium MethylationEPIC BeadChip on spermatozoal DNA from 20 male patients. Differentially methylated regions (DMRs) were identified and validated using targeted bisulfite amplicon sequencing in spermatozoal DNA from 266 males. RESULT(S) Unsupervised hierarchical clustering analysis revealed three main clusters corresponding to sperm DFI levels (low, medium, or high). Between-cluster comparisons identified 959 (medium-low), 738 (high-medium), and 937 (high-low) DMRs. Sixty-six DMRs were validated in the 266-sample cohort, of which nine CpG fragments corresponding to nine genes (BLCAP, DIRAS3, FAM50B, GNAS, MEST, TSPAN32, PSMA8, SYCP1, and TEX12) exhibited significantly altered methylation in those with high DFI (≥25%) compared with those with low DFI (<25%). CONCLUSION(S) We identified and validated a distinct DNA methylation signature associated with sperm DNA damage in a large, unselected cohort. These results indicate that sperm DNA damage may affect DNA methylation patterns in human sperm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weijian Zhu
- Central Laboratory, the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, China
| | - Lei Jiang
- Central Laboratory, the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, China
| | - Chengshuang Pan
- Reproductive Medicine Center, the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, China
| | - Junhui Sun
- Reproductive Medicine Center, the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, China
| | - Xuefeng Huang
- Reproductive Medicine Center, the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, China
| | - Wuhua Ni
- Reproductive Medicine Center, the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, China.
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Cannarella R, Crafa A, Condorelli RA, Mongioì LM, La Vignera S, Calogero AE. Relevance of sperm imprinted gene methylation on assisted reproductive technique outcomes and pregnancy loss: a systematic review. Syst Biol Reprod Med 2021; 67:251-259. [PMID: 34080930 DOI: 10.1080/19396368.2021.1909667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Recent evidence suggests that gamete-imprinted genes play a role in embryo and placenta development and growth. This systematic review aimed to evaluate whether altered methylation of sperm-imprinted genes associates with sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF), pregnancy loss rate and assisted reproductive technique (ART) outcome. To accomplish this, Pubmed, MEDLINE, Cochrane, Academic One Files, Google Scholar, and Scopus databases were used for search strategy from each database inception until December 2020. Specific keywords were used. Studies satisfying the PECOS (Population, Exposure, Comparison/Comparator, Outcomes, Study design) model were retrieved. Ten studies could be included in the qualitative analysis. A significant association was reported between increased SDF rate and aberrant methylation of H19/IGF2 and KCNQ1 genes by two studies. A significantly lower H19 methylation was found in patients with idiopathic recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) and in infertile patients compared to fertile men. Methylation of GLT2, PEG1/MEST, and ZAC/PLACL1 were similar in patients with RPL and controls. The ART outcome was similar in patients with aberrant and normal methylation of H19, SNRPN, KCNQ1OT1, PEG1/MEST, LIT1, PEG3, NESPAS, and GLT2. By contrast, a study showed an association between altered GLT2 methylation and more inferior ART results. If further confirmed by well-sized studies, these data might be helpful to identify possible epigenetic predictors of ART outcome. Particularly, aberrant methylation of H19/IGF2 and KCNQ1 genes might represent interesting targets that deserve further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rossella Cannarella
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Andrea Crafa
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Rosita A Condorelli
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Laura M Mongioì
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Sandro La Vignera
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Aldo E Calogero
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
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Åsenius F, Danson AF, Marzi SJ. DNA methylation in human sperm: a systematic review. Hum Reprod Update 2021; 26:841-873. [PMID: 32790874 DOI: 10.1093/humupd/dmaa025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2019] [Revised: 05/25/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Studies in non-human mammals suggest that environmental factors can influence spermatozoal DNA methylation, and some research suggests that spermatozoal DNA methylation is also implicated in conditions such as subfertility and imprinting disorders in the offspring. Together with an increased availability of cost-effective methods of interrogating DNA methylation, this premise has led to an increasing number of studies investigating the DNA methylation landscape of human spermatozoa. However, how the human spermatozoal DNA methylome is influenced by environmental factors is still unclear, as is the role of human spermatozoal DNA methylation in subfertility and in influencing offspring health. OBJECTIVE AND RATIONALE The aim of this systematic review was to critically appraise