title: Sperm glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase gene expression in asthenozoospermic spermatozoa.
abstract: It has been suggested that the energy required for sperm motility is produced by oxidative phosphorylation while glycolysis seems to be an important source for ATP transmission along the flagellum. Some studies have investigated the chemical and kinetic properties of the enzyme glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase to identify any changes in the regulation of glycolysis and sperm motility. In contrast, there are few studies analyzing the genetic basis of hypokinesis. For this reason, we investigated the glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase gene in human sperm to evaluate whether asthenozoospermia was correlated with any changes in its expression. Semen examination and glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase gene expression studies were carried out on 116 semen samples divided into two groups - Group A consisted of 58 normokinetic samples and Group B of 58 hypokinetic samples. Total RNA was extracted from spermatozoa, and real-time PCR quantification of mRNA was carried out using specific primers and probes. The expression profiles for the Groups A and B were very similar. The mean delta Ct was as follows - Group A, 5.79 ± 1.04; Group B, 5.47 ± 1.27. Our study shows that in human sperm, there is no difference in glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase gene expression between samples with impaired motility and samples with normal kinetics. We believe that this study could help in the understanding of the molecular mechanisms of sperm kinetics, suggesting that hypomotility may be due to a possible posttranscriptional impairment of the control mechanism, such as mRNA splicing, or to posttranslational changes.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Seminology - Sperm Bank, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome "La Sapienza", 00161 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Donatella
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Paoli
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Seminology - Sperm Bank, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome "La Sapienza", 00161 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Marianna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pelloni
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Seminology - Sperm Bank, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome "La Sapienza", 00161 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Mariagrazia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gallo
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Seminology - Sperm Bank, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome "La Sapienza", 00161 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Coltrinari
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Seminology - Sperm Bank, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome "La Sapienza", 00161 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lombardo
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Seminology - Sperm Bank, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome "La Sapienza", 00161 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lenzi
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Seminology - Sperm Bank, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome "La Sapienza", 00161 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Loredana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gandini
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging; D053627:Asthenozoospermia / Q000201:enzymology*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000235:genetics; D005987:Glyceraldehyde-3-Phosphate Dehydrogenases / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007700:Kinetics; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013081:Sperm Motility / Q000235:genetics; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000201:enzymology*
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D005987:Glyceraldehyde-3-Phosphate Dehydrogenases