еКорпус – библиографски запис
ZIP6 and ZIP14 zinc transporter expression in normozoospermic and asthenozoospermic human spermatozoa – relationship to nuclear chromatin accessibility
Експресија транспортера цинка ZIP6 и ZIP14 у хуманим сперматозоидима из нормозооспермичних и астенозооспермичних узорака – повезаност са приступачношћу нуклеарног хроматина
- Часопис
- Serbian Archives of Medicine
- Објављено
- Srp Arh Celok Lek. 2026;154(9–10):505–511.
- Врста рада
- ORIGINAL ARTICLES
Abstract
Introduction/Objective Male infertility accounts for approximately 40% of infertility cases, with asthenozoospermia affecting nearly one in five infertile men. Beyond conventional semen parameters, nuclear DNA organization and chromatin accessibility provide deeper insight into sperm quality. Zinc transporters ZIP6 and ZIP14 have been implicated in chromatin stabilization and zinc homeostasis, potentially essential to sperm maturation and fertilization competence.
Methods Semen samples from normozoospermic and asthenozoospermic men undergoing intrauterine insemination were purified by density gradient. ZIP6 and ZIP14 were detected by immunofluorescence, nuclear DNA visualized by using Sytox™ Orange (Thermo Fisher Scientific, Waltham, MA, USA). Expression levels, nuclear area, and staining intensity were quantified in ImageJ (National Institutes of Health), and analyzed using Kruskal–Wallis test with Dunn’s post-hoc correction (p ≤ 0.05).
Results ZIP6 immunopositivity was significantly reduced in asthenozoospermic compared to normozoospermic samples, while ZIP14 expression remained stable. Nuclear area and overall Sytox™ Orange (Thermo Fisher Scientific) intensity did not differ significantly between transporter-positive and -negative sperm, though ZIP6-positive asthenozoospermic cells showed a modest reduction in nuclear surface area. Normozoospermic ZIP14-negative spermatozoa displayed lower Sytox™ Orange (Thermo Fisher Scientific) fluorescence than ZIP6-negative cells, suggesting focal differences in chromatin accessibility between transporter-defined subpopulations.
Conclusion ZIP6 expression reflects sperm maturation and functional competence, while ZIP14 remains constitutively stable. Both transporters may serve as molecular markers for selecting high-quality sperm in assisted reproduction, particularly in populations exposed to occupational stressors that compromise DNA integrity.
Keywords: ZIP6; ZIP14; spermatozoa; chromatin accessibility; asthenozoospermia; normozoospermia