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Loss of the Na(+)/H(+) exchanger NHE8 causes male infertility in mice by disrupting acrosome formation

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Item Type:Article
Title:Loss of the Na(+)/H(+) exchanger NHE8 causes male infertility in mice by disrupting acrosome formation
Creators Name:Oberheide, K., Puchkov, D. and Jentsch, T.J.
Abstract:Mammalian sperm feature a specialized secretory organelle on the anterior part of the sperm nucleus, the acrosome, which is essential for male fertility. It is formed by a fusion of Golgi-derived vesicles. We show here that the predominantly Golgi-resident Na+/H+ exchanger NHE8 localizes to the developing acrosome of spermatids. Similar to wild-type mice, Nhe8-/- mice generated Golgi-derived vesicles positive for acrosomal markers and attached to nuclei, but these vesicles failed to form large acrosomal granules and the acrosomal cap. Spermatozoa from Nhe8-/- mice completely lacked acrosomes, were round-headed, exhibited abnormal mitochondrial distribution and displayed decreased motility, resulting in selective male infertility. Of note, similar features are also found in globozoospermia, one of the causes of male infertility in humans. Germ cell-specific, but not Sertoli cell-specific Nhe8 disruption recapitulated the globozoospermia phenotype, demonstrating that NHE8's role in spermiogenesis is germ cell-intrinsic. Our work has uncovered a crucial role of NHE8 in acrosome biogenesis and suggests that some forms of human globozoospermia might be caused by a loss of function of this Na+/H+ exchanger. It points to NHE8 as a candidate gene for human globozoospermia and a possible drug target for male contraception.
Keywords:Spermiogenesis, Globozoospermia, NHE8, Slc9a8, Acrosome Biogenesis, Na+/H+ Exchanger, Animals, MIce
Source:Journal of Biological Chemistry
ISSN:0021-9258
Publisher:American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Volume:292
Number:26
Page Range:10845-10854
Date:30 June 2017
Official Publication:https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.M117.784108
External Fulltext:View full text on PubMed Central
PubMed:View item in PubMed

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