title: Can mitochondrial DNA mutations cause sperm dysfunction?
abstract: Very low levels of somatic mitochondrial (mt)DNA deletions have been identified in the semen of infertile men. It has been suggested that these mutations cause infertility through an effect on sperm motility, but there has been no direct evidence to show that mutant mtDNA can affect sperm function. We have carried out semen analysis on a male harbouring the A3243G mtDNA mutation and show that high levels of mutant mtDNA strongly correlate with low sperm motility.
authors.affiliation: Department of Reproductive Medicine, The University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Spiropoulos
authors.forename: Douglass M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Turnbull
authors.forename: Patrick F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Chinnery
mesh_terms: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000235:genetics*; D013081:Sperm Motility / Q000235:genetics*; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000002:abnormalities*
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial