• PMID: 29653228
• Gene Name: MIRLET7B
• Condition: Asthenozoospermia, Male infertility
• Association: Associated
• Sex: Male
• Infertility type: Male infertility
• Other associated phenotypes: Asthenozoospermia, Male infertility

Down-regulated let-7b-5p represses glycolysis metabolism by targeting AURKB in asthenozoospermia

Zhou R, Zhang Y, Du G, Han L, Zheng S, Liang J, Huang X, Qin Y, Wu W, Chen M, Wu D, Song L, Fu G, Lv S, Xia Y, Lu C, Wang X.

Glycolysis, through anaerobic respiration, can supply energy for human sperm motility. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) could participate in the glycolytic pathway through regulating target genes. To investigate the potential role of glycolysis-related miRNAs in asthenozoospermia, TaqMan Low Density Array (TLDA) was used to screen potentially functional miRNAs, and seven glycolysis-related miRNAs were isolated to be related to asthenozoospermia. After qRT-PCR validation, only one seminal plasma miRNA, let-7b-5p, was found significantly decreased in severe asthenozoospermia cases compared with healthy controls. To further understand whether let-7b-5p is involved in asthenozoospermia by regulating the glycolytic pathway, we carried out gain-and-loss function study of let-7b-5p in GC-2 cells and detected the glycolytic activities. Our results showed that knocking down let-7b-5p could inhibit glycolytic activities. Besides, we also found overexpressed Aurkb (a target gene of let-7b-5p) could recapitulate the effects of knocking down let-7b-5p. Our findings indicated that low expression of let-7b-5p could repress glycolysis in asthenozoospermia by targeting AURKB. CI - Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. FAU - Zhou, Ran AU - Zhou R AD - State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China; Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China. FAU - Zhang, Yan AU - Zhang Y AD - Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China. FAU - Du, Guizhen AU - Du G AD - Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China. FAU - Han, Li AU - Han L AD - Department of Obstetrics, Huai-An First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China. FAU - Zheng, Sinian AU - Zheng S AD - Department of Urology, Huai-An First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China. FAU - Liang, Jian AU - Liang J AD - Clinical Laboratory, Huai-An First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China. FAU - Huang, Xiaomin AU - Huang X AD - Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China. FAU - Qin, Yufeng AU - Qin Y AD - Epigenetics & Stem Cell Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA. FAU - Wu, Wei AU - Wu W AD - Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China. FAU - Chen, Minjian AU - Chen M AD - Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China. FAU - Wu, Di AU - Wu D AD - Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China. FAU - Song, Ling AU - Song L AD - Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China. FAU - Fu, Guangbo AU - Fu G AD - Department of Urology, Huai-An First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China. FAU - Lv, Shuyan AU - Lv S AD - Department of Obstetrics, Huai-An First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China. FAU - Xia, Yankai AU - Xia Y AD - State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China; Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China. FAU - Lu, Chuncheng AU - Lu C AD - State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China; Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China. Electronic address: chunchenglu@njmu.edu.cn.