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Gershoni M, Braun T, Hauser R, Barda S, Lehavi O, Malcov M, Frumkin T, Kalma Y, Pietrokovski S, Arama E, Kleiman SE. A pathogenic variant in the uncharacterized RNF212B gene results in severe aneuploidy male infertility and repeated IVF failure. HGG ADVANCES 2023; 4:100189. [PMID: 37124137 PMCID: PMC10133878 DOI: 10.1016/j.xhgg.2023.100189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Quantitative and qualitative spermatogenic impairments are major causes of men's infertility. Although in vitro fertilization (IVF) is effective, some couples persistently fail to conceive. To identify causal variants in patients with severe male infertility factor and repeated IVF failures, we sequenced the exome of two consanguineous family members who underwent several failed IVF cycles and were diagnosed with low sperm count and motility. We identified a rare homozygous nonsense mutation in a previously uncharacterized gene, RNF212B, as the causative variant. Recurrence was identified in another unrelated, infertile patient who also faced repeated failed IVF treatments. scRNA-seq demonstrated meiosis-specific expression of RNF212B. Sequence analysis located a protein domain known to be associated with aneuploidy, which can explain multiple IVF failures. Accordingly, FISH analysis revealed a high aneuploidy rate in the patients' sperm cells and their IVF embryos. Finally, inactivation of the Drosophila orthologs significantly reduced male fertility. Given that members of the evolutionary conserved RNF212 gene family are involved in meiotic recombination and crossover maturation, our findings indicate a critical role of RNF212B in meiosis, genome stability, and in human fertility. Since recombination is completely absent in Drosophila males, our findings may indicate an additional unrelated role for the RNF212-like paralogs in spermatogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moran Gershoni
- ARO-The Volcani Center Institute of Animal Science, Bet Dagan, Israel
- Corresponding author
| | - Tslil Braun
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Ron Hauser
- Racine IVF Unit and Male Fertility Clinic and Sperm Bank, Lis Maternity Hospital, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, affiliated with the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Shimi Barda
- Racine IVF Unit and Male Fertility Clinic and Sperm Bank, Lis Maternity Hospital, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, affiliated with the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Ofer Lehavi
- Racine IVF Unit and Male Fertility Clinic and Sperm Bank, Lis Maternity Hospital, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, affiliated with the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Mira Malcov
- Racine IVF Unit and Male Fertility Clinic and Sperm Bank, Lis Maternity Hospital, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, affiliated with the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Tsvia Frumkin
- Racine IVF Unit and Male Fertility Clinic and Sperm Bank, Lis Maternity Hospital, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, affiliated with the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Yael Kalma
- Racine IVF Unit and Male Fertility Clinic and Sperm Bank, Lis Maternity Hospital, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, affiliated with the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Shmuel Pietrokovski
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
- Corresponding author
| | - Eli Arama
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
- Corresponding author
| | - Sandra E. Kleiman
- Racine IVF Unit and Male Fertility Clinic and Sperm Bank, Lis Maternity Hospital, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, affiliated with the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Corresponding author
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Ozturk S. Genetic variants underlying spermatogenic arrests in men with non-obstructive azoospermia. Cell Cycle 2023; 22:1021-1061. [PMID: 36740861 PMCID: PMC10081088 DOI: 10.1080/15384101.2023.2171544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Revised: 12/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Spermatogenic arrest is a severe form of non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA), which occurs in 10-15% of infertile men. Interruption in spermatogenic progression at premeiotic, meiotic, or postmeiotic stage can lead to arrest in men with NOA. Recent studies have intensively focused on defining genetic variants underlying these spermatogenic arrests by making genome/exome sequencing. A number of variants were discovered in the genes involving in mitosis, meiosis, germline differentiation and other basic cellular events. Herein, defined variants in NOA cases with spermatogenic arrests and created knockout mouse models for the related genes are comprehensively reviewed. Also, importance of gene panel-based screening for NOA cases was discussed. Screening common variants in these infertile men with spermatogenic arrests may contribute to elucidating the molecular background and designing novel treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saffet Ozturk
