Proteomic analysis reveals that topoisomerase 2A is associated with defective sperm head morphology

ABSTRACT: Male infertility is widespread and estimated to affect 1 in 20 men. Whilst in some cases the aetiology of the condition is well understood, for at least 50% of men, the underlying cause is yet to be classified. The majority of infertile men produce enough spermatozoa, however it is a combination of poor sperm motility, associated with a modified cell morphology that contribute to infertility. One of the major limitations of using morphology to inform male fertility status is that the evaluation is highly subjective, due to the fact that it has to be done by microscopic examination. As such, biomarkers of male infertility are needed to help establish a more consistent diagnosis. In the present study, we compared nuclear extracts from both high- and low-quality spermatozoa by LC-MS/MS based proteomic analysis. Our data shows that nuclear retention of proteins is a common facet amongst low quality male reproductive cells. In particular, we demonstrate that the presence of Topoisomerase 2A in sperm heads, is highly correlated to poor head morphology. Topoisomerase A is therefore a potential new biomarker for confirming male infertility in clinical practice.

INSTRUMENT(S): TripleTOF 6600

ORGANISM(S): Homo Sapiens (ncbitaxon:9606)

SUBMITTER: Jacob K Netherton   Mark A Baker  

PROVIDER: MSV000083954 | MassIVE | Mon Jun 10 21:13:00 BST 2019

SECONDARY ACCESSION(S): PXD014210

REPOSITORIES: MassIVE