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Although recent studies have shed insights on some of the potential causes of male infertility, new underlining molecular mechanisms still remain to be elucidated.  Makorin-2 (Mkrn2 ) is an evolutionarily conserved gene whose biological functions are not fully known. We developed an  Mrkn2  knockout mouse model to study the role of this gene, and found that deletion of  Mkrn2  in mice led to male infertility.  Mkrn2  knockout mice produced abnormal sperms characterized by low number, poor motility, and aberrant morphology. Disruption of  Mkrn2  also caused failure of sperm release (spermiation failure) and misarrangement of ectoplasmic specialization (ES) in testes, thus impairing spermiogenesis and spermiation. To understand the molecular mechanism, we found that expression of Odf2, a vital protein in spermatogenesis, was significantly decreased. In addition, we found that expression levels of Odf2 were decreased in  Mkrn2  knockout mice. We also found that  MKRN2  was prominently expressed in the sperm of normal men, but was significantly reduced in infertile men. This result indicates that our finding is clinically relevant. The results of our study provided insights into a new mechanism of male infertility caused by the MKRN2 downregulation.

Deficiency of Mkrn2 causes abnormal spermiogenesis and spermiation, and impairs male fertility