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Akdeniz University School of Medicine, Antalya, Turkey
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R-Loop Formation in Meiosis: Roles in Meiotic Transcription-Associated DNA Damage. EPIGENOMES 2022; 6:epigenomes6030026. [PMID: 36135313 PMCID: PMC9498298 DOI: 10.3390/epigenomes6030026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Revised: 07/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Meiosis is specialized cell division during gametogenesis that produces genetically unique gametes via homologous recombination. Meiotic homologous recombination entails repairing programmed 200–300 DNA double-strand breaks generated during the early prophase. To avoid interference between meiotic gene transcription and homologous recombination, mammalian meiosis is thought to employ a strategy of exclusively transcribing meiotic or post-meiotic genes before their use. Recent studies have shown that R-loops, three-stranded DNA/RNA hybrid nucleotide structures formed during transcription, play a crucial role in transcription and genome integrity. Although our knowledge about the function of R-loops during meiosis is limited, recent findings in mouse models have suggested that they play crucial roles in meiosis. Given that defective formation of an R-loop can cause abnormal transcription and transcription-coupled DNA damage, the precise regulatory network of R-loops may be essential in vivo for the faithful progression of mammalian meiosis and gametogenesis.
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Jiao SY, Yang YH, Chen SR. Molecular genetics of infertility: loss-of-function mutations in humans and corresponding knockout/mutated mice. Hum Reprod Update 2020; 27:154-189. [PMID: 33118031 DOI: 10.1093/humupd/dmaa034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2020] [Revised: 07/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Infertility is a major issue in human reproductive health, affecting an estimated 15% of couples worldwide. Infertility can result from disorders of sex development (DSD) or from reproductive endocrine disorders (REDs) with onset in infancy, early childhood or adolescence. Male infertility, accounting for roughly half of all infertility cases, generally manifests as decreased sperm count (azoospermia or oligozoospermia), attenuated sperm motility (asthenozoospermia) or a higher proportion of morphologically abnormal sperm (teratozoospermia). Female infertility can be divided into several classical types, including, but not limited to, oocyte maturation arrest, premature ovarian insufficiency (POI), fertilization failure and early embryonic arrest. An estimated one half of infertility cases have a genetic component; however, most genetic causes of human infertility are currently uncharacterized. The advent of high-throughput sequencing technologies has greatly facilitated the identification of infertility-associated gene mutations in patients over the past 20 years. OBJECTIVE AND RATIONALE This review aims to conduct a narrative review of the genetic causes of human infertility. Loss-of-function mutation discoveries related to human infertility are summarized and further illustrated in tables. Corresponding knockout/mutated animal models of causative genes for infertility are also introduced. SEARCH METHODS A search of the PubMed database was performed to identify relevant studies published in English. The term 'mutation' was combined with a range of search terms related to the core focus of the review: infertility, DSD, REDs, azoospermia or oligozoospermia, asthenozoospermia, multiple morphological abnormalities of the sperm flagella (MMAF), primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD), acephalic spermatozoa syndrome (ASS), globozoospermia, teratozoospermia, acrosome, oocyte maturation arrest, POI, zona pellucida, fertilization defects and early embryonic arrest. OUTCOMES Our search generated ∼2000 records. Overall, 350 articles were included in the final review. For genetic investigation of human