Role of poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation during human spermatogenesis.

Objective: Genomic stability of cells is known to be linked to their poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation capacity. We aimed to demonstrate, for the first time, the patterns of poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation during human spermatogenesis.

Design: Retrospective case-control study.

Expression profile of AZF genes in testicular biopsies of azoospermic men.

Background: The Y-chromosome AZF regions include genes whose functions and specific roles in spermatogenesis have not been fully clarified. This study investigated the expression of several AZF (USP9Y, DDX3Y/DDX3Yt1, EIF1AY and PRY) and USP9X transcripts in testicular biopsies of 89 azoospermic men who had been classified by histology and cytology assessments.

Methods: Expression was analysed by RT-PCR, and some biopsies were evaluated by multiplex RT-PCR.

Use of sex chromosome bivalent pairing in spermatocytes of nonobstructive azoospermic men for the prediction of successful sperm retrieval.

Objective: To find the most informative method of XY bivalent detection for spermatozoa presence in testicular tissue of nonobstructive azoospermic men.

Design: Prospective study.

Setting: Institute for the Study of Fertility, affiliated with a university medical faculty.

Sex chromosome alignment at meiosis of azoospermic men with azoospermia factor microdeletion.

Deletions in the q arm of the Y chromosome result in spermatogenesis impairment. The aim of the present study was to observe the X and Y chromosome alignment in the spermatocytes of men with Y chromosome microdeletion of the azoospermia factor (AZF) region. This was performed by multicolor fluorescence in situ hybridization probes for the centromere and telomere regions.

Reduced human germ cell-less (HGCL) expression in azoospermic men with severe germinal cell impairment.

Germ cell-less (GCL) protein is a nuclear envelope protein highly conserved between the mammalian and Drosophila orthologues. In Drosophila, maternal GCL protein is required to establish the germ lineage during embryonic development. In mammals, it is suggested that the GCL function is mainly in spermatogenesis and that it might be related to the ability of mouse GCL to repress transcription.