the quality of the current body of literature on DNA methylation in human spermatozoa, summarize current knowledge and generate recommendations for future research. SEARCH METHODS A comprehensive literature search of the PubMed, Web of Science and Cochrane Library databases was conducted using the search terms 'semen' OR 'sperm' AND 'DNA methylation'. Publications from 1 January 2003 to 2 March 2020 that studied human sperm and were written in English were included. Studies that used sperm DNA methylation to develop methodologies or forensically identify semen were excluded, as were reviews, commentaries, meta-analyses or editorial texts. The Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations (GRADE) criteria were used to objectively evaluate quality of evidence in each included publication. OUTCOMES The search identified 446 records, of which 135 were included in the systematic review. These 135 studies were divided into three groups according to area of research; 56 studies investigated the influence of spermatozoal DNA methylation on male fertility and abnormal semen parameters, 20 studies investigated spermatozoal DNA methylation in pregnancy outcomes including offspring health and 59 studies assessed the influence of environmental factors on spermatozoal DNA methylation. Findings from studies that scored as 'high' and 'moderate' quality of evidence according to GRADE criteria were summarized. We found that male subfertility and abnormal semen parameters, in particular oligozoospermia, appear to be associated with abnormal spermatozoal DNA methylation of imprinted regions. However, no specific DNA methylation signature of either subfertility or abnormal semen parameters has been convincingly replicated in genome-scale, unbiased analyses. Furthermore, although findings require independent replication, current evidence suggests that the spermatozoal DNA methylome is influenced by cigarette smoking, advanced age and environmental pollutants. Importantly however, from a clinical point of view, there is no convincing evidence that changes in spermatozoal DNA methylation influence pregnancy outcomes or offspring health. WIDER IMPLICATIONS Although it appears that the human sperm DNA methylome can be influenced by certain environmental and physiological traits, no findings have been robustly replicated between studies. We have generated a set of recommendations that would enhance the reliability and robustness of findings of future analyses of the human sperm methylome. Such studies will likely require multicentre collaborations to reach appropriate sample sizes, and should incorporate phenotype data in more complex statistical models.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Amy F Danson
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sarah J Marzi
- UK Dementia Research Institute, Imperial College London, London W12 0NN, UK.,Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
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20
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Wu H, Pan X, Li R, Song W, Hua S. Excessive rumen-protected choline in the daily diet compromises sperm quality of male dairy goats as a result of aberrant DNA methylation modification. ANIMAL PRODUCTION SCIENCE 2021. [DOI: 10.1071/an20626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Context
Choline is added to the diet of ruminants to improve animal growth, development and reproduction; however, little information is available regarding effects of dietary choline supplementation, in the form of rumen-protected choline (RPC), on fertility of male ruminants. Excess RPC in the diet might damage ram fertility through abnormal alteration of methylation patterns at the imprinting control region (ICR) of imprinted genes H19/IGF2.
Aims
The present study evaluated the influence of different levels of RPC supplementation on the sperm quality of male Saanen dairy goats.
Methods
Different proportions of RPC (0%, 0.5%, 1.0% and 2.0% of daily concentrate feed) were added to the diet of Saanen bucks. Sperm quality parameters, subsequent in vitro embryo development potential, and kidding rates post artificial insemination were examined. In addition, differences in methylation status of the global DNA, and at 20 CpG sites in the ICR of imprinted genes H19/IGF2, were compared.
Key results
Supplementation of the daily diet with 0.5% RPC significantly improved sperm quality, and increased subsequent embryo development and kidding rates. However, the two higher RPC-supplemented groups showed significantly reduced kidding rate. Moreover, methylation levels of both the ICR of H19/IGF2 and the global DNA increased significantly with increasing supplemental RPC, and the expression of IGF2 was significantly inhibited in sperm samples from the 1.0% and 2.0% RPC groups, whereas H19, which should had been silenced, showed high expression.
Conclusions
Adding excessive RPC (≥1%) to the daily diet of male goats might disturb the process of spermatogenesis and is associated with abnormal methylation modification caused by aberrant expression of DNMT1, DNMT3a and DNMT3b in sperm.
Implications
This study determines the safe amount of choline to add to the diet during the breeding of male dairy goats. This provides a reference for improving the breeding efficiency and saving the breeding cost of dairy goats.
