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Feasibility of global gene expression analysis in testicular biopsies from infertile men
Author(s) -
Fox Mark S.,
Ares V. Ximena,
Turek Paul J.,
Haqq Christopher,
Reijo Pera Renee A.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
molecular reproduction and development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.745
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1098-2795
pISSN - 1040-452X
DOI - 10.1002/mrd.10364
Subject(s) - biology , male infertility , gene expression profiling , gene expression , microarray , gene , microarray analysis techniques , infertility , andrology , phenotype , biopsy , dna microarray , genetics , bioinformatics , pathology , pregnancy , medicine
Numerous studies have documented the use of microarray analysis to identify patterns of global gene expression that distinguish normal development from that of the diseased state. Yet, there are no reports that compare global gene expression in the fertile and infertile human testis. Here, we report an initial study of global gene expression in testicular biopsies from several men with different infertility phenotypes. We found that microarray analysis of small biopsy samples was suitable for profiling expression of genes known to function in germ cell development and also identified expression of novel genes. Since it is now common for infertile men with spermatogenic failure to use intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) to achieve biological paternity, we hypothesize that molecular screening of testicular biopsies with microarrays may be suitable: (1) to categorize the molecular phenoytpes of infertile testes in a manner similar to standard morphologic analysis and (2) to initiate larger studies of gene expression in the infertile testes that may identify genetic signatures from biopsies that allow prediction of outcomes. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 66: 403–421, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.