The World Journal of Men's Health (Oct 2022)

Novel DNAH1 Mutation Loci Lead to Multiple Morphological Abnormalities of the Sperm Flagella and Literature Review

  • Bao-Jun Zhuang,
  • Su-Yun Xu,
  • Liang Dong,
  • Pei-Hai Zhang,
  • Bao-Lin Zhuang,
  • Xiao-Peng Huang,
  • Guang-Sen Li,
  • Yao-Dong You,
  • DiʼAng Chen,
  • Xu-Jun Yu,
  • De-Gui Chang

DOI
https://doi.org/10.5534/wjmh.210119
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 40, no. 4
pp. 551 – 560

Abstract

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The protein encoded by dynein axonemal heavy chain 1 (DNAH1) is a part of dynein, which regulates the function of cilia and sperm flagella. The mutant of DNAH1 causes the deletion of inner dynein arm 3 in the flagellum, leading to multiple morphological abnormalities of the sperm flagella (MMAF) and severe asthenozoospermia. However, instead of asthenozoospermia and MMAF, the result caused by the mutation of DNAH1 remains unknown. Here we report a male infertility patient with severe asthenozoospermia and teratozoospermia. We found two heterozygous mutations in DNAH1 (c.6912C>A and c.7076G>T) and which were reported to be associated with MMAF for the first time. We next collected and analyzed 65 cases of DNAH1 mutation and found that the proportion of short flagella is the largest, while the bent flagella account for the smallest, and the incidence of head deformity is not high in the sperm of these patients. Finally, we also analyzed 31 DNAH1 mutation patients who were treated with intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and achieved beneficial outcomes. We hope our research will be helpful in the diagnosis and treatment of male infertility caused by DNAH1 mutation.

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