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21
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Saki J, Sabaghan M, Arjmand R, Teimoori A, Rashno M, Saki G, Shojaee S. Curcumin as an indirect methylation inhibitor modulates the effects of Toxoplasma gondii on genes involved in male fertility. EXCLI JOURNAL 2020; 19:1196-1207. [PMID: 33013270 PMCID: PMC7527515 DOI: 10.17179/excli2020-2052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2020] [Accepted: 08/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is a common protozoan parasite, which infects warm-blooded mammals, including mice and humans, throughout the world. The negative effects of T. gondii infection on the human reproductive system have been documented, especially in females. However, only few studies have examined the effects of T. gondii infection on the male reproductive system. Previous research shows that T. gondii can induce DNA methylation in some gene promoters, which are key regulators of spermatogenesis. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of curcumin on the activity of DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs), as well as selected genes, involved in spermatogenesis in spermatogenic cells. In the spermatogenic cells exposed to T. gondii, there was a significant increase in DNMT1 and DNMT3A gene expression and a significant reduction in HSPA1A, MTHR, and DAZL gene expression, compared to the controls. The present results showed that curcumin could regulate changes in T. gondii-mediated gene expression. The effect of T. gondii on DNMT activity was also investigated in this study. A 40 % increase in DNMT activity was observed due to T. gondii infection. However, DNMT activity was restored by treatment with 20 μM curcumin for eight hours. The results revealed that T. gondii increases the NF-κB activity, compared to the control group. The increase in NF-κB activity, induced by T. gondii, was inhibited by curcumin. In conclusion, T. gondii, by increasing DNMT expression and activity, leads to an increase in NF-κB activity in cells. On the other hand, curcumin reduced DNA methylation, induced by T. gondii, owing to its NF-κB-inhibiting properties. Therefore, curcumin, as a hypomethylating agent, can be potentially used to alleviate the negative effects of T. gondii on the male reproductive system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasem Saki
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Mohamad Sabaghan
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Reza Arjmand
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Ali Teimoori
- Virology Department, School of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Mohammad Rashno
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Ghasem Saki
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.,Physiology Research Center, School of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Saeedeh Shojaee
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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22
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Zhang W, Li M, Sun F, Xu X, Zhang Z, Liu J, Sun X, Zhang A, Shen Y, Xu J, Miao M, Wu B, Yuan Y, Huang X, Shi H, Du J. Association of Sperm Methylation at LINE-1, Four Candidate Genes, and Nicotine/Alcohol Exposure With the Risk of Infertility. Front Genet 2019; 10:1001. [PMID: 31681430 PMCID: PMC6813923 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2019.01001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2019] [Accepted: 09/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study, we examined whether smoking and drinking affect sperm quality and the DNA methylation of the repetitive element LINE-1, MEST, P16, H19, and GNAS in sperm. Semen samples were obtained from 143 male residents in a minority-inhabited district of Guizhou province in southwest China. Quantitative DNA methylation analysis of the samples was performed using MassARRAY EpiTYPER assays. Sperm motility was significantly lower in both the nicotine-exposed (P = 0.0064) and the nicotine- and alcohol-exposed (P = 0.0008) groups. Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels were higher in the nicotine-exposed group (P = 0.0026). The repetitive element LINE-1 was hypermethylated in the three exposed groups, while P16 was hypomethylated in the alcohol and both the alcohol and nicotine exposure groups. Our results also show that alcohol and nicotine exposure altered sperm cell quality, which may be related to the methylation levels of MEST and GNAS. In addition, MEST, GNAS, and the repetitive element LINE1 methylation was significantly associated with the concentration of sperm as well as FSH and luteinizing hormone levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjing Zhang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Reproduction Regulation (Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research), Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Reproductive Medical Center, Changhai Hospital of Shanghai, Shanghai, China
| | - Min Li
- NHC Key Laboratory of Reproduction Regulation (Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research), Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Feng Sun
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xuting Xu
- Huzhou Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Huzhou Central Hospital, Zhejiang, China
| | - Zhaofeng Zhang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Reproduction Regulation (Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research), Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Junwei Liu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Reproduction Regulation (Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research), Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaowei Sun
- NHC Key Laboratory of Reproduction Regulation (Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research), Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Aiping Zhang
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yupei Shen
- NHC Key Laboratory of Reproduction Regulation (Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research), Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jianhua Xu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Reproduction Regulation (Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research), Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Maohua Miao
- NHC Key Laboratory of Reproduction Regulation (Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research), Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Bin Wu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Reproduction Regulation (Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research), Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yao Yuan
- NHC Key Laboratory of Reproduction Regulation (Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research), Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xianliang Huang
- Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Huijuan Shi
- NHC Key Laboratory of Reproduction Regulation (Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research), Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jing Du
- NHC Key Laboratory of Reproduction Regulation (Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research), Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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23
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Jia D, Lin W, Tang H, Cheng Y, Xu K, He Y, Geng W, Dai Q. Integrative analysis of DNA methylation and gene expression to identify key epigenetic genes in glioblastoma. Aging (Albany NY) 2019; 11:5579-5592. [PMID: 31395792 PMCID: PMC6710056 DOI: 10.18632/aging.102139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2019] [Accepted: 07/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Glioblastoma (GBM) ranks the most common and aggressive primary brain malignant tumor worldwide. However, the survival rates of patients remain very poor. Therefore, molecular oncology of GBM are urgently needed. In this study, we performed an integrative analysis of DNA methylation and gene expression to identify key epigenetic genes in GBM. The methylation and gene expression of GBM patients in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database were downloaded. After data preprocessing, we identified 4,881 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between tumor and normal samples, including 1,111 upregulated and 3,770 downregulated genes. Then, we randomly separated all samples into training set (n = 69) and testing set (n = 69). We next obtained 11,269 survival-methylation sites by univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses. In the correlation analysis, we defined 198 low promoter methylation with high gene expression as epigenetically induced (EI) genes and 111 high promoter methylation with low gene expression as epigenetically suppressed (ES) genes. Key markers including C1orf61 and FAM50B were selected with a Pearson correlation coefficient greater than 0.75. Further, we chose the 20 CpG methylation sites of above two genes in unsupervised clustering analysis using the Euclidean distance. We found that the prognosis of the hypomethylated group was significantly better than that in the hypermethylated group (log-rank test p-value = 0.011). Based on the validation in the TCGA testing set and GEO dataset, we validated the prognostic value of our signature (p-value = 0.02 in TCGA and 0.012 in GEO). In conclusion, our findings provided predictive and prognostic value as methylation-based biomarkers for the diagnosis and treatment of GBM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danyun Jia
- Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, Zhejiang, China
| | - Wei Lin
- Zhejiang Department of Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, Zhejiang, China
| | - Hongli Tang
- Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yifan Cheng
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325027, Zhejiang, China
| | - Kaiwei Xu
- Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yanshu He
- Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, Zhejiang, China
| | - Wujun Geng
- Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, Zhejiang, China
| | - Qinxue Dai
- Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, Zhejiang, China
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24
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Ni W, Pan C, Pan Q, Fei Q, Huang X, Zhang C. Methylation levels of
IGF2
and
KCNQ1
in spermatozoa from infertile men are associated with sperm DNA damage. Andrologia 2019; 51:e13239. [PMID: 30680773 DOI: 10.1111/and.13239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2018] [Revised: 12/21/2018] [Accepted: 12/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Wuhua Ni
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing School of Clinical Medicine Southern Medical University (Nanjing General Hospital of Nanjing Military Region) Nanjing China
- Reproductive Medicine CenterThe First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University Wenzhou China
| | - Chengshuang Pan
- Reproductive Medicine CenterThe First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University Wenzhou China
| | - Qiongqiong Pan
- Reproductive Medicine CenterThe First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University Wenzhou China
| | - Qianjin Fei
- Reproductive Medicine CenterThe First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University Wenzhou China
| | - Xuefeng Huang
- Reproductive Medicine CenterThe First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University Wenzhou China
| | - Chunni Zhang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing School of Clinical Medicine Southern Medical University (Nanjing General Hospital of Nanjing Military Region) Nanjing China
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25
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Giacone F, Cannarella R, Mongioì LM, Alamo A, Condorelli RA, Calogero AE, La Vignera S. Epigenetics of Male Fertility: Effects on Assisted Reproductive Techniques. World J Mens Health 2018; 37:148-156. [PMID: 30588778 PMCID: PMC6479088 DOI: 10.5534/wjmh.180071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2018] [Revised: 09/16/2018] [Accepted: 09/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
During the last decades the study of male infertility and the introduction of the assisted reproductive techniques (ARTs) has allowed to understand that normal sperm parameters do not always predict fertilization. Sperm genetic components could play an important role in the early stages of embryonic development. Based on these acquisitions, several epigenetic investigations have been developed on spermatozoa, with the aim of understanding the multifactorial etiology of male infertility and of showing whether embryonic development may be influenced by sperm epigenetic abnormalities. This article reviews the possible epigenetic modifications of spermatozoa and their effects on male fertility, embryonic development and ART outcome. It focuses mainly on sperm DNA methylation, chromatin remodeling, histone modifications and RNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filippo Giacone
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Rossella Cannarella
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Laura M Mongioì
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Angela Alamo
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Rosita A Condorelli
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Aldo E Calogero
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Sandro La Vignera
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
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26
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Tang Q, Pan F, Yang J, Fu Z, Lu Y, Wu X, Han X, Chen M, Lu C, Xia Y, Wang X, Wu W. Idiopathic male infertility is strongly associated with aberrant DNA methylation of imprinted loci in sperm: a case-control study. Clin Epigenetics 2018; 10:134. [PMID: 30373665 PMCID: PMC6206675 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-018-0568-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2018] [Accepted: 10/14/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Male infertility is a complex disease caused by a combination of genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors. Abnormal epigenetic programming has been proposed as a possible mechanism compromising male fertility. Recent studies suggest that aberrant imprinting in spermatozoa in a subset of infertile men is a risk factor for congenital diseases in children conceived via assisted reproduction techniques. In this study, we examined the DNA methylation status of CpG sites within the differentially methylated regions (DMRs) of three imprinted genes, H19, GNAS, and DIRAS3, using combined bisulfite PCR restriction analysis and bisulfite sequencing in sperm obtained from 135 men with idiopathic male infertility, including normozoospermia (n = 39), moderate oligozoospermia (n = 45), and severe oligozoospermia (n = 51), and fertile controls (n = 59). The percentage of global methylation was compared between fertile controls and infertile patients displaying abnormal DNA methylation status of imprinted loci. Moreover, we also analyzed whether the DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) polymorphisms impact upon the methylation patterns of imprinted genes in idiopathic infertile males. RESULTS Aberrant methylation patterns of imprinted genes were more prevalent in idiopathic infertile males, especially in patients with oligozoospermia. Infertile males with aberrant methylation patterns of imprinted genes displayed a tendency of lower global methylation levels, although not reaching statistical significance (P = 0.13). In the genotype-epigenotype correlation analysis, no significant association was observed between aberrant methylation patterns of the three imprinted genes and genotypes of the four DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) genes. CONCLUSION We conclude that abnormalities of DMR within imprinted genes may be associated with idiopathic male infertility. Disruption in methylation pattern of the three imprinted genes does not occur in high-risk genotypes of DNMTs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiuqin Tang
- Department of Obstetrics, The Affiliated Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Nanjing, China
| | - Feng Pan
- Department of Urology, The Affiliated Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Nanjing, China
| | - Jing Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Institute of Toxicology, Nanjing Medical University, 101 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing, 211166, China.,Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Ziqiang Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Institute of Toxicology, Nanjing Medical University, 101 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing, 211166, China.,Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yiwen Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Institute of Toxicology, Nanjing Medical University, 101 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing, 211166, China.,Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xian Wu
- National Toxicology Program Laboratory, Division of the National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Xiumei Han
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Institute of Toxicology, Nanjing Medical University, 101 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing, 211166, China.,Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Minjian Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Institute of Toxicology, Nanjing Medical University, 101 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing, 211166, China.,Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Chuncheng Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Institute of Toxicology, Nanjing Medical University, 101 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing, 211166, China.,Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yankai Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Institute of Toxicology, Nanjing Medical University, 101 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing, 211166, China.,Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xinru Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Institute of Toxicology, Nanjing Medical University, 101 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing, 211166, China.,Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Wei Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Institute of Toxicology, Nanjing Medical University, 101 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing, 211166, China. .,Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China. .,Department of Health and Human Services, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, USA.
