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Single-cell analysis of developing and azoospermia human testicles reveals central role of Sertoli cells

ABSTRACT: Non -obstructive azoospermia (NOA) affects 1% of men. However, the unknowns of NOA pathogenesis and even normal spermatogenic microenvironment establishment severely limit the clinical efficacy of NOA treatment. We profiled > 80,000 human testicular single-cell transcriptomes from 10 healthy donors spanning the range from infant to adult and 7 NOA patients. Sertoli cells, which form the scaffold in the testicular microenvironment, exhibited the most obvious damages in NOA patients. We identified roadmap of Sertoli cell maturation. Notably, Sertoli cells of patients with congenital causes (Klinefelter syndrome and Y chromosome microdeletions) are mature but with abnormal immune response, while the cells in idiopathic NOA (iNOA) are basically physiologically immature. Furthermore, inhibition of Wnt signaling promotes the maturation of Sertoli cells from iNOA patients, allowing these cells to regain their ability to support germ cell survival. We provide a novel perspective for the development of diagnostic methods and therapeutic targets for NOA.

ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens

PROVIDER: GSE149512 | GEO | 2020/09/04

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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Project description:Infertility affects about one in six couples attempting pregnancy, with the man responsible in approximately half of the cases. Because the pathophysiology underlying azoospermia is not elucidated, most male infertility is diagnosed as idiopathic. Genome-wide gene expression analyses with microarray on testis specimens from 47 non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) and 11 obstructive azoospermia (OA) patients were performed, and 2,611 transcripts that preferentially included genes relevant to gametogenesis and reproduction according to Gene Ontology classification were found to be differentially expressed. Using a set of 945 of the 2,611 transcripts without missing data, NOA was further categorized into three classes using the non-negative matrix factorization method. These three subclasses showed differences in Johnsenâs score, FSH level, and LH level. In addition, the 52 genes showing high statistical difference between NOA subclasses (P < 0.01 with Tukey's post hoc test) were subjected to allelic association analyses to identify genetic susceptibilities in 442 NOA patients and 475 fertile men. After two rounds of screening, SNPs of the ADP-ribosyltransferase 3 (ART3) gene were associated with NOA with highest significance with ART3-SNP25 (rs6836703; P = 0.0025). Haplotypes with 5 SNPs were constructed, and the most common haplotype was found to be under-represented in patients (NOA 26.6 % versus control 35.3 %, P = 0.000073). Subjects having the most common haplotype showed an elevated level of testosterone, suggesting a protective effect of the haplotype on spermatogenesis. Thus, genome-wide gene expression analyses were used to identify genes involved in the pathogenesis of NOA, and ART3 was subsequently identified as a susceptibility gene for NOA. These findings clarify the molecular pathophysiology of NOA and suggest a novel therapeutic target in the treatment of NOA. Experiment Overall Design: Comparative analysis of two disease phenotypes, using testicular biopsy specimens from 47 NOA and 11 OA patients. No experimental replicates.

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Single-cell analysis of developing and azoospermia human testicles reveals central role of Sertoli cells

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