Project description:Aiming to identify gene expression signatures underlying the pathogenesis of infertility, we performed global gene expression profiling on testis samples in patients with severely impaired and normal spermatogenesis.
Project description:BackgroundIn the past 15 years, numerous studies have described aberrant DNA methylation of imprinted genes (e.g. MEST and H19) in sperm of oligozoospermic men, but the prevalence and genomic extent of abnormal methylation patterns have remained unknown.ResultsUsing deep bisulfite sequencing (DBS), we screened swim-up sperm samples from 40 normozoospermic and 93 patients diagnosed as oligoasthenoteratozoospermic, oligoteratozoospermic or oligozoospermic, which are termed OATs throughout the manuscript, for H19 and MEST methylation. Based on this screening, we defined three patient groups: normal controls (NC), abnormally methylated oligozoospermic (AMO; n = 7) and normally methylated oligozoospermic (NMO; n = 86). Whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) of five NC and five AMO samples revealed abnormal methylation levels of all 50 imprinting control regions in each AMO sample. To investigate whether this finding reflected epigenetic germline mosaicism or the presence of residual somatic DNA, we made a genome-wide inventory of soma-germ cell-specific DNA methylation. We found that > 2000 germ cell-specific genes are promoter-methylated in blood and that AMO samples had abnormal methylation levels at these genes, consistent with the presence of somatic cell DNA. The comparison between the five NC and six NMO samples revealed 19 differentially methylated regions (DMRs), none of which could be validated in an independent cohort of 40 men. Previous studies reported a higher incidence of epimutations at single CpG sites in the CTCF-binding region 6 of H19 in infertile patients. DBS analysis of this locus, however, revealed an association between DNA methylation levels and genotype (rs2071094), but not fertility phenotype.ConclusionsOur results suggest that somatic DNA contamination and genetic variation confound methylation studies in sperm of infertile men. While we cannot exclude the existence of rare patients with slightly abnormal sperm methylation at non-recurrent CpG sites, the prevalence of aberrant methylation in swim-up purified sperm of infertile men has likely been overestimated, which is reassuring for patients undergoing assisted reproduction.
Project description:Male germ cell meiosis is essential for generating haploid spermatozoa in mice. Here, we investigate the essential role of DIS3 in male germ cell meiosis in mice. Conditional inactivation of DIS3 in spermatocytes with Stra8-cre transgenic mice have severely impaired meiotic progression, which results in defective meiosis and spermatogenesis. RNA-seq analysis reveals that Dis3 deficiency causes significant dysregulation of the expression of transcripts in mutant testes. Meiosis-associated genes are significantly decreased in the absence of DIS3. Therefore, we show that DIS3 ribonuclease plays a critical role in germ cell meiosis during spermatogenesis in mice.
Project description:We performed epidemiological, cytokine, and transcriptomic analyses on a prospective, multi-center cohort of 1,928 severely injured patients.
Project description:The Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis) is a marine flatfish of high economic value and a target species for aquaculture. Here, we used a transcriptomic approach to investigate changes in genes expressed in the Senegalese sole testis throughout spermatogenesis in wild-caught fish adapted to captivity. We identified approximately 400 genes that are differentially expressed during the progression of spermatogenesis and that participate in processes such as activation of the ubiquitin-proteasome system, sperm maturation and motility, cell adhesion or cytoskeletal remodeling. The results from this study contribute to our understanding of the molecular changes ocurring during spermatogenesis in the Senegalese sole. This study represents spermatogenesis in Solea senegalensis: mid versus late spermatogenesis. Total RNA from testes at different stages in spermatogenesis (early, mid, late and functional maturation) from F0 wild Senegalese sole (3-4 animals at each stage) was extracted using the RNeasy extraction kit (Qiagen) and treated with DNAse following the manufacturer’s instructions. Quantitative and qualitative analysis of total RNA was performed using the Agilent 2100 bioanalyzer. RNA samples from each stage were pooled and amplified, labelled and hybridized to a custom-made oligonucleotide microarray containing 5,087 Senegalese sole Unigene sequences. In brief, pooled testicular RNAs from each stage were amplified and the resulting cRNAs labelled with Cy3 and Cy5, respectively, mixed in equal amounts and hybridized to the microarray for 17 h at 60 ºC.
