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Updated: Jun 2, 2026
08:48
Flow Cytometric Analysis of Biomarkers for Detecting Human Sperm Functional Defects
Published on: April 21, 2022
Epigenetics, spermatogenesis and male infertility.
Singh Rajender1, Kelsey Avery, Ashok Agarwal
1Central Drug Research Institute, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Lucknow, India.
Mutation Research
|May 5, 2011
Summary
Epigenetic aberrations in the testes can cause male infertility. Environmental factors and assisted reproduction may also impact male fertility through epigenetic changes, which are potentially reversible.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Biology
- Epigenetics
- Genetics
Background:
- Epigenetic modifications, including DNA methylation and histone modifications, regulate biological processes like spermatogenesis.
- Genes within the testes are significantly influenced by epigenetic mechanisms.
- Epigenetic aberrations are increasingly recognized as a factor in male infertility.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review epigenetic processes in the testes.
- To explore the correlation between epigenetic aberrations and male infertility.
- To examine the impact of environmental factors and assisted reproduction on male epigenome and fertility.
Main Methods:
- Comprehensive literature review of epigenetic mechanisms in spermatogenesis.
- Analysis of studies linking epigenetic aberrations (epimutations) to male infertility.
- Evaluation of environmental and assisted reproduction influences on male epigenome.
Main Results:
- Epimutations, particularly hypermethylation in genes like MTHFR and PAX8, are associated with poor semen quality and infertility.
- Environmental toxins and endocrine disruptors can induce epigenetic modifications, leading to spermatogenic defects.
- Assisted reproduction techniques may introduce epigenetic changes affecting fertility in subsequent generations.
Conclusions:
- Epigenetic aberrations significantly impact spermatogenesis and are a cause of male infertility.
- Environmental factors and assisted reproduction procedures pose risks to male fertility via epigenetic alterations.
- Epigenetic changes offer potential therapeutic targets due to their reversible nature.
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