Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 16, 2025

Using Mouse Oocytes to Assess Human Gene Function During Meiosis I
Published on: April 10, 2018
Epigenetics, cryptorchidism, and infertility
Faruk Hadziselimovic1, Gilvydas Verkauskas2, Michael B Stadler3,4
1Cryptorchidism Research Institute, Children's Day Care Center, 4410, Liestal, Switzerland. faruk@magnet.ch.
Background:
Cryptorchid boys with defective mini-puberty and impaired differentiation of Ad spermatogonia (high infertility risk) have altered expression of several genes encoding histone methyltransferases compared to patients with intact differentiation of gonocytes into Ad spermatogonia (low infertility risk).
Results:
High infertility risk cryptorchid boys display hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, which, together with the diminished expression of histone deacetylases and increased expression of HDAC8 decrotonylase, indicates altered histone marks and, thus, a perturbed histone code. Curative GnRHa treatment induces normalization of histone methyltransferase, chromatin remodeling, and histone deacetylase gene expression. As a result, histone changes induce differentiation of Ad spermatogonia from their precursors and, thus, fertility. In this short report, we describe key functions of histone lysine methyltransferases, chromatin remodeling proteins, and long-noncoding RNAs, and discuss their potential roles in processes leading to infertility.
Conclusion:
Our findings suggest that epigenetic mechanisms are critical to better understanding the root causes underlying male infertility related to cryptorchidism and its possible transgenerational transmission.
Related Concept Videos
Infertility in Males
Spermatogenesis
Nondisjunction
Background and Environment Affect Phenotype
An example of how genetic background affects phenotype can be seen in horses. The Extension gene in horses is responsible for their coat color. A wild-type gene (EE) produces black pigment in the coat, while a mutant gene (ee) produces red pigment. A...
Genomic Imprinting and Inheritance
The expression of some genes depends on which parent passed the gene to the offspring, through a phenomenon known as...
The Y Chromosome Determines Maleness
Evolution
Around 300 million years ago, the two sex chromosomes diverged from two identical autosomal chromosomes. Over time, the Y chromosome has lost most of its genes, shrinking in size....

