title: Baseline expression profile of meiotic-specific genes in healthy fertile males.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To establish the quantitative gene-expression profile of nine meiotic genes involved in synapsis and chromosome cohesion (SYCP1, SPO11, MSH4, MSH5, MLH1, MLH3, PMS2, STAG3, and REC8) in healthy fertile males.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Research university laboratory and clinical andrology service.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty healthy males of proven fertility underwent a vasectomy procedure and four infertile patients with Sertoli cell-only syndrome (SCOS).
  
  
  METHODS
  Analysis of testicular biopsies from 20 fertile males and four SCOS patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Quantitative gene expression by real-time polymerase chain reaction in testicular biopsies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Four of the nine genes under study (PMS2, MLH3, MLH1, and REC8) are expressed in both fertile males and SCOS patients. The remaining five genes are only (SYCP1, SPO11, MSH4, and MSH5) or mainly (STAG3) expressed in fertile males, and thus they could be considered meiotic-specific genes. All genes analyzed are expressed at similar levels among fertile individuals
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Gene expression levels reported in this study could be considered the gene expression profile of fertile population, and could be used to compare with the expression pattern of infertile patients. Expression of meiotic-specific genes could be used as a clinical diagnosis tool to ascertain the origin of some cases of idiopathic male infertility and sterility.
authors.affiliation: Departament Biologia Cel.lular, Fisiologia i Immunologia, Universitat Autònoma Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain. carme.nogues@uab.cat
authors.forename: Carme
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nogués
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fernández
authors.forename: Osvaldo
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Rajmil
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Templado
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D005298:Fertility / Q000235:genetics*; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008540:Meiosis / Q000235:genetics*; D012016:Reference Values; D013737:Testis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins