Variance in total levels of phospholipase C zeta (PLC-ζ) in human sperm may limit the applicability of quantitative immunofluorescent analysis as a diagnostic indicator of oocyte activation capability

• Published in: Fertility and sterility Vol. 99; no. 1; pp. 107 - 117.e3
• Main Authors: Kashir, Junaid, Jones, Celine, Mounce, Ginny, Ramadan, Walaa M., Lemmon, Bernadette, Heindryckx, Bjorn, de Sutter, Petra, Parrington, John, Turner, Karen, Child, Tim, McVeigh, Enda, Coward, Kevin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.01.2013
• Subjects: Adult; assisted reproductive technology (ART); Female; fluorescence; fluorescent antibody technique; Fluorescent Antibody Technique - methods; Humans; Infertility, Male - diagnosis; Infertility, Male - physiopathology; Internal Medicine; intracytoplasmic sperm injection; Male; male infertility; men; Middle Aged; Obstetrics and Gynecology; Oocyte activation; oocytes; patients; phophospholipase C zeta (PLC-ζ); Phosphoinositide Phospholipase C - metabolism; phospholipase C; Reproductive Techniques, Assisted; sperm; Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic; Sperm-Ovum Interactions - physiology; spermatozoa; Spermatozoa - enzymology; variance; Oocyte activation; assisted reproductive technology (ART); phophospholipase C zeta (PLC-ζ); sperm; male infertility
• ISSN: 0015-0282; 1556-5653; 1556-5653
• DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2012.09.001

To examine whether similar levels of phospholipase C zeta (PLC-ζ) protein are present in sperm from men whose ejaculates resulted in normal oocyte activation, and to examine whether a predominant pattern of PLC-ζ localization is linked to normal oocyte activation ability. Laboratory study. University laboratory. Control subjects (men with proven oocyte activation capacity; n = 16) and men whose sperm resulted in recurrent intracytoplasmic sperm injection failure (oocyte activation deficient [OAD]; n = 5). Quantitative immunofluorescent analysis of PLC-ζ protein in human sperm. Total levels of PLC-ζ fluorescence, proportions of sperm exhibiting PLC-ζ immunoreactivity, and proportions of PLC-ζ localization patterns in sperm from control and OAD men. Sperm from control subjects presented a significantly higher proportion of sperm exhibiting PLC-ζ immunofluorescence compared with infertile men diagnosed with OAD (82.6% and 27.4%, respectively). Total levels of PLC-ζ in sperm from individual control and OAD patients exhibited significant variance, with sperm from 10 out of 16 (62.5%) exhibiting levels similar to OAD samples. Predominant PLC-ζ localization patterns varied between control and OAD samples with no predictable or consistent pattern. The results indicate that sperm from control men exhibited significant variance in total levels of PLC-ζ protein, as well as significant variance in the predominant localization pattern. Such variance may hinder the diagnostic application of quantitative PLC-ζ immunofluorescent analysis.