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27
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Gunes S, Metin Mahmutoglu A, Arslan MA, Henkel R. Smoking-induced genetic and epigenetic alterations in infertile men. Andrologia 2018; 50:e13124. [DOI: 10.1111/and.13124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2018] [Accepted: 07/18/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Sezgin Gunes
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine; Ondokuz Mayis University; Samsun Turkey
- Department of Multidisciplinary Molecular Medicine, Health Sciences Institute; Ondokuz Mayis University; Samsun Turkey
| | - Asli Metin Mahmutoglu
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine; Ondokuz Mayis University; Samsun Turkey
| | - Mehmet Alper Arslan
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine; Ondokuz Mayis University; Samsun Turkey
- Department of Multidisciplinary Molecular Medicine, Health Sciences Institute; Ondokuz Mayis University; Samsun Turkey
| | - Ralf Henkel
- Department of Medical Bioscience; University of the Western Cape; Bellville South Africa
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28
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Peng H, Zhao P, Liu J, Zhang J, Zhang J, Wang Y, Wu L, Song M, Wang W. Novel Epigenomic Biomarkers of Male Infertility Identified by Methylation Patterns of CpG Sites Within Imprinting Control Regions of H19 and SNRPN Genes. OMICS-A JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE BIOLOGY 2018; 22:354-364. [PMID: 29708855 DOI: 10.1089/omi.2018.0019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Male infertility is an important global health burden that can benefit from novel biomarkers and diagnostics innovation. Aberrant methylation of the imprinted genes H19 and SNRPN (small nuclear ribonucleoprotein polypeptide N) in sperm DNA has been implicated in abnormal sperm parameters and male infertility. However, whether certain methylation patterns of one or multiple CpG sites within an imprinted gene are pathological for multiple sperm defects remains poorly understood. To examine the diagnostic potential of certain methylation patterns of CpG sites for multiphenotype defects in human sperm, the sperm DNA methylation patterns of individual CpG sites within imprinting control regions (ICRs) of imprinted genes H19 and SNRPN were measured by bisulfite pyrosequencing in a Han Chinese population sample: 39 oligoasthenozoospermia (OA) patients, 36 asthenoteratozoospermia (AT) patients, and 50 normozoospermia (N) controls. A partial least squares discriminant analysis model was built with the CpG sites as independent variables. Among the 16 CpG sites screened, the methylation patterns of eight CpG sites within H19-ICR (CpG sites 1, 6-9, 12 and 15-16), and eight CpG sites within SNRPN-ICR (CpG sites 2, 5-6, 8-10, 13, and 16) correctly classified 74.4% and 72.0% of the samples in terms of male fertile status, respectively. Furthermore, by combination of these 16 selected CpG sites within ICRs of H19 and SNRPN, 88.0% of the samples could be successfully classified. Our study demonstrates that methylation profiles of CpG sites within ICRs of imprinted genes H19 and SNRPN may potentially serve as epigenomic biomarkers for assessment of infertility in men with multiple sperm defects. Further studies in independent population samples are called for diagnostic significance of methylation patterns of CpG sites within imprinted genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongli Peng
- 1 School of Public Health, Capital Medical University , Beijing, China .,2 Municipal Key Laboratory of Clinical Epidemiology , Beijing, China
| | - Panlin Zhao
- 3 Air Force General Hospital , PLA, Beijing, China
| | - Jiaonan Liu
- 1 School of Public Health, Capital Medical University , Beijing, China .,2 Municipal Key Laboratory of Clinical Epidemiology , Beijing, China
| | - Jinxia Zhang
- 1 School of Public Health, Capital Medical University , Beijing, China .,2 Municipal Key Laboratory of Clinical Epidemiology , Beijing, China
| | - Jie Zhang
- 1 School of Public Health, Capital Medical University , Beijing, China .,2 Municipal Key Laboratory of Clinical Epidemiology , Beijing, China
| | - Youxin Wang
- 1 School of Public Health, Capital Medical University , Beijing, China .,2 Municipal Key Laboratory of Clinical Epidemiology , Beijing, China
| | - Lijuan Wu
- 1 School of Public Health, Capital Medical University , Beijing, China .,2 Municipal Key Laboratory of Clinical Epidemiology , Beijing, China
| | - Manshu Song
- 1 School of Public Health, Capital Medical University , Beijing, China .,2 Municipal Key Laboratory of Clinical Epidemiology , Beijing, China .,4 School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University , Perth, Australia
| | - Wei Wang
- 1 School of Public Health, Capital Medical University , Beijing, China .,2 Municipal Key Laboratory of Clinical Epidemiology , Beijing, China .,4 School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University , Perth, Australia .,5 School of Public Health, Taishan Medical University , Taian, China
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29
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Alkhaled Y, Laqqan M, Tierling S, Lo Porto C, Hammadeh ME. DNA methylation level of spermatozoa from subfertile and proven fertile and its relation to standard sperm parameters. Andrologia 2018; 50:e13011. [DOI: 10.1111/and.13011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/22/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Y. Alkhaled
