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Male infertility and DNA germ cell breaks affected by the epigenetic factor PRDM9
Kusari, Fitore ; Trachtulec, Zdeněk (advisor) ; Děd, Lukáš (referee) ; Liška, František (referee)
DNA-binding histone-3-lysine-4,36-trimethyltransferase PRDM9 specifies meiotic recombination hotspots in mice, rats and humans. Interallelic variation at the Prdm9 locus plays a role in hybrid male sterility. Sterile mouse F1 hybrid male offspring from the PWD × C57BL/6J (B6) cross exhibit meiosis breakdown reminiscent of that observed in Prdm9-deficient B6 sterile mice. However, reciprocal (B6 × PWD)F1 hybrids and some rodent models lacking PRDM9, i.e., PWD and SHR rat males execute meiotic recombination, produce sperm, raising the possibility that PRDM9's role may extend beyond meiosis. Here I demonstrate that PRDM9 is important for post- meiotic male gamete development and release. Unlike their parents, (B6 × PWD)F1 generated spermatozoa of lower quantity and motility but higher percentage of deformations, thus resembling oligoasthenoteratozoospermic (OAT) (semi)sterile men. Histopathological and (ultra)structural analysis revealed compromised spermiogenesis characterized by acrosome detachment and aberrant nucleus elongation in (B6 × PWD)F1 hybrids. Consequently, F1 spermatozoa had malformed acrosomes and nuclear DNA breaks with elevated base oxidation. While deletion of one Prdm9 copy improved sperm phenotypes in (B6 × PWD)F1, copy number gains of the surrounding genes had the opposite effect....
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