| First Author | Li M | Year | 2022 |
| Journal | Cell Death Discov | Volume | 8 |
| Issue | 1 | Pages | 419 |
| PubMed ID | 36253364 | Mgi Jnum | J:355674 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:7751528 | Doi | 10.1038/s41420-022-01210-2 |
| Citation | Li M, et al. (2022) PDCL2 is essential for spermiogenesis and male fertility in mice. Cell Death Discov 8(1):419 |
| abstractText | Patients with teratozoospermia exhibit low phosducin-like protein (Pdcl2) expression. As a member of the phosducin family, chaperonin-related Pdcl2, a germline-specific gene, may be involved in germ cell protein folding. Given that PDCL2 is highly conserved in evolution, it may be indispensable for mammalian spermiogenesis; however, the function of PDCL2 in higher mammalian species remains unknown. To determine the role of PDCL2 in male fertility, we generated Pdcl2 knockout mice using CRISPR/Cas9. Our results revealed that Pdcl2 heterozygous (Pdcl2(+/-)) male mice were normal, but male Pdcl2-null (Pdcl2(-/-)) mice were infertile. Accordingly, Pdcl2(-/-) male mice exhibited lower testis weight, epididymis weight, and sperm number than Pdcl2(+/+) mice. Moreover, Pdcl2(-/-) mice displayed malformed and immotile sperm. Apoptotic cells were significantly enhanced in Pdcl2(-/-) testes and epididymis when compared with those in wild-type mice. Mechanistically, PDCL2 can interact with the CCT complex, and dysfunction in this complex might lead to infertility in Pdcl2(-/-) male mice. Collectively, these findings confirm that Pdcl2 knockout leads to male infertility in mice and that PDCL2 may function as a chaperone to promote protein folding during spermiogenesis. |
