Expression of SARS-CoV-2 entry molecules ACE2, NRP1, TMPRSS2, and FURIN in the reproductive tissues of male macaques.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) reportedly affects male reproductive function by causing spermatogenesis dysfunction and suppressing testosterone secretion. However, the relationship between COVID-19 and impaired reproductive function, such as whether these effects on reproductive function are a direct effect of severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in male reproductive organs or an indirect effect of high fever, is not known. Here, we examined whether the cell entry molecules of SARS-CoV-2, namely, ACE2, NRP1, TMPRSS2, and FURIN, are expressed in the male reproductive organs using the testes and accessory gonads of macaques during the breeding season.