Hussain Ansar, Zhang Huan, Zubair Muhammad, Shah Wasim, Khan Khalid, Ali Imtiaz, Raza Yousaf, Zeb Aurang, Abbas Tanveer, Ahmed Nisar, Rahim Fazal, Mustafa Ghulam, Uddin Meftah, Ullah Nadeem, Abbas Musavir, Khan Muzammil Ahmad, Ma Hui, Yang Bo, Shi Qing-Hua
Center for Reproduction and Genetics, First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, The CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, Institute of Health and Medicine, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China.
Gomal Centre of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Gomal University, Dera Ismail Khan 29220, Pakistan.
Asian J Androl. 2025 Mar 1;27(2):189-195. doi: 10.4103/aja202471. Epub 2024 Sep 10.
Multiple morphological abnormalities of the flagella (MMAF) represent a severe form of sperm defects leading to asthenozoospermia and male infertility. In this study, we identified a novel homozygous splicing mutation (c.871-4 ACA>A) in the adenylate kinase 7 (AK7) gene by whole-exome sequencing in infertile individuals. Spermatozoa from affected individuals exhibited typical MMAF characteristics, including coiled, bent, short, absent, and irregular flagella. Transmission electron microscopy analysis showed disorganized axonemal structure and abnormal mitochondrial sheets in sperm flagella. Immunofluorescence staining confirmed the absence of AK7 protein from the patients' spermatozoa, validating the pathogenic nature of the mutation. This study provides direct evidence linking the AK7 gene to MMAF-associated asthenozoospermia in humans, expanding the mutational spectrum of AK7 and enhancing our understanding of the genetic basis of male infertility.
鞭毛多重形态异常(MMAF)是导致弱精子症和男性不育的一种严重精子缺陷形式。在本研究中,我们通过对不育个体进行全外显子组测序,在腺苷酸激酶7(AK7)基因中鉴定出一种新的纯合剪接突变(c.871-4 ACA>A)。来自受影响个体的精子表现出典型的MMAF特征,包括卷曲、弯曲、短小、缺失和不规则的鞭毛。透射电子显微镜分析显示精子鞭毛的轴丝结构紊乱和线粒体片层异常。免疫荧光染色证实患者精子中不存在AK7蛋白,验证了该突变的致病性。本研究提供了直接证据,将AK7基因与人类MMAF相关的弱精子症联系起来,扩大了AK7的突变谱,并增强了我们对男性不育遗传基础的理解。