Association of DNA Methylation of GTL2 with Semen Parameters

Subject Areas : Journal of Animal Biology

Fouzieh Karami Hezarcheshmeh ¹ , Parichehre Yaghmaei ² , Nasim Hayati ³ , Kheirollah Yari ⁴

1 - Department of Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
2 - Department of Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
3 - Department of Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
4 - Medical Biology Research Center, Health Technology Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran

Received: 2024-08-14 Accepted : 2024-09-29 Published : 2025-01-12

Keywords: DNA methylation, Sperm, Male infertility, GTL2,

Abstract :

Male infertility is a complex multifactorial problem that affects approximately 7% of men and 15% of couples worldwide with multifactorial pathology such as environmental, genetic, and epigenetic factors. In general, abnormal methylation of imprinted genes in sperm DNA is associated with poor semen parameters. In this study, the DNA methylation status of the imprinting Gene trap locus 2 (GTL2) gene at differentially methylated regions (DMRs) was assessed in the semen samples of infertile men. Sperm DNA was extracted from 30 infertile, and 15 healthy fertile men. Following the modification of DNA by sodium bisulfite treatment the methylation status of the GTL2 gene at MDRs was evaluated by qMS-PCR. A negative correlation between GTL2 methylation and sperm count (p = 0.020; p = -0.345) and sperm concentration (r = -0.361; p = 0.015) was observed in all patients. Taken together, the abnormal DNA methylation status of GTL2-DMRs may be an epigenetic diagnostic marker of male infertility. Further research is needed to pursue other mechanisms affecting methylation in semen samples and their impact on human infertility.