ZMYND15基因编码一种锌指MYND型蛋白,它包含一个MYND结构域,这是一个与DNA结合和转录调控相关的结构域。ZMYND15已被证明在精子发生过程中发挥重要作用,特别是在精子成熟阶段的单倍体基因表达调控中。ZMYND15是一种组蛋白去乙酰化酶依赖性转录抑制因子,控制精子发生过程中单倍体细胞基因的正常时间表达。ZMYND15的失活会导致许多重要单倍体基因的早期转录激活,晚期精子细胞的耗尽,以及雄性不育。ZMYND15是第一个被鉴定为精子产生和雄性生育力所必需的转录抑制因子[3]。
ZMYND15基因的突变已被发现与严重的精子缺陷相关,包括无精子症、严重少精子症和严重畸精子症。在无精子症中,ZMYND15基因的双等位基因突变已被发现与精子发生阻滞相关,导致精子完全缺乏。在严重少精子症和畸精子症中,ZMYND15基因的突变会导致精子数量和质量的显著下降,以及精子形态的异常[1,2,5]。此外,ZMYND15基因的突变还与宏观精子症相关,这是一种罕见的精子形态异常,表现为精子体积增大[1]。
ZMYND15基因的表达水平与精子发生和精子质量密切相关。在无精子症患者中,ZMYND15基因及其靶基因的表达水平显著低于正常精子发生者。ZMYND15基因的表达水平还与精子检索的成功率相关,表达水平越高,精子检索成功的可能性越大[6,7]。因此,ZMYND15基因的表达水平可能作为预测精子检索成功率的生物标志物。
环境污染物也可能通过调节ZMYND15基因的表达影响精子质量。例如,砷暴露已被发现会降低大鼠睾丸中ZMYND15基因的表达,导致精子质量下降和雄性不育[4]。这表明ZMYND15基因的表达可能受到环境因素的影响,并可能成为环境污染物诱导的雄性不育的诊断标志物。
ZMYND15基因的研究为理解精子发生和雄性不育的分子机制提供了重要的线索。ZMYND15基因的突变和表达异常与精子数量和质量的下降相关,这可能导致无精子症、少精子症和畸精子症等雄性不育症。ZMYND15基因的研究还为开发新的诊断和治疗方法提供了可能,有助于提高雄性不育症的诊断和治疗水平。
参考文献:
1. Kherraf, Zine-Eddine, Cazin, Caroline, Lestrade, Florence, Thierry-Mieg, Nicolas, Ray, Pierre F. . From azoospermia to macrozoospermia, a phenotypic continuum due to mutations in the ZMYND15 gene. In Asian journal of andrology, 24, 243-247. doi:10.4103/aja202194. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35017390/
2. Wen, Yuting, Wang, Xiang, Zheng, Rui, Yang, Yihong, Shen, Ying. 2022. Sequencing of the ZMYND15 gene in a cohort of infertile Chinese men reveals novel mutations in patients with teratozoospermia. In Journal of medical genetics, 60, 380-390. doi:10.1136/jmg-2022-108727. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35973810/
3. Yan, Wei, Si, Yue, Slaymaker, Sarah, Verdin, Eric, Charo, Israel F. 2010. Zmynd15 encodes a histone deacetylase-dependent transcriptional repressor essential for spermiogenesis and male fertility. In The Journal of biological chemistry, 285, 31418-26. doi:10.1074/jbc.M110.116418. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20675388/
4. Li, Xiangli, Shen, Kaina, Yuan, Dunxuan, Zhang, Li, Wang, Junling. 2024. Sodium arsenite impairs sperm quality via downregulating the ZMYND15 and ZMYND10. In Environmental toxicology, 39, 4385-4396. doi:10.1002/tox.24327. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38798119/
5. Ayhan, Özgecan, Balkan, Mahmut, Guven, Ayse, Tok, Atalay, Tolun, Aslıhan. 2014. Truncating mutations in TAF4B and ZMYND15 causing recessive azoospermia. In Journal of medical genetics, 51, 239-44. doi:10.1136/jmedgenet-2013-102102. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24431330/
6. Hashemi, Motahare-Sadat, Mozdarani, Hossein, Ghaedi, Kamran, Nasr-Esfahani, Mohammad Hossein. 2018. Expression of ZMYND15 in Testes of Azoospermic Men and Association With Sperm Retrieval. In Urology, 114, 99-104. doi:10.1016/j.urology.2017.12.023. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29305944/
7. Hashemi, Motahare-Sadat, Mozdarani, Hossein, Ghaedi, Kamran, Nasr-Esfahani, Mohammad Hossein. 2019. Could analysis of testis-specific genes, as biomarkers in seminal plasma, predict presence of focal spermatogenesis in non-obstructive azoospermia? In Andrologia, 52, e13483. doi:10.1111/and.13483. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31793700/