PURPOSE: Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is widely used to achieve fertilization in the presence of severe male factor, resulting in high fertilization rates. Nevertheless, 1-3 % of couples experience complete fertilization failure after ICSI. When a male factor is identified, assisted oocyte activation (AOA) can help overcome fertilization failures. The objective of this study is to describe a case of repeated complete fertilization failures after ICSI with donor oocytes, and to investigate the molecular and functional aspects of phospholipase C zeta (PLCζ) protein in the patient semen. METHODS: The patient was a normozoospermic male who had previously fathered, through natural conception, four children by a different partner. Molecular and functional analysis of sperm-specific PLCζ in the patient and control samples by means of gene sequencing, immunocytochemistry, Western blot, mouse oocyte activation test (MOAT), and mouse oocyte calcium analysis (MOCA) were used. RESULTS: PLCζ expression levels and distribution were significantly disrupted, although MOAT and MOCA did not indicate a decrease in activation ability. CONCLUSIONS: Normozoospermic males can have disrupted expression and distribution of PLCζ, and reduced activation ability after ICSI in human oocytes, despite their normal activation potential in functional testing using mouse oocytes. Discrepancy among molecular and functional data might exist, as mutations in the gene sequence may not be the only cause of alteration in PLCζ protein related to activation failures.
PURPOSE: Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is widely used to achieve fertilization in the presence of severe male factor, resulting in high fertilization rates. Nevertheless, 1-3 % of couples experience complete fertilization failure after ICSI. When a male factor is identified, assisted oocyte activation (AOA) can help overcome fertilization failures. The objective of this study is to describe a case of repeated complete fertilization failures after ICSI with donor oocytes, and to investigate the molecular and functional aspects of phospholipase C zeta (PLCζ) protein in the patient semen. METHODS: The patient was a normozoospermic male who had previously fathered, through natural conception, four children by a different partner. Molecular and functional analysis of sperm-specific PLCζ in the patient and control samples by means of gene sequencing, immunocytochemistry, Western blot, mouse oocyte activation test (MOAT), and mouse oocyte calcium analysis (MOCA) were used. RESULTS: PLCζ expression levels and distribution were significantly disrupted, although MOAT and MOCA did not indicate a decrease in activation ability. CONCLUSIONS: Normozoospermic males can have disrupted expression and distribution of PLCζ, and reduced activation ability after ICSI in human oocytes, despite their normal activation potential in functional testing using mouse oocytes. Discrepancy among molecular and functional data might exist, as mutations in the gene sequence may not be the only cause of alteration in PLCζ protein related to activation failures.
Authors: Hoi Chang Lee; Margaret Arny; Daniel Grow; Daniel Dumesic; Rafael A Fissore; Teru Jellerette-Nolan Journal: J Assist Reprod Genet Date: 2014-04-23 Impact factor: 3.412
Authors: Mahmoud Aarabi; Hanna Balakier; Siamak Bashar; Sergey I Moskovtsev; Peter Sutovsky; Clifford L Librach; Richard Oko Journal: Fertil Steril Date: 2014-06-04 Impact factor: 7.329
Authors: Eleni Giannoulatou; Gilean McVean; Indira B Taylor; Simon J McGowan; Geoffrey J Maher; Zamin Iqbal; Susanne P Pfeifer; Isaac Turner; Emma M M Burkitt Wright; Jennifer Shorto; Aysha Itani; Karen Turner; Lorna Gregory; David Buck; Ewa Rajpert-De Meyts; Leendert H J Looijenga; Bronwyn Kerr; Andrew O M Wilkie; Anne Goriely Journal: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A Date: 2013-11-20 Impact factor: 11.205
Authors: F Vanden Meerschaut; D Nikiforaki; C De Roo; S Lierman; C Qian; T Schmitt-John; P De Sutter; B Heindryckx Journal: Hum Reprod Date: 2013-03-12 Impact factor: 6.918
Authors: Junaid Kashir; Celine Jones; Ginny Mounce; Walaa M Ramadan; Bernadette Lemmon; Bjorn Heindryckx; Petra de Sutter; John Parrington; Karen Turner; Tim Child; Enda McVeigh; Kevin Coward Journal: Fertil Steril Date: 2012-10-03 Impact factor: 7.329
Authors: Michail Nomikos; Yuansong Yu; Khalil Elgmati; Maria Theodoridou; Karen Campbell; Vyronia Vassilakopoulou; Christos Zikos; Evangelia Livaniou; Nazar Amso; George Nounesis; Karl Swann; F Anthony Lai Journal: Fertil Steril Date: 2012-09-21 Impact factor: 7.329