TGIFLY mRNA Expression in Human Testis with Spermatogenesis Defects

Abstract

Background: Hox genes are well-known transcription factors that play essential roles in directing embryonic development. TGIFLY is a Y-linked homeobox gene that was originally identified by virtue of its expression in adult testis. The functions of TGIFLY in normal and abnormal development are unknown.

Methods: To investigate the potential roles of TGIFLY gene in the infertile males, a semi-nested Reverse Transcriptase Po­ly­merase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) was performed on the testicular samples of 110 patients with non-obstructive azoosper­mia.

Results: The expression of TGIFLY in 59(53.6%) out of 110 patients were undetectable. Patients with different sper­mato­gene­sis defects failed to show the expected in TGIFLY gene expression as demonstrated in the normal testes.

Conclusion: Our results indicate that TGIFLY is expressed in testis and could be associated with infertility in patients with azoo­spermia. TGIFLY may be required for the regulation of spermatogonial stem cell specification and proliferation that is es­sen­tial to the establishment and maintenance of spermatogenesis in human.