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Introduction Currently, male factor infertility is a primary or contributing cause for ~50% of couples with infertility (Agarwal et al. 2021). In recent years, microcystins (MCs), a group of cyanobacterial [...]

Protein interacting with C kinase 1 (PICK1) is a peripheral membrane protein involved in protein trafficking, a function that has been well characterized in neurons. Here, we report that male mice deficient in PICK1 are infertile and have a phenotype resembling the human disease globozoospermia. The primary defect in the testes of Pick1-knockout mice was fragmentation of acrosomes in the early stages of spermiogenesis. This fragmentation was followed by defects in nuclear elongation and mitochondrial sheath formation, leading to round-headed sperm, reduced sperm count, and severely impaired sperm motility. We found that PICK1 interacted with Golgi-associated PDZ- and coiled-coil motif--containing protein (GOPC) and the primary catalytic subunit of protein kinase 2 (CK2[alpha]'), proteins whose deficiencies lead to globozoospermia in mice. PICK1 was highly expressed in round spermatids and localized to Golgi-derived proacrosomal granules. GOPC colocalized with PICK1 in the Golgi region and facilitated formation of PICK1-positive clusters. Furthermore, there was an increase in apoptosis in the seminiferous tubules of Pick1-/- mice, a phenotype also seen in CK2[alpha]'-deficient mice. Our results suggest that PICK1 is involved in vesicle trafficking from the Golgi apparatus to the acrosome and cooperates with other proteins such as GOPC and CK2[alpha]' in acrosome biogenesis., Introduction Protein interacting with C kinase 1 (PICK1) is a peripheral membrane protein involved in protein trafficking. PICK1 was initially identified as a protein kinase C--interacting protein from a yeast [...]

Cilia or hair-like structures extending from the cell membrane perform diverse biological functions and genetic defects in the structure and function of sensory and motile cilia result in multiple ciliopathies. The most prominent genetic abnormality involving motile cilia and the respiratory tract is primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD), which is a rare genetically heterogeneous disorder, characterized by sino-pulmonary disease, laterality defects and male infertility.

Teenage boys who have a discrepancy in the size of both testicles should be evaluated for varicocele. A varicocele is a dilation of the veins in the scrotum that can change blood flow to the testicles and alter hormone levels. This can affect sperm production, causing infertility. A physical exam can detect arrested growth in the left testicle and an ultrasound scan can confirm this. If the left testicle is 2 milliliters or more smaller than the right, surgery should be considered. Not all boys with varicocele will develop infertility., Accumulating evidence from animal and human studies has demonstrated that varicoceles are associated with a time-dependent decline in testicular function.[1-4] As a result, the finding of dilated scrotal veins, a [...]

Lack of infertility among males has led scientists to determine various factors such as smoking, medication, and exposure to environmental pollutants that affect sperm quality. Research reveals that as sperm carry a nicotinic cholinergic receptor, chronic nicotine overloading might lead to a decline in fertilizing potential by preventing sperm from binding to the zona, the shell surrounding an egg.

The increased risk on male infertility in Middle Eastern countries like Cairo, Egypt, Beirut and Lebanon is attributed to environmental and behavioral factors. The issues of stigma and secrecy associated with the use of the new reproductive technologies, called intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) are examined.

Men who use laptop computers connected wirelessly to the internet may be harming their fertility, suggests the first study to evaluate the direct impact of laptop use on human sperm. [...]

Globozoospermia is a rare but severe male infertility disorder. Xiao and colleagues have now found that male mice lacking protein interacting with C kinase 1 (PICK1), which is involved in [...]