Proteomics and the genetics of sperm chromatin condensation

Abstract

Spermatogenesis involves extremely marked cellular, genetic and chromatin changes resulting in the generation of the highly specialized sperm cell. Proteomics allows the identification of the proteins that compose the spermatogenic cells and the study of their function. The recent developments in mass spectrometry (MS) have markedly increased the throughput to identify and to study the sperm proteins. Catalogs of thousands of testis and spermatozoan proteins in human and different model species are becoming available, setting up the basis for subsequent research, diagnostic applications and possibly the future development of specific treatments. The present review intends to summarize the key genetic and chromatin changes at the different stages of spermatogenesis and in the mature sperm cell and to comment on the presently available proteomic studies.

X–Y Interactions Underlie Sperm Head Abnormality in Hybrid Male House Mice

“…Whereas relative testis weight is a general index of male reproductive fitness and sperm count provides a cumulative measure of the successful progression of germ cells through spermatogenesis, sperm morphology is largely dependent on processes acting in postmeiotic germ cells. During this final stage of spermatogenesis, chromatin is progressively remodeled and condensed, and nuclear morphology undergoes a dramatic transformation, culminating in the highly differentiated structure of mature spermatozoa (reviewed in Oliva and Castillo 2011). Incomplete chromatin compaction is a common cause of abnormal sperm head morphology in mammals (Balhorn 2007;Revay et al 2009).…”

Meiotic recombination and male infertility: from basic science to clinical reality?

“…Perhaps some of the most exciting research in the field is from emerging studies that suggest that the process of spermatogenesis and fertilization is potentially mediated through a variety of other mechanisms that might be associated with infertility phenotypes, including: epigenetic modifications, 84,85 ubiquitination, 86,87 genome organization perturbations, 88 spermatozoal RNAs, 89 proteomics, 90 environmental contaminants and pharmacological agents that may contribute to sperm DNA damage 91 among others.…”

Advances in sperm proteomics: best-practise methodology and clinical potential

“…The studies conducted in different animal models were performed in sperm cells collected using the standard methods best suited to retrieve mature sperm in each specific model species. The present review complements and updates other excellent reviews covering the subject of sperm proteomics in human and model species [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17].…”

“…This highly condensed nucleoprotamine structure may have the functions of streamlining the sperm cell, protecting the paternal genome and contributing to the chromatin imprinting of the sperm chromatin [8,21]. The general accepted idea is that no nuclear transcription activity occurs in ejaculated sperm and that there is no protein synthesis from nuclear-encoded genes in sperm [26].…”