- Department of Obstetrics; Gynecology & Assisted Reproduction Laboratory; University of Saarland; Homburg Germany
| | - M. Laqqan
- Department of Obstetrics; Gynecology & Assisted Reproduction Laboratory; University of Saarland; Homburg Germany
| | - S. Tierling
- FR8.3 Life Science; Department of Genetics& Epigenetics; Saarland University; Homburg Germany
| | - C. Lo Porto
- FR8.3 Life Science; Department of Genetics& Epigenetics; Saarland University; Homburg Germany
| | - M. E. Hammadeh
- Department of Obstetrics; Gynecology & Assisted Reproduction Laboratory; University of Saarland; Homburg Germany
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30
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Novel biomarker ZCCHC13 revealed by integrating DNA methylation and mRNA expression data in non-obstructive azoospermia. Cell Death Discov 2018. [PMID: 29531833 PMCID: PMC5841273 DOI: 10.1038/s41420-018-0033-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The objective of this study was to identify genes regulated by methylation that were involved in spermatogenesis failure in non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA). Testis biopsies of patients with NOA and OA (with normal spermatogenesis) were evaluated by microarray analysis to examine DNA methylation and mRNA expression using our established integrative approach. Of the coordinately hypermethylated and down-regulated gene list, zinc-finger CCHC-type containing 13 (ZCCHC13) was present within the nuclei of germ cells of testicular tissues according immunohistochemistry, and there was decreased protein expression in men with NOA compared with OA controls. Mechanistic analyses indicated that ZCCHC13 increased c-MYC expression through the p-AKT and p-ERK pathways. To confirm the changes in ZCCHC13 expression in response to methylation, 5-aza-2′-deoxycitidine (5-Aza), a hypomethylating agent, was administered to mouse spermatogonia GC-1 cells. We demonstrated that 5-Aza enhanced protein and mRNA expression of ZCCHC13 epigenetically, which was accompanied by activation of p-AKT and p-ERK signaling. Our data, for the first time, demonstrate that ZCCHC13 is an important signaling molecule that positively regulates the AKT/MAPK/c-MYC pathway and that methylation aberrations of ZCCHC13 may cause defects in testis development in human disease, such as NOA.
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31
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Chinnasamy T, Kingsley JL, Inci F, Turek PJ, Rosen MP, Behr B, Tüzel E, Demirci U. Guidance and Self-Sorting of Active Swimmers: 3D Periodic Arrays Increase Persistence Length of Human Sperm Selecting for the Fittest. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2018; 5:1700531. [PMID: 29610725 PMCID: PMC5827459 DOI: 10.1002/advs.201700531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2017] [Revised: 10/09/2017] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Male infertility is a reproductive disease, and existing clinical solutions for this condition often involve long and cumbersome sperm sorting methods, including preprocessing and centrifugation-based steps. These methods also fall short when sorting for sperm free of reactive oxygen species, DNA damage, and epigenetic aberrations. Although several microfluidic platforms exist, they suffer from structural complexities, i.e., pumps or chemoattractants, setting insurmountable barriers to clinical adoption. Inspired by the natural filter-like capabilities of the female reproductive tract for sperm selection, a model-driven design, featuring pillar arrays that efficiently and noninvasively isolate highly motile and morphologically normal sperm, with lower epigenetic global methylation, from raw semen, is presented. The Simple Periodic ARray for Trapping And isolatioN (SPARTAN) created here modulates the directional persistence of sperm, increasing the spatial separation between progressive and nonprogressive motile sperm populations within an unprecedentedly short 10 min assay time. With over 99% motility of sorted sperm, a 5-fold improvement in morphology, 3-fold increase in nuclear maturity, and 2-4-fold enhancement in DNA integrity, SPARTAN offers to standardize sperm selection while eliminating operator-to-operator variations, centrifugation, and flow. SPARTAN can also be applied in other areas, including conservation ecology, breeding of farm animals, and design of flagellar microrobots for diagnostics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thiruppathiraja Chinnasamy
- Bio‐Acoustic MEMS in Medicine (BAMM) LaboratoryCanary Center at Stanford for Cancer Early DetectionDepartment of RadiologyStanford School of MedicineStanford UniversityPalo AltoCA94304USA
| | - James L. Kingsley
- Department of PhysicsWorcester Polytechnic InstituteWorcesterMA01609USA
| | - Fatih Inci
- Bio‐Acoustic MEMS in Medicine (BAMM) LaboratoryCanary Center at Stanford for Cancer Early DetectionDepartment of RadiologyStanford School of MedicineStanford UniversityPalo AltoCA94304USA
| | | | - Mitchell P. Rosen
- Department of OBGYNUniversity of California San Francisco School of MedicineSan FranciscoCA94158USA
| | - Barry Behr
- Department of Obstetrics and GynecologySchool of MedicineStanford UniversityStanfordCA94305USA
| | - Erkan Tüzel
- Department of PhysicsWorcester Polytechnic InstituteWorcesterMA01609USA
| | - Utkan Demirci