infertility, the traditional candidate gene approach is proceeding slowly, whereas high-throughput sequencing technologies in larger cohorts of individuals is identifying an increasing number of causative genes linked to human infertility. This review provides a wide panel of gene mutations in several typical forms of human infertility, including DSD, REDs, male infertility (oligozoospermia, MMAF, PCD, ASS and globozoospermia) and female infertility (oocyte maturation arrest, POI, fertilization failure and early embryonic arrest). The causative genes, their identified mutations, mutation rate, studied population and their corresponding knockout/mutated mice of non-obstructive azoospermia, MMAF, ASS, globozoospermia, oocyte maturation arrest, POI, fertilization failure and early embryonic arrest are further illustrated by tables. In this review, we suggest that (i) our current knowledge of infertility is largely obtained from knockout mouse models; (ii) larger cohorts of clinical cases with distinct clinical characteristics need to be recruited in future studies; (iii) the whole picture of genetic causes of human infertility relies on both the identification of more mutations for distinct types of infertility and the integration of known mutation information; (iv) knockout/mutated animal models are needed to show whether the phenotypes of genetically altered animals are consistent with findings in human infertile patients carrying a deleterious mutation of the homologous gene; and (v) the molecular mechanisms underlying human infertility caused by pathogenic mutations are largely unclear in most current studies. WILDER IMPLICATIONS It is important to use our current understanding to identify avenues and priorities for future research in the field of genetic causes of infertility as well as to apply mutation knowledge to risk prediction, genetic diagnosis and potential treatment for human infertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shi-Ya Jiao
- Education Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation & Regulation Biology, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, 100875 Beijing, China
| | - Yi-Hong Yang
- Reproduction Medical Center of West China Second University Hospital, Key Laboratory of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of Ministry of Education, Sichuan University, 610041 Chengdu, China
| | - Su-Ren Chen
- Education Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation & Regulation Biology, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, 100875 Beijing, China
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Pandey A, Yadav SK, Vishvkarma R, Singh B, Maikhuri JP, Rajender S, Gupta G. The dynamics of gene expression during and post meiosis sets the sperm agenda. Mol Reprod Dev 2019; 86:1921-1939. [DOI: 10.1002/mrd.23278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2019] [Accepted: 09/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Aastha Pandey
- Division of EndocrinologyCSIR‐Central Drug Research Institute Lucknow India
| | | | - Rahul Vishvkarma
- Division of EndocrinologyCSIR‐Central Drug Research Institute Lucknow India
| | - Bineta Singh
- Division of EndocrinologyCSIR‐Central Drug Research Institute Lucknow India
| | | | - Singh Rajender
- Division of EndocrinologyCSIR‐Central Drug Research Institute Lucknow India
| | - Gopal Gupta
- Division of EndocrinologyCSIR‐Central Drug Research Institute Lucknow India
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Nishino R, Petri S, Handel MA, Kunieda T, Fujiwara Y. Hybrid Sterility with Meiotic Metaphase Arrest in Intersubspecific Mouse Crosses. J Hered 2019; 110:183-193. [PMID: 30452700 PMCID: PMC6399516 DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esy060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2018] [Accepted: 11/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Although organisms belonging to different species and subspecies sometimes produce fertile offspring, a hallmark of the speciation process is reproductive isolation, characterized by hybrid sterility (HS) due to failure in gametogenesis. In mammals, HS is usually exhibited by males, the heterogametic sex. The phenotypic manifestations of HS are complex. The most frequently observed are abnormalities in both autosomal and sex chromosome interactions that are linked to meiotic prophase arrest or postmeiotic spermiogenesis aberrations and lead to defective or absent gametes. The aim of this study was to determine the HS phenotypes in intersubspecific F1 mice produced by matings between Mus musculus molossinus-derived strains and diverse Mus musculus domesticus-inbred laboratory