A dominant-negative mutation of HSF2 associated with idiopathic azoospermia.
Idiopathic azoospermia (IA) is a severe form of male infertility due to unknown causes. The HSF2 gene, encoding the heat shock transcription factor 2, had been suggested to play a significant role in the spermatogenesis process since the Hsf2-knockout male mice showed spermatogenesis defects. To examine whether HSF2 is involved in the pathogenesis of IA in human, we sequenced all the exons of HSF2 in 766 patients diagnosed with IA and 521 proven fertile men. A number of coding mutations private to the patient group, which include three synonymous mutations and five missense mutations, were identified. Of the missense mutations, our functional assay demonstrated that one heterozygous mutation, R502H, caused a complete loss of HSF2 function and that the mutant suppressed the normal function of the wild-type (WT) allele through a dominant-negative effect, thus leading to the dominant penetrance of the mutant allele. These results support a role for HSF2 in the pathogenesis of IA and further implicate this transcription factor as a potential therapeutic target.
Guangdong and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Male Reproductive Medicine and Genetics, Institute of Urology, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen PKU-HKUST Medical Center, Shenzhen, China. lishamou@gmail.com
Lisha
L
Mou
Yadong
Y
Wang
Honggang
H
Li
Yi
Y
Huang
Tao
T
Jiang
Weiren
W
Huang
Zesong
Z
Li
Jing
J
Chen
Jun
J
Xie
Yuchen
Y
Liu
Zhimao
Z
Jiang
Xianxin
X
Li
Jiongxian
J
Ye
Zhiming
Z
Cai
Yaoting
Y
Gui
D000328:Adult; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D053713:Azoospermia / Q000235:genetics*; D001483:Base Sequence; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D005799:Genes, Dominant; D005838:Genotype; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009154:Mutation; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics*; D055815:Young Adult
D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C070389:HSF2 protein, human