[Human male sterility can be caused by mutations in the protamine P2 gene].

The sperm of fertile and infertile human males was treated with 0.25 n. HCl or 1% CTAB. Relative proportions of various protamine fractions in the obtained extracts were determined by scanning microdensitometry following electrophoresis of the total protamine in polyacrilamide gels. The findings were as follow. 1. The share of protamine P(2 + 3) in the sperm obtained from infertile males was lower than that of fertile males. 2. Protamine P2 in infertile males has a reduced affinity to DNA. It is suggested that in some cases the human male infertility may be due to some mutations within the P2 gene.