Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 12, 2026
Quantifying the Cytotoxicity of Staphylococcus aureus Against Human Polymorphonuclear Leukocytes
Published on: January 3, 2020
Characteristic and mechanism of immobilization effect of Staphylococcus aureus on human spermatozoa
Jiahui Li1, Bin Li2, Jiangning Song3
1Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325000, China.
Objective:
This study was designed to investigate the impacts of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from sperm of male infertility patients, and explore the mechanism of the spermatozoa immobilization attributed to S. aureus.
Methods:
S. aureus MJ015 and MJ163, the representative strains of immobilization positive and negative group respectively, were obtained from semen of infertile men. Computer-aided sperm analysis (CASA) were performed to measure sperm motility. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was utilized to assess morphological alterations of spermatozoa. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) were undertaken to analyse the difference between the secretory proteins of MJ015 and MJ163.
Results:
A highly significant decline in motility of spermatozoa after incubating with cultured supernatant of MJ015 by sperm motility measurements, which was not observed when co-cultured with the supernatant of MJ163. TEM illustrated that the culture supernatant of MJ015 contributed to apparently ultrastructural impairment and inhibitory impacts on sperm motility. Various proteins expressed by two samples were identified. Data processing and database search preliminarily establish a link between four differential proteins and spermatozoal immobilization ability.
Conclusions:
Our data manifested that the clinical isolates of S. aureus have a key role on the motility and morphology of sperm. A better correlation between four identified differentially expressed proteins and the marked decline of the motility of spermatozoa was established.
Insights
Staphylococcus aureus found in infertile men significantly impairs sperm motility and morphology. Four specific proteins were identified as potentially causing this immobilization effect.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Reproductive Biology
- Proteomics
Background:
- Male infertility affects a significant portion of the population.
- Bacterial infections, including Staphylococcus aureus, are increasingly implicated in male reproductive health issues.
- The specific mechanisms by which S. aureus impacts sperm function remain incompletely understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from infertile men's sperm on sperm motility and morphology.
- To explore the underlying mechanisms of sperm immobilization caused by S. aureus.
- To identify potential protein biomarkers associated with S. aureus-induced sperm dysfunction.
Main Methods:
- Utilized Computer-Aided Sperm Analysis (CASA) to quantify sperm motility.
- Employed Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) to assess sperm ultrastructural changes.
- Applied Two-Dimensional Gel Electrophoresis (2-DE) and LC-MS/MS to analyze differences in secreted proteins between S. aureus strains.
Main Results:
- Incubation with S. aureus MJ015 supernatant significantly reduced sperm motility compared to the MJ013 strain.
- TEM revealed ultrastructural damage to spermatozoa exposed to MJ015 supernatant.
- LC-MS/MS analysis identified four differentially expressed proteins linked to sperm immobilization.
Conclusions:
- Clinical isolates of S. aureus play a critical role in reducing sperm motility and altering sperm morphology.
- A correlation was established between four identified proteins and the decline in sperm motility.
- These findings suggest S. aureus-derived proteins as potential targets for understanding and managing male infertility.
Related Concept Videos
01:18Mechanical Characteristics of Steel
The tension test is fundamental for determining tensile strength. In this test, a steel specimen is stretched using a gripping device until it breaks. The data collected during this test are used...
01:23Characteristics of Life
01:20Characteristics of Fluids
01:31Characteristics of Fluids
Fluids, which include both liquids and gases, are substances that deform continuously under shearing stress. For example, water and oil are liquids with molecules that can...
01:17Characteristics of BJT
For input characteristics, the base-emitter voltage is varied, maintaining a constant collector-emitter voltage. This setup reveals a Shockley-type dependence of the collector current on...
01:21Characteristics of JFET
The core of a JFET's operation is controlling drain current by modulating the gate-source voltage. When the drain and gate voltage are set to zero, the JFET exhibits no net current flow, representing a state of equilibrium. The drain current increases linearly as the...