- Bio‐Acoustic MEMS in Medicine (BAMM) LaboratoryCanary Center at Stanford for Cancer Early DetectionDepartment of RadiologyStanford School of MedicineStanford UniversityPalo AltoCA94304USA
- Department of Electrical Engineering (by courtesy)Stanford UniversityStanfordCA94305USA
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Santi D, De Vincentis S, Magnani E, Spaggiari G. Impairment of sperm DNA methylation in male infertility: a meta-analytic study. Andrology 2018; 5:695-703. [PMID: 28718528 DOI: 10.1111/andr.12379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2017] [Revised: 04/10/2017] [Accepted: 04/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Considering the widespread use of assisted reproductive techniques (ART), DNA methylation of specific genes involved in spermatogenesis achieves increasingly clinical relevance, representing a possible explanation of increased incidence of syndromes related to genomic imprinting in medically assisted pregnancies. Several trials suggested a relationship between male sub-fertility and sperm DNA methylation, although its weight on seminal parameters alteration is still a matter of debate. To evaluate whether aberrant sperm DNA methylation of imprinted genes is associated with impaired sperm parameters. Meta-analysis of controlled clinical trials evaluating imprinted genes sperm DNA methylation comparing men with idiopathic infertility to fertile controls. Twenty-four studies were included, allowing a meta-analytic evaluation for H19, MEST, SNRPN, and LINE-1. When a high heterogeneity of the results was demonstrated, the random effect model was used. H19 methylation levels resulted significantly lower in 879 infertile compared with 562 fertile men (7.53%, 95% CI: 5.14-9.93%, p < 0.001), suggesting a 9.91-fold higher risk ratio to show aberrant sperm DNA methylation (95% CI: 5.55-17.70, p < 0.001, I2 = 19%) in infertile men. The mean MEST methylation level was significantly higher in 846 infertile compared with 353 fertile men (3.35%, 95% CI: 1.41-5.29%, p < 0.001), as well as for SNRPN comparing 301 infertile men with 124 controls (3.23%, 95% CI: 0.75-5.72%, p < 0.001). LINE-1 methylation levels did not differ between 291 infertile men and 198 controls (0.44%, 95% CI: -2.04-1.16%, p = 0.63). The meta-analytic approach demonstrated that male infertility is associated with altered sperm methylation at H19, MEST, and SNRPN. Although its role in infertility remains unclear, sperm DNA methylation could be associated with the epigenetic risk in ART. In this setting, before proposing this analysis in clinical practice, an accurate identification of the most representative genes and a cost-effectiveness evaluation should be assessed in ad hoc prospective studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Santi
- Unit of Endocrinology, Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy.,Unit of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Endocrinology, Metabolism and Geriatrics, Azienda OU of Modena, Modena, Italy
| | - S De Vincentis
- Unit of Endocrinology, Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy.,Unit of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Endocrinology, Metabolism and Geriatrics, Azienda OU of Modena, Modena, Italy
| | - E Magnani
- Unit of Endocrinology, Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy.,Unit of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Endocrinology, Metabolism and Geriatrics, Azienda OU of Modena, Modena, Italy
| | - G Spaggiari
- Unit of Endocrinology, Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy.,Unit of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Endocrinology, Metabolism and Geriatrics, Azienda OU of Modena, Modena, Italy
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Laqqan M, Tierling S, Alkhaled Y, LoPorto C, Hammadeh ME. Alterations in sperm DNA methylation patterns of oligospermic males. Reprod Biol 2017; 17:396-400. [DOI: 10.1016/j.repbio.2017.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2017] [Revised: 10/28/2017] [Accepted: 10/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Laqqan M, Solomayer EF, Hammadeh M. Aberrations in sperm DNA methylation patterns are associated with abnormalities in semen parameters of subfertile males. Reprod Biol 2017; 17:246-251. [DOI: 10.1016/j.repbio.2017.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2017] [Revised: 05/15/2017] [Accepted: 05/18/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
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Nasri F, Gharesi-Fard B, Namavar Jahromi B, Farazi-Fard MA, Banaei M, Davari M, Ebrahimi S, Anvar Z. Sperm DNA methylation of H19 imprinted gene and male infertility. Andrologia 2017; 49. [PMID: 28295500 DOI: 10.1111/and.12766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/17/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Infertility affects up to 15% of reproductive-aged couples worldwide, with male factor being detected in 40%-50% of the cases. Proper sperm production is associated with the establishment of appropriate epigenetic marks in developing germ cells. Several studies have demonstrated the association between abnormal spermatogenesis and epigenetic disturbances with the major focus on DNA methylation. Imprinted genes are expressed in a parent-of-origin-specific manner, and the role of their DNA methylation in proper spermatogenesis has been documented recently. The existing evidence along with the absence of relevant data in south of Iran prompted us to study the methylation of H19 imprinted gene in spermatozoa of idiopathic infertile patients (males with abnormalities in sperm parameters) and healthy controls by Combined Bisulfite Restriction Analysis. According to our results, the lowest methylation percentage of H19 imprinted gene belongs to three cases with sperm characteristics under normal range (two cases Oligoasthenoteratozoospermia and one case Oligoteratozoospermia). However, our results show that the median of methylation percentage for H19 is not statistically significant between case and control groups. Our results and those of others introduce DNA methylation as a potential marker of fertility and should be investigated with more patients in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Nasri