mouse strains. Most of these crosses produced fertile F1 offspring. However, when female BALB/cJ (domesticus) mice were mated to male JF1/MsJ (molossinus) mice, the (BALBdomxJF1mol)F1 males were sterile, whereas the (JF1molxBALBdom)F1 males produced by the reciprocal crossings were fertile; thus the sterility phenotype was asymmetric. The sterile (BALBdomxJF1mol) F1 males exhibited a high rate of meiotic metaphase arrest with misaligned chromosomes, probably related to a high frequency of XY dissociation. Intriguingly, in the sterile (BALBdomxJF1mol)F1 males we observed aberrant allele-specific expression of several meiotic genes, that play critical roles in important meiotic events including chromosome pairing. Together, these observations of an asymmetrical HS phenotype in intersubspecific F1 males, probably owing to meiotic defects in the meiotic behavior of the XY chromosomes pair and possibly also transcriptional misregulation of meiotic genes, provide new models and directions for understanding speciation mechanisms in mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Risako Nishino
- Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, Kita-ku, Okayama, Okayama, Japan
- Institute of Environmental Toxicology, Joso, Ibaraki, Japan
| | | | | | - Tetsuo Kunieda
- Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University, Kita-ku, Okayama, Okayama, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Fujiwara
- Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, Kita-ku, Okayama, Okayama, Japan
- The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME, Japan
- Laboratory of Pathology and Development, Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
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7
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Unpackaging the genetics of mammalian fertility: strategies to identify the “reproductive genome”†. Biol Reprod 2018; 99:1119-1128. [DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioy133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2018] [Accepted: 06/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
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Chen H, Liu Y. A Colon Cancer Related Gene-MLH1, Significantly Affecting the Pig Litter Size. CYTOL GENET+ 2018. [DOI: 10.3103/s009545271802010x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Yu CH, Xie T, Zhang RP, A ZC. Association of the common SNPs in RNF212, STAG3 and RFX2 gene with male infertility with azoospermia in Chinese population. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol 2017; 221:109-112. [PMID: 29277047 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejogrb.2017.12.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2017] [Revised: 09/08/2017] [Accepted: 12/14/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to explore the association between the SNP rs4045481 in RNF212 gene, rs1050482 and rs11531577 in STAG3 gene as well as rs2288846 in RFX2 gene and male infertility with azoospermia in Chinese population. STUDY DESIGN Two hundreds and twenty infertile patients with azoospermia and 248 fertile men were recruited in the present study. The four SNPs investigated were genotyped using polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism assay. The differences in allelic and genotypic frequencies between patients and controls were evaluated by chi-square test. RESULTS No significant differences in allele and genotype frequencies of SNP rs1050482 and rs11531577 in STAG3 gene as well as rs2288846 in RFX2 gene between patients with azoospermia and controls were observed. However, the frequencies of allele C(43.6% vs. 34.1%, P = 0.003, OR = 1.498, 95% CI 1.150-1.192) and genotype CC (24.6% vs. 12.0%, P = 0.001, OR = 2.346, 95% CI 1.448-3.858) were significantly higher in patients with azoospermia than those in controls at the rs4045481 locus in RNF212 gene. CONCULUSION The polymorphism of SNP rs4045481 in RNF212 gene might be associated with azoospermia and genotype CC of this SNP may be a risk factor of azoospermia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng-He Yu
- College of Basic Medicine, Dali University, Dali, 671000, China; Department of Reproductive Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Dali University, Dali, 671000, China
| | - Ting Xie
- College of Basic Medicine, Dali University, Dali, 671000, China
| | - Ruo-Peng Zhang
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Dali University, Dali, 671000, China
| | - Zhou-Cun A
- College of Basic Medicine, Dali University, Dali, 671000, China; Department of Genetics, College of Agriculture and Biology, Dali University, Dali, 671003, China.
