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Human male infertility may be due to a decrease of the protamine P2 content in sperm chromatin
Author(s) -
Belokopytova Irina A.,
Kostyleva Elena I.,
Tomilin Alexey N.,
Vorob'ev Vladimir I.
Publication year - 1993
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.1080340109
Subject(s) - protamine , biology , chromatin , sperm , infertility , andrology , male infertility , sex chromatin , genetics , dna , pregnancy , biochemistry , heparin , medicine
Basic chromosomal proteins were extracted from the sperm of fertile and infertile human males. The relative proportions of protamine 1, 2, and 3 were determined by scanning microdensitometry following electrophoresis of total protamine in polyacrilamide gels. The findings were as follows: (1) The proportion of protamine P(2 + 3) in sperm obtained from infertile males was lower than that in fertile males. (2) Protamine P(2 + 3) in infertile human males showed reduced affinity to DNA. The possibility that some cases of human male infertility may be due to mutation within the protamine P2 gene is discussed. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.