Project description:BackgroundThe current study aimed to determine the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on male fertility.MethodsThis is a single-center, hospital-based observational study that included autopsied testicular and epididymal specimens of deceased COVID-19 male patients (n=6) and recruited recovering COVID-19 inpatients (n=23) with an equal number of age-matched controls, respectively. We performed histopathological examinations on testicular and epididymal specimens, and also performed TUNEL assay and immunohistochemistry. Whereas, we investigated the semen specimen for sperm parameters and immune factors.FindingsAutopsied testicular and epididymal specimens of COVID-19 showed the presence of interstitial edema, congestion, red blood cell exudation in testes, and epididymides. Thinning of seminiferous tubules was observed. The number of apoptotic cells within seminiferous tubules was significantly higher in COVID-19 compared to control cases. It also showed an increased concentration of CD3+ and CD68+ in the interstitial cells of testicular tissue and the presence of IgG within seminiferous tubules. Semen from COVID-19 inpatients showed that 39.1% (n=9) of them have oligozoospermia, and 60.9% (n=14) showed a significant increase in leucocytes in semen. Decreased sperm concentration, and increased seminal levels of IL-6, TNF-α, and MCP-1 compared to control males were observed.InterpretationImpairment of spermatogenesis was observed in COVID-19 patients, which could be partially explained as a result of an elevated immune response in testis. Additionally, autoimmune orchitis occurred in some COVID-19 patients. Further research on the reversibility of impairment and developing treatment are warranted.FundingThis study was supported by Ministry of Science and Technology of China Plan, Hubei Science and Technology Plan, National Key Research and Development Program of China, HUST COVID-19 Rapid Response Call, China and National Natural Science Foundation of China; these funding bodies are public institutions, and they had no role in study conception, design, interpretation of results, and manuscript preparation.
Project description:The Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis) is a marine flatfish of high economic value and a target species for aquaculture. Here, we used a transcriptomic approach to investigate changes in genes expressed in the Senegalese sole testis throughout spermatogenesis in wild-caught fish adapted to captivity. We identified approximately 400 genes that are differentially expressed during the progression of spermatogenesis and that participate in processes such as activation of the ubiquitin-proteasome system, sperm maturation and motility, cell adhesion or cytoskeletal remodeling. The results from this study contribute to our understanding of the molecular changes ocurring during spermatogenesis in the Senegalese sole. This study represents spermatogenesis in Solea senegalensis: early versus late spermatogenesis. Total RNA from testes at different stages in spermatogenesis (early, mid, late and functional maturation) from F0 wild Senegalese sole (3-4 animals at each stage) was extracted using the RNeasy extraction kit (Qiagen) and treated with DNAse following the manufacturer’s instructions. Quantitative and qualitative analysis of total RNA was performed using the Agilent 2100 bioanalyzer. RNA samples from each stage were pooled and amplified, labelled and hybridized to a custom-made oligonucleotide microarray containing 5,087 Senegalese sole Unigene sequences. In brief, pooled testicular RNAs from each stage were amplified and the resulting cRNAs labelled with Cy3 and Cy5, respectively, mixed in equal amounts and hybridized to the microarray for 17 h at 60 ºC. Each hybridization was performed at least in duplicate.
Project description:The Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis) is a marine flatfish of high economic value and a target species for aquaculture. Here, we used a transcriptomic approach to investigate changes in genes expressed in the Senegalese sole testis throughout spermatogenesis in wild-caught fish adapted to captivity. We identified approximately 400 genes that are differentially expressed during the progression of spermatogenesis and that participate in processes such as activation of the ubiquitin-proteasome system, sperm maturation and motility, cell adhesion or cytoskeletal remodeling. The results from this study contribute to our understanding of the molecular changes ocurring during spermatogenesis in the Senegalese sole. This study represents spermatogenesis in Solea senegalensis: functional mature versus late spermatogenesis. Total RNA from testes at different stages in spermatogenesis (early, mid, late and functional maturation) from F0 wild Senegalese sole (3-4 animals at each stage) was extracted using the RNeasy extraction kit (Qiagen) and treated with DNAse following the manufacturer’s instructions. Quantitative and qualitative analysis of total RNA was performed using the Agilent 2100 bioanalyzer. RNA samples from each stage were pooled and amplified, labelled and hybridized to a custom-made oligonucleotide microarray containing 5,087 Senegalese sole Unigene sequences. In brief, pooled testicular RNAs from each stage were amplified and the resulting cRNAs labelled with Cy3 and Cy5, respectively, mixed in equal amounts and hybridized to the microarray for 17 h at 60 ºC.