title: Spermatozoa from patients with seminal alterations exhibit a differential micro-ribonucleic acid profile.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the microRNA (miRNA) expression profile in spermatozoa from three infertile populations vs. a group of fertile men.
  
  
  METHODS
  Evaluation of the expression level of 736 miRNAs in human spermatozoa using TaqMan quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction.
  
  
  METHODS
  University research facility.
  
  
  METHODS
  Semen samples with a single seminal alteration were collected from infertile individuals: asthenozoospermic (n = 10), teratozoospermic (n = 10), and oligozoospermic (n = 10).
  
  
  METHODS
  None.
  
  
  METHODS
  Correlation of the expression level of each miRNA with seminal parameters, age, and chromosome instability; clustering of the individuals according to their miRNA expression profiles and influence of the seminogram, age, chromosome instability, and assisted reproductive technology outcome in the clustering; analysis of the differentially expressed miRNAs (DE-miRNAs) in each infertile population; genome annotation of these DE-miRNAs; and ontological analysis of their predicted targets.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The hsa-miR-34b-3p correlated with age, the hsa-miR-629-3p with sperm motility, and the hsa-miR-335-5p, hsa-miR-885-5p, and hsa-miR-152-3p with sperm concentration. The individuals clustered into two groups, and only the seminogram was differentially distributed. We identified 32 DE-miRNAs in the asthenozoospermic group, 19 in the teratozoospermic group, and 18 in the oligozoospermic group. The up-regulated miRNAs presented an enriched localization in introns, affecting relevant genes for spermatogenesis. The predicted targets of the DE-miRNAs contained critical genes associated to infertility, and their ontological analysis revealed significantly associated functions related to the seminal alterations of each group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Spermatozoa from patients with seminal alterations exhibit a differential miRNA profile. This provides new evidence that miRNAs have an essential role in spermatogenesis, contributing to the mechanisms involved in human fertility.
authors.affiliation: Genetics of Male Fertility Group, Unitat de Biologia Cel·lular, Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain.
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Salas-Huetos
authors.affiliation: Genetics of Male Fertility Group, Unitat de Biologia Cel·lular, Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain.
authors.forename: Joan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Blanco
authors.affiliation: Genetics of Male Fertility Group, Unitat de Biologia Cel·lular, Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vidal
authors.affiliation: Genetics of Male Fertility Group, Unitat de Biologia Cel·lular, Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Godo
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Reproducción Asistida, Centro Médico Teknon, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grossmann
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Reproducción Asistida, Centro Médico Teknon, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Maria Carme
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Pons
authors.affiliation: Institut Marquès, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: F-Fernández
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Andrología y Banco de Semen, Instituto Valenciano de Infertilidad, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Nicolás
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Garrido
authors.affiliation: Genetics of Male Fertility Group, Unitat de Biologia Cel·lular, Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain. Electronic address: ester.anton@uab.cat.
authors.forename: Ester
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Anton
mesh_terms: D053627:Asthenozoospermia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology; D053713:Azoospermia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D043171:Chromosomal Instability; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D005298:Fertility / Q000235:genetics*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling / Q000379:methods; D005819:Genetic Markers; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics*; D009845:Oligospermia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology; D010331:Paternal Age; D012307:Risk Factors; D013076:Sperm Count; D013081:Sperm Motility; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D005819:Genetic Markers; D035683:MicroRNAs
keywords: Infertility; microRNA; seminal alterations; sperm biomarkers; spermatozoa