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Li Y, Li C, Lin S, Yang B, Huang W, Wu H, Chen Y, Yang L, Luo M, Guo H, Chen J, Wang T, Ma Q, Gu Y, Mou L, Jiang Z, Xia J, Gui Y. A nonsense mutation in Ccdc62 gene is responsible for spermiogenesis defects and male infertility in repro29/repro29 mice. Biol Reprod 2017; 96:587-597. [PMID: 28339613 DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.116.141408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2016] [Accepted: 01/24/2017] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Phenotype-driven mutagenesis is an unbiased method to identify novel genes involved in spermatogenesis and other reproductive processes. Male repro29/repro29 mice generated by the Reproductive Genomics Program at the Jackson Laboratory were infertile with deformed sperm and poor motility. Using selected exonic capture and massively parallel sequencing technologies, we identified a nonsense mutation in the exon 6 of coiled-coil domain-containing 62 gene (Ccdc62), which results in a formation of a premature stop codon and a truncated protein. Among the tissues examined, CCDC62 was found to be expressed at the highest level in mouse testis by reverse transcriptase-PCR (RT-PCR) and Western blot analysis. With immunofluorescent staining, we demonstrated that CCDC62 was expressed in the cytoplasm and the developing acrosome in the spematids of mouse testis, and was specifically localized at the acrosome in mature sperm. The complementation analysis by mating repro29/+ mice with Ccdc62 -/- mice (generated by CRISPR-Cas9 strategy) further provided genetic proof that the infertility of repro29/repro29 mice was caused by Ccdc62 mutation. Finally, it was found that intracellular colocalization and interaction of CCDC62 and Golgi-associated PDZ and coiled-coil motif-containing protein may be important for acrosome formation. Taken together, this study identified a nonsense mutation in Ccdc62, which directly results in male infertility in repro29/repro29 mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuchi Li
- Guangdong and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Male Reproductive Medicine and Genetics, Institute of Urology, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen Peking University-Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Medical Center, Shenzhen, P.R. China
| | - Cailing Li
- Guangdong and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Male Reproductive Medicine and Genetics, Institute of Urology, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen Peking University-Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Medical Center, Shenzhen, P.R. China
- Department of Physiology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, P.R. China
| | - Shouren Lin
- Guangdong and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Male Reproductive Medicine and Genetics, Institute of Urology, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen Peking University-Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Medical Center, Shenzhen, P.R. China
| | - Bo Yang
- Guangdong and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Male Reproductive Medicine and Genetics, Institute of Urology, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen Peking University-Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Medical Center, Shenzhen, P.R. China
| | - Weiren Huang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Reprogramming Technology, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, Shenzhen, P.R. China
| | - Hanwei Wu
- Key Laboratory of Medical Reprogramming Technology, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, Shenzhen, P.R. China
| | - Yuanbin Chen
- Guangdong and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Male Reproductive Medicine and Genetics, Institute of Urology, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen Peking University-Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Medical Center, Shenzhen, P.R. China
| | - Lihua Yang
- Guangdong and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Male Reproductive Medicine and Genetics, Institute of Urology, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen Peking University-Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Medical Center, Shenzhen, P.R. China
| | - Manling Luo
- Guangdong and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Male Reproductive Medicine and Genetics, Institute of Urology, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen Peking University-Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Medical Center, Shenzhen, P.R. China
- Department of Physiology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, P.R. China
| | - Huan Guo
- Guangdong and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Male Reproductive Medicine and Genetics, Institute of Urology, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen Peking University-Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Medical Center, Shenzhen, P.R. China
| | - Jianbo Chen
- Guangdong and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Male Reproductive Medicine and Genetics, Institute of Urology, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen Peking University-Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Medical Center, Shenzhen, P.R. China
| | - Tiantian Wang
- Guangdong and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Male Reproductive Medicine and Genetics, Institute of Urology, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen Peking University-Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Medical Center, Shenzhen, P.R. China
| | - Qian Ma
- Guangdong and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Male Reproductive Medicine and Genetics, Institute of Urology, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen Peking University-Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Medical Center, Shenzhen, P.R. China
| | - Yanli Gu
- Guangdong and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Male Reproductive Medicine and Genetics, Institute of Urology, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen Peking University-Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Medical Center, Shenzhen, P.R. China
| | - Lisha Mou
- Key Laboratory of Medical Reprogramming Technology, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, Shenzhen, P.R. China
| | - Zhimao Jiang
- Guangdong and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Male Reproductive Medicine and Genetics, Institute of Urology, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen Peking University-Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Medical Center, Shenzhen, P.R. China
| | - Jun Xia
- Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, P.R. China
| | - Yaoting Gui
- Guangdong and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Male Reproductive Medicine and Genetics, Institute of Urology, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen Peking University-Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Medical Center, Shenzhen, P.R. China
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Schrimpf R, Gottschalk M, Metzger J, Martinsson G, Sieme H, Distl O. Screening of whole genome sequences identified high-impact variants for stallion fertility. BMC Genomics 2016; 17:288. [PMID: 27079378 PMCID: PMC4832559 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-016-2608-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2015] [Accepted: 03/30/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Stallion fertility is an economically important trait due to the increase of artificial insemination in horses. The availability of whole genome sequence data facilitates identification of rare high-impact variants contributing to stallion fertility. The aim of our study was to genotype rare high-impact variants retrieved from next-generation sequencing (NGS)-data of 11 horses in order to unravel harmful genetic variants in large samples of stallions. Methods Gene ontology (GO) terms and search results from public databases were used to obtain a comprehensive list of human und mice genes predicted to participate in the regulation of male reproduction. The corresponding equine orthologous genes were searched in whole genome sequence data of seven stallions and four mares and filtered for high-impact genetic variants using SnpEFF, SIFT and Polyphen 2 software. All genetic variants with the missing homozygous mutant genotype were genotyped on 337 fertile stallions of 19 breeds using KASP genotyping assays or PCR-RFLP. Mixed linear model analysis was employed for an association analysis with de-regressed estimated breeding values of the paternal component of the pregnancy rate per estrus (EBV-PAT). Results We screened next generation sequenced data of whole genomes from 11 horses for equine genetic variants in 1194 human and mice genes involved in male fertility and linked through common gene ontology (GO) with male reproductive processes. Variants were filtered for high-impact on protein structure and validated through SIFT and Polyphen 2. Only those genetic variants were followed up when the homozygote mutant genotype was missing in the detection sample comprising 11 horses. After this filtering process, 17 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) were left. These SNPs were genotyped in 337 fertile stallions of 19 breeds using KASP genotyping assays or PCR-RFLP. An association analysis in 216 Hanoverian stallions revealed a significant association of the splice-site disruption variant g.37455302G>A in NOTCH1 with the de-regressed estimated breeding values of the paternal component of the pregnancy rate per estrus (EBV-PAT). For 9 high-impact variants within the genes CFTR, OVGP1, FBXO43, TSSK6, PKD1, FOXP1, TCP11, SPATA31E1 and NOTCH1 (g.37453246G>C) absence of the homozygous mutant genotype in the validation sample of all 337 fertile stallions was obvious. Therefore, these variants were considered as potentially deleterious factors for stallion fertility. Conclusions In conclusion, this study revealed 17 genetic variants with a predicted high damaging effect on protein structure and missing homozygous mutant genotype. The g.37455302G>A NOTCH1 variant was identified as a significant stallion fertility locus in Hanoverian stallions and further 9 candidate fertility loci with missing homozygous mutant genotypes were validated in a panel including 19 horse breeds. To our knowledge this is the first study in horses using next generation sequencing data to uncover strong candidate factors for stallion fertility. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-016-2608-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahel Schrimpf
- Institute for Animal Breeding and Genetics, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Bünteweg 17p, 30559, Hannover, Germany
| | - Maren Gottschalk
- Institute for Animal Breeding and Genetics, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Bünteweg 17p, 30559, Hannover, Germany
| | - Julia Metzger
- Institute for Animal Breeding and Genetics, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Bünteweg 17p, 30559, Hannover, Germany
| | - Gunilla Martinsson
- State Stud Celle of Lower Saxony, Spörckenstraße 10, 29221, Celle, Germany
| | - Harald Sieme
- Clinic for Horses, Unit for Reproduction Medicine, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Bünteweg 15, 30559, Hannover, Germany
| | - Ottmar Distl
- Institute for Animal Breeding and Genetics, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Bünteweg 17p, 30559, Hannover, Germany.
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