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Updated: Jan 8, 2026
High-throughput Screening for Chemical Modulators of Post-transcriptionally Regulated Genes
Published on: March 3, 2015
Roles of novel post-translational modifications in the male reproductive system: From regulation of reproductive
Xin-Rong Du1, Yan Gao1, Qin Zeng1
1Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Woman's and Children's Hospital/The Affiliated Women's and Children's Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, 610045, China.
Abstract:
Post-translational modifications (PTMs) play a pivotal role in understanding male reproductive function, with an increasing number of PTMs being demonstrated to be associated with spermatogenesis and sperm function. The advancement of high-throughput molecular tools and the accumulation of bioinformatics data have significantly accelerated the discovery of novel PTMs. In this review, we highlight several newly identified PTMs, these modifications participate in spermatogenesis, sperm maturation, sperm motility in the female reproductive tract, capacitation, fertilization, as well as the regulation of Sertoli cell and epididymal functions. Furthermore, we discuss their involvement in the pathogenesis of various conditions, including asthenozoospermia, erectile dysfunction, and even testicular and prostate cancers, while exploring their potential clinical applications as therapeutic targets and biomarkers. Additionally, we provide insights into the cooperative or competitive interactions among different types of PTMs. A comprehensive understanding of PTM-mediated regulatory mechanisms in the male reproductive system will pave the way for developing novel and specific therapeutic strategies to treat male reproductive disorders. A systematic literature search was performed in PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Web of Science Core Collection for studies published up to September 2025, using a combination of the term "male Reproductive System, sperm, fertilization, capacitation, disease" with keywords related to post-translational modifications, Eligible studies were limited to English-language publications that specifically examined the interaction between Male Reproductive System and novel PTMs, including "S-nitrosylation", "crotonylation", "2-hydroxyisobutyrylation", "lactylation", "polysialylation", "myristoylation" and "SUMOylation", including both original research and review articles. This review did not involve formal statistical analysis or meta-analytic techniques.
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