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Diagnostics of sperm head morphology genetic abnormalities in primary male infertility

https://doi.org/10.25557/2073-7998.2025.11.126-129

Abstract

Male infertility is often associated with impaired spermatogenesis that leads to a decline in sperm quality and quantity. According to the WHO laboratory manual for the examination and processing of human semen, published in 2021, teratozoospermia is diagnosed if 4% or fewer sperm display normal shapes. Monomorphic teratozoospermia is a group of rare genetic sperm anomalies, leading to male infertility. The results of comprehensive semen and genetic examination of four infertile men with globozoospermia (n=3) and acephalic sperm syndrome (n=1) are presented. WES revealed a homozygous likely pathogenic nonsense DPY19L2 gene mutation (chr12:63976191G>A) and homozygous missense-variants of uncertain significance in the DPY19L2 (chr12:64038264G>A) and the SPATA16 (chr3:172766742 T>C) genes in globozoospermic patients. A patient with acephalic sperm syndrome was found to have two likely pathogenic compound heterozygous variants (chr16:72123598G>A and chr16:72130275G>A) in the PMFBP1 gene.

About the Authors

S. Sh. Khayat
Research Centre for Medical Genetics; A.N. Belozersky Research Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology MSU
Russian Federation

1, Moskvorechie st., Moscow, 115522



E. E. Bragina
Research Centre for Medical Genetics
Russian Federation

1, Moskvorechie st., Moscow, 115522; 1-40, Leninskye gory, Moscow, 119992



O. A. Solovova
Research Centre for Medical Genetics
Russian Federation

1, Moskvorechie st., Moscow, 115522



D. V. Islamgulov
Fomin Clinic
Russian Federation

52, Kirova st., Ufa, 450078



T. M. Sorokina
Research Centre for Medical Genetics
Russian Federation

1, Moskvorechie st., Moscow, 115522



M. I. Shtaut
Research Centre for Medical Genetics
Russian Federation

1, Moskvorechie st., Moscow, 115522



O. P. Ryzhkova
Research Centre for Medical Genetics
Russian Federation

1, Moskvorechie st., Moscow, 115522



V. B. Chernykh
Research Centre for Medical Genetics; Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University
Russian Federation

1, Moskvorechie st., Moscow, 115522; 1, Ostrovityanova st., Moscow, 117513



References

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2. Oud M.S., Okutman Ö., Hendricks L.A.J. et al. Exome sequencing reveals novel causes as well as new candidate genes for human globozoospermia. Hum Reprod. 2020;35(1):240–252.

3. Harbuz R., Zouari R., Pierre V. et al. A recurrent deletion of DPY19L2 causes infertility in man by blocking sperm head elongation and acrosome formation. Am J Hum Genet 2011;88(3):351–61.

4. Koscinski I., Elinati E., Fossard C. et al. DPY19L2 deletion as a major cause of globozoospermia. Am J Hum Genet 2011;88(3):344–50.

5. Shang Y.L., Zhu F.X., Yan J., et al.. Novel DPY19L2 variants in globozoospermic patients and the overcoming this male infertility. Asian J Androl. 2019; 21(2):183–189.

6. Zhu F., Liu C., Wang F. et al. Mutations in PMFBP1 cause acephalic spermatozoa syndrome. Am J Hum Genet. 2018;103(2):188–99.

7. Liu G., Wang N., Zhang H. et al. Novel mutations in PMFBP1, TSGA10 and SUN5: Expanding the spectrum of mutations that may cause acephalic spermatozoa. Clin Genet. 2020;97(6):938–939.

8. Sha Y.W., Wang X., Xu X. et al. Biallelic mutations in PMFBP1 cause acephalic spermatozoa. Clin Genet. 2019;95(2):277–86.


Review

For citations:


Khayat S.Sh., Bragina E.E., Solovova O.A., Islamgulov D.V., Sorokina T.M., Shtaut M.I., Ryzhkova O.P., Chernykh V.B. Diagnostics of sperm head morphology genetic abnormalities in primary male infertility. Medical Genetics. 2025;24(11):126-129. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.25557/2073-7998.2025.11.126-129

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ISSN 2073-7998 (Print)