Additional genomic duplications in AZFc underlie the b2/b3 deletion-associated risk of spermatogenic impairment in Han Chinese population
Additional genomic duplications in AZFc underlie the b2/b3 deletion-associated risk of spermatogenic impairment in Han Chinese population
复制标题
AZFc 中额外的基因组重复是中国汉族人群中与 b2/b3 缺失相关的生精障碍风险的基础
DOI:
10.1093/hmg/ddr369
复制
发表时间:
2011-11-15
影响因子:
3.5
通讯作者:
Wang, Xinru
中科院分区:
文献类型:
--
作者:
Lu, Chuncheng;Zhang, Feng;Wang, Xinru
The azoospermia factor c (AZFc) region on the Y chromosome is a genetically dynamic locus in the human genome. Numerous genomic rearrangements, including deletion, duplication and inversion, have been identified in AZFc. The complete deletion of AZFc can cause spermatogenic impairment. However, the roles of partial AZFc deletions (e.g. b2/b3 deletion) in spermatogenesis are controversial and variable among human populations. Secondary duplication has been hypothesized to be a compensatory factor for partial AZFc deletions. To further study genomic duplications in AZFc as a potential genetic modifier underlying the phenotypic variations of partial AZFc deletions in spermatogenesis, we conducted comprehensive molecular analyses in 711 idiopathic infertile men and 390 healthy controls. Unexpectedly, we found that additional AZFc duplications accompanying the b2/b3 deletion, instead of the b2/b3 deletion alone, led to the b2/b3 deletion-associated risk of spermatogenic impairment previously reported in Han Chinese population. In addition, partial AZFc duplication also rendered a risk factor in the non-deletion patients. DAZ is a multi-copy AZFc gene (DAZ1-DAZ4) implicated in spermatogenesis. Genetic variations do exist between DAZ copies. Intriguingly, we found that the DAZ1/2 cluster was the main duplicated copies in the partial AZFc duplications associated with spermatogenic impairment, suggesting a potential different role of spermatogenesis between DAZ copies. Our findings demonstrated that additional AZFc duplications did not compensate but convey the susceptibility of the b2/b3 deletion to spermatogenic impairment in the tested population. Notably, genomic duplications and deletions in AZFc deserve comprehensive investigations to uncover spermatogenic roles of the AZFc region.