Investigation of the mechanisms leading to human sperm DNA damage based on transcriptome analysis by RNA-seq techniques

Research question: What are the molecular mechanisms leading to human sperm DNA damage?

Design: Semen samples were collected and the sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI) was assessed. Differentially expressed RNA in spermatozoa with a high (DFI ≥30%, experimental group) or normal (DFI <30%, control group) DFI were identified by RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) technology, and Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis was performed. Three differentially expressed RNA related to sperm DNA damage and repair, namely PMS1, TP53BP1 and TLK2, were validated using real-time quantitative (RT-qPCR).