Ubiquitin-Based Sperm Assay for the Diagnosis of Male Factor Infertility

Details

• Personal Author:
  Schatten G ; Sutovsky P ; Terada Y
• Description:
  Sperm morphology is correlated with fertility in men, yet the existing, subjective sperm morphology assays provide only a limited insight into patients' infertility. Here, we provide the experimental background for a new, objective and automated semen assay, based on the cross-reactivity of defective human spermatozoa with antibodies against a proteolytic marker peptide, ubiquitin. Using immunofluorescence and flow cytometry, we screened the spermatozoa from 17 infertility patients and two fertile donors for their cross-reactivity with anti-ubiquitin antibodies. Thirteen out of 17 patients, but neither of two fertile donors, displayed an increased binding of anti-ubiquitin antibodies to sperm surface, that reflected the occurrence of abnormalities in these samples and was corroborated by available clinical data. Highest correlation coefficient (r = -0.432) was obtained with the cleavage rate after IVF. The contribution of male factor was revealed in several couples previously diagnosed with idiopathic infertility. Ubiquitin-cross-reactive sperm-surface proteins thus seem to be a universal marker of semen abnormalities, including sperm head and tail defects and semen contaminants such as spermatids, leukocytes and cellular debris. We propose that the sperm-ubiquitin tag immunoassay (SUTI) may be a valuable diagnostic tool in treatment of male factor and idiopathic infertility. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Men Occupational Health Safety Spermatogenesis Urogenital Diseases Urogenital System
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Male Factor Infertility Humans Reproduction Reproductive-effects Reproductive-hazards Reproductive-system-disorders SUTI Ubiquitin
• ISSN:
  0268-1161
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Missouri ; Oregon ; OSHA Region 10 ; OSHA Region 7
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  250-258
• Volume:
  16
• Issue:
  2
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20021888
• Citation:
  Hum Reprod 2001 Feb; 16(2):250-258
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2001
• Performing Organization:
  University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20000930
• Source Full Name:
  Human Reproduction
• End Date:
  20020929
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:9cc1c1453881751e8f93e422db1a8d83825b3acf1beec9c025e8246c061ccc16f4e0577ec77bcd8df643c61728128508d58a9fb60cdc9c27a5479bb149d515d4
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/198974/cdc_198974_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 718.81 KB ]