ZDHHC19 Is Dispensable for Spermatogenesis, but Is Essential for Sperm Functions in Mice.

Spermatogenesis is a complicated process involving mitotically proliferating spermatogonial cells, meiotically dividing spermatocytes, and spermatid going through maturation into spermatozoa. The post-translational modifications of proteins play important roles in this biological process. -palmitoylation is one type of protein modifications catalyzed by zinc finger Asp-His-His-Cys (ZDHHC)-family palmitoyl -acyltransferases. There are 23 mammalian ZDHHCs that have been identified in mouse. Among them, is highly expressed in adult testis. However, the in vivo function of in mouse spermatogenesis and fertility remains unknown. In this study, we knocked out the gene by generating a 2609 bp deletion from exon 3 to exon 6 in mice. No differences were found in testis morphology and testis/body weight ratios upon deletion. Spermatogenesis was not disrupted in knockout mice, in which properly developed TRA98+ germ cells, SYCP3+ spermatocytes, and TNP1+ spermatids/spermatozoa were detected in seminiferous tubules. Nevertheless, knockout mice were male infertile. deficient spermatozoa exhibited multiple defects including abnormal morphology of sperm tails and heads, decreased motility, and disturbed acrosome reaction. All of these led to the inability of mutant sperm to fertilize oocytes in IVF assays. Taken together, our results support the fact that is a testis enriched gene dispensable for spermatogenesis, but is essential for sperm functions in mice.