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - B Gharesi-Fard
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.,Infertility Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - B Namavar Jahromi
- Infertility Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - M A Farazi-Fard
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - M Banaei
- IVF Division, Ghadir-Mother and Child Hospital of Shiraz, Shiraz, Iran
| | - M Davari
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.,IVF Division, Ghadir-Mother and Child Hospital of Shiraz, Shiraz, Iran
| | - S Ebrahimi
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Z Anvar
- Infertility Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
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Karaca MZ, Konac E, Yurteri B, Bozdag G, Sogutdelen E, Bilen CY. Association between methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR
) gene promoter hypermethylation and the risk of idiopathic male infertility. Andrologia 2016; 49. [DOI: 10.1111/and.12698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/02/2016] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- M. Z. Karaca
- Department of Medical Biology and Genetics; Faculty of Medicine; Gazi University; Besevler Ankara Turkey
| | - E. Konac
- Department of Medical Biology and Genetics; Faculty of Medicine; Gazi University; Besevler Ankara Turkey
| | - B. Yurteri
- Department of Medical Biology and Genetics; Faculty of Medicine; Gazi University; Besevler Ankara Turkey
| | - G. Bozdag
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology; Faculty of Medicine; Hacettepe University; Sıhhiye Ankara Turkey
| | - E. Sogutdelen
- Department of Urology; Faculty of Medicine; Hacettepe University; Sıhhiye Ankara Turkey
| | - C. Y. Bilen
- Department of Urology; Faculty of Medicine; Hacettepe University; Sıhhiye Ankara Turkey
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Cui X, Jing X, Wu X, Yan M, Li Q, Shen Y, Wang Z. DNA methylation in spermatogenesis and male infertility. Exp Ther Med 2016; 12:1973-1979. [PMID: 27698683 DOI: 10.3892/etm.2016.3569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2015] [Accepted: 04/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Infertility is a significant problem for human reproduction, with males and females equally affected. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying male infertility remain unclear. Spermatogenesis is a highly complex process involving mitotic cell division, meiosis cell division and spermiogenesis; during this period, unique and extensive chromatin and epigenetic modifications occur to bring about specific epigenetic profiles in spermatozoa. It has recently been suggested that the dysregulation of epigenetic modifications, in particular the methylation of sperm genomic DNA, may serve an important role in the development of numerous diseases. The present study is a comprehensive review on the topic of male infertility, aiming to elucidate the association between sperm genomic DNA methylation and poor semen quality in male infertility. In addition, the current status of the genetic and epigenetic determinants of spermatogenesis in humans is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangrong Cui
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Children's Hospital of Shanxi and Women Health Center of Shanxi, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030000, P.R. China; Division of Clinical Microbiology The Center Hospital of Linfen, Linfen, Shanxi 041000, P.R. China
| | - Xuan Jing
- Clinical Laboratory, Shanxi Province People's Hospital, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030001, P.R. China
| | - Xueqing Wu
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Children's Hospital of Shanxi and Women Health Center of Shanxi, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030000, P.R. China
| | - Meiqin Yan
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Children's Hospital of Shanxi and Women Health Center of Shanxi, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030000, P.R. China
| | - Qiang Li
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Children's Hospital of Shanxi and Women Health Center of Shanxi, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030000, P.R. China
| | - Yan Shen
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Children's Hospital of Shanxi and Women Health Center of Shanxi, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030000, P.R. China
| | - Zhenqiang Wang
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Children's Hospital of Shanxi and Women Health Center of Shanxi, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030000, P.R. China
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