Researchers link 'housekeeping' gene with male infertility

"Researchers at Iowa State University have found evidence that a "housekeeping" gene present in every cell of the body may have a link to male infertility.

Ravindra Singh, a professor of biomedical sciences in the ISU College of Veterinary Medicine, has studied the survival motor neuron (SMN) gene for years. A deficiency in the gene, known as a "housekeeping" gene because its presence is essential for basic cellular function, can lead to neurological problems such as spinal muscular atrophy.

But Singh's laboratory discovered a link between SMN and male infertility, making it one of only a handful of genes suspected to have such a connection. The findings appeared recently in Scientific Reports, a peer-reviewed academic journal published by Nature.

Singh's group conducted a genome-wide study of SMN deficiency in mice and found surprising correlation between low levels of the gene expression and testicular size and low sperm count in male specimens..."

Learn More >>