Identification of ten novel genes involved in human spermatogenesis by microarray analysis of testicular tissue.
OBJECTIVE
To identify novel genes that are down-regulated in the testicular tissue of infertile men.


METHODS
Prospective study.


METHODS
University-based reproductive clinics and genetics laboratory.


METHODS
Nine patients with normal spermatogenesis, and 15 patients with maturation arrest (MA) or Sertoli cell-only syndrome (SCOS).


METHODS
Testicular samples of patients with the same histology were pooled for complementary DNA (cDNA) microarray analysis.


METHODS
Novel, down-regulated genes.


RESULTS
In total, 300 genes were significantly down-regulated in SCOS or MA samples, and 10 novel sterility-related genes were identified. Of the 10 novel genes, 6 genes (Hs.126780, Hs.553658, Hs.274135, Hs.268122, Hs.531701, and Hs.171130) encode proteins with predictable functional domains, and all these functional domains are believed to correlate with spermatogenesis and/or spermiogenesis. Conversely, the other 4 genes (Hs.351582, Hs.407480, Hs.552781, and Hs.355570) do not encompass known functional domains. Two genes (Hs.407480 and Hs.552781) lack mouse orthologues. Most novel genes showed a testis-specific expression pattern in both mice and humans. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) showed three distinct types of developmental stage-dependent expressions of message ribonucleic acid (mRNA) for these novel genes in murine testes.


CONCLUSIONS
These 10 novel genes provide targets to elucidate novel pathways involved in human spermatogenesis.
Lin
Ying-Hung
YH
Graduate Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
Lin
Yung-Ming
YM
Teng
Yen-Ni
YN
Hsieh
Tsui-Yu Tracy
TY
Lin
Yi-Shing
YS
Kuo
Pao-Lin
PL
D053713:Azoospermia / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D015870:Gene Expression; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D020543:Proteome / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000235:genetics*; D013737:Testis / Q000378:metabolism*
D020543:Proteome