The Research Advances in Sperm Maturation and Paternal Epigenetic Inheritance Regulated by Epididymosomes

doi:10.12280/gjszjk.20240381

Abstract

Abstract:

Epididymis is the key site for sperm maturation, because sperms gain the ability of motility and fertilization in the luminal microenvironment of epididymis. During this process, the levels of small non-coding RNAs in spermatozoa dramatically change. Subsequently, the changed small non-coding RNAs participate in the paternal intergenerational epigenetics. Epididymosomes are extracellular vesicles secreted by the principal cells in the epididymal epithelium, which contain a large number of proteins, nucleic acids and lipids. More and more studies documented that the epididymosomes transmitted many functional small RNAs and proteins to sperm during the sperm maturation in epididymis, thus playing a role in regulating sperm function and transmitting epigenetic information. For example, microRNA can keep the normal sperm morphology and motility, while cysteine rich secretory protein 1 (CRISP1) can significantly improve sperm motility. This review was focused on the research advances in sperm maturation via the functional proteins and small RNAs transportation regulated by the epididymosomes during the mammalian sperm transmission in epididymis.

Key words: Epididymosome, Sperm maturation, Epigenetics, Small non-coding RNA, Proteomics

ZHANG Rui-yan, DENG Han-yu, CHEN Ke-xin, MA Zhuo-yao, LIU Yue, DING Zhi-de. The Research Advances in Sperm Maturation and Paternal Epigenetic Inheritance Regulated by Epididymosomes[J]. Journal of International Reproductive Health/Family Planning, 2024, 43(6): 518-523.

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