Ranbp9 Gene Important for Male Fertility

Ranbp9, the gene expressed in testis, plays a major role in male fertility by controlling the correct expression of thousands of genes required for successful sperm production. A group of researchers led by Professor Wei Yan, at the University of Nevada School of Medicine has discovered that a loss of function of Ranbp9 leads to severely reduced male fertility due to disruptions in sperm development. A paper reporting this finding was published in PLOS Genetics on December 4, 2014.

Male infertility affects 1 out of 20 men of reproductive age worldwide and the underlying causes remain largely unknown. The production of functional sperm is a prerequisite for male fertility, and is achieved through a complex process termed spermatogenesis, which is controlled by numerous genes that are synthesized and processed into messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) molecules of different sizes.