• PMID: 31664153
• Gene Name: NCOA5
• Condition: Male infertility
• Association: Associated
• Sex: Male
• Infertility type: Male infertility

NCOA5 Haplo-insufficiency Results in Male Mouse Infertility through Increased IL-6 Expression in the Epididymis

Gao S, Zhang Y, Yang C, Perez GI, Xiao H.

Male infertility might be caused by genetic and/or environmental factors that impair spermatogenesis and epididymal sperm maturation. Here we report that heterozygous deletion of the nuclear receptor coactivator-5 (Ncoa5) gene resulted in decreased motility and progression of spermatozoa in the cauda epididymis, leading to infertility in male mice. Light microscopic and ultrastructural analysis revealed morphological defects in the spermatozoa collected from the cauda epididymis of Ncoa5(+/-) mice. Immunohistochemistry showed that interleukin-6 (IL-6) expression in epithelial cells of Ncoa5(+/-) epididymis was higher than wild type counterparts. Furthermore, heterozygous deletion of Il-6 gene in Ncoa5(+/-) male mice partially improved spermatozoa motility and moderately rescued infertility phenotype. Our results uncover a previously unknown physiological role of NCOA5 in the regulation of epididymal sperm maturation and suggest that NCOA5 deficiency could cause male infertility through increased IL-6 expression in epididymis. FAU - Gao, Shenglan AU - Gao S AD - Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, 48824, USA. AD - Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, 48824, USA. AD - Department of Cellular and Genetic Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China. FAU - Zhang, Yueqi AU - Zhang Y AD - Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, 48824, USA. AD - Cell and Molecular Biology Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, 48824, USA. FAU - Yang, Chengfeng AU - Yang C AD - Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, 48824, USA. AD - Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536-0305, USA. FAU - Perez, Gloria I AU - Perez GI AD - Department of Radiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, 48824, USA.