Microtubular Dysfunction and Male Infertility

Microtubules are the prime component of the cytoskeleton along with microfilaments. Being vital for organelle transport and cellular divisions during spermatogenesis and sperm motility process, microtubules ascertain functional capacity of sperm. Also, microtubule based structures such as axoneme and manchette are crucial for sperm head and tail formation. This review (a) presents a concise, yet detailed structural overview of the microtubules, (b) analyses the role of microtubule structures in various male reproductive functions, and (c) presents the association of microtubular dysfunctions with male infertility. Considering the immense importance of microtubule structures in the formation and maintenance of physiological functions of sperm cells, this review serves as a scientific trigger in stimulating further male infertility research in this direction.

The world journal of men's health. 2018 Oct 22 [Epub ahead of print]

Sezgin Gunes, Pallav Sengupta, Ralf Henkel, Aabed Alguraigari, Mariana Marques Sinigaglia, Malik Kayal, Ahmad Joumah, Ashok Agarwal

Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Ondokuz Mayis University, Samsun, Turkey., Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, MAHSA University, Selangor, Malaysia., Department of Medical Bioscience, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, South Africa., Batterjee Medical College, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia., University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil., Alfaisal University Medical School, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia., American Center for Reproductive Medicine, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA. .