The etiology of human asthenozoospermia is multifactorial. The need to unveil molecular mechanisms underlying this state of infertility is, thus, impelling. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are involved in microRNA (miRNA) inhibition by a sponge activity to protect mRNA targets. All together they form the competitive endogenous RNA network (ceRNET). Recently, we have identified differentially expressed circRNAs (DE-circRNAs) in normozoospermic and asthenozoospermic patients, associated with high-quality (A-spermatozoa) and low-quality (B-spermatozoa) sperm. Here, we carried out a differential analysis of CRISP2, CATSPER1 and PATE1 mRNA expression in good quality (A-spermatozoa) and low quality (B-spermatozoa) sperm fractions collected from both normozoospermic volunteers and asthenozoospermic patients. These sperm fractions are usually separated on the basis of morphology and motility parameters by a density gradient centrifugation. B-spermatozoa showed low levels of mRNAs. Thus, we identified the possible ceRNET responsible for regulating their expression by focusing on circTRIM2, circEPS15 and circRERE. With the idea that motility perturbations could be rooted in quantitative changes of transcripts in sperm, we evaluated circRNA and mRNA modulation in A-spermatozoa and B-spermatozoa after an oral amino acid supplementation known to improve sperm motility. The profiles of CRISP2, CATSPER1 and PATE1 proteins in the same fractions of sperm well matched with the transcript levels. Our data may strengthen the role of circRNAs in asthenozoospermia and shed light on the molecular pathways linked to sperm motility regulation.
Keywords: asthenozoospermia; circRNAs; mRNAs; sperm motility; sperm quality.