Sperm prohibitin expression positively correlates with sperm mitochondrial potential and sperm motility in asthenospermic or oligoasthenospermic subjects

Abstract

Prohibitin is a highly conserved major sperm mitochondrial membrane protein. Based on its roles in the morphogenesis of mitochondrial cristae, in functional subcompartmentalization within mitochondria, and in the respiratory chain, we propose that sperm prohibitin expression may be altered in male infertility associated with poor motility (asthenospermia, A) and/or low sperm concentration (oligoasthenospermia, OA). Semen samples from 68 male subjects between 30-40 years old attempting ICSI/IVF were subjected to sperm motility analysis according to 2010 WHO standards. Sperm mitochondrial potential was quantified by flow cytometry after MitoTracker® Red probe staining. The localization of prohibitin protein in the sperm was detected by immunofluorescence after MitoTracker® Red probe staining