| First Author | Wang-Eckhardt L | Year | 2022 |
| Journal | Biochem J | Volume | 479 |
| Issue | 9 | Pages | 953-972 |
| PubMed ID | 35419597 | Mgi Jnum | J:326420 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:7286295 | Doi | 10.1042/BCJ20210844 |
| Citation | Wang-Eckhardt L, et al. (2022) Citrylglutamate synthase deficient male mice are subfertile with impaired histone and transition protein 2 removal in late spermatids. Biochem J 479(9):953-972 |
| abstractText | Chromatin remodelling in spermatids is an essential step in spermiogenesis and involves the exchange of most histones by protamines, which drives chromatin condensation in late spermatids. The gene Rimklb encodes a citrylglutamate synthase highly expressed in testes of vertebrates and the increase of its reaction product, beta-citrylglutamate, correlates in time with the appearance of spermatids. Here we show that deficiency in a functional Rimklb gene leads to male subfertility, which could be partially rescued by in vitro fertilization. Rimklb-deficient mice are impaired in a late step of spermiogenesis and produce spermatozoa with abnormally shaped heads and nuclei. Sperm chromatin in Rimklb-deficient mice was less condensed and showed impaired histone to protamine exchange and retained transition protein 2. These observations suggest that citrylglutamate synthase, probably via its reaction product beta-citrylglutamate, is essential for efficient chromatin remodelling during spermiogenesis and may be a possible candidate gene for male subfertility or infertility in humans. |
