• AKAP4 gene expression and its correlation with sperm motility and morphology
  • Nazila Ghasemi,1,* Niluofar sadat kalaki,2
    1. 1Department of Biology, Jahrom Branch, Islamic Azad University, Jahrom, Iran
    2. Department of cellular and molecular biology, faculty of biological sciences, kharazmi university, Tehran, Iran


  • Introduction: Generally, about 15% of couple’s experience infertility, which the World Health Organization (WHO) defines as failure to achieve pregnancy after one year of unprotected sex between couples. Men are responsible for half of the reasons for infertility, which has a greater prevalence in developed countries and threatens the mental health of families. The main objective of the current study was to investigate the expression of A-kinase anchor protein 4 (AKAP4) as a gene that plays an essential role in sperm motility in individuals with asthenozoospermia and terato-asthenozoospermia. Alterations in AKAP4 expression and the correlation between their expression and normal sperm morphology and motility were also examined.
  • Methods: This study examined the semen of 25 asthenozoospermia individuals (AZ), 27 terato-asthenozoospermia (TAZ) individuals, and 29 normospermia (NZ) individuals with normal sperm as a control group. The expression levels of AKAP4 in the sperm samples were analyzed by real-time PCR.
  • Results: Gene expression analysis revealed a significant association between AKAP4 expression and sperm motility and morphology (p<0. 0001). The AKAP4 expression levels in the TAZ group was 2.56-fold (p<0. 003) lower compare to NZ group. Also, The AKAP4 expression levels in the AZ group was 2.24-fold (p<0. 004) lower compare to NZ group.
  • Conclusion: changes in AKAP4 gene expression could affect sperm's normal motility and morphology.
  • Keywords: asthenozoospermia, infertility, AKAP4, terato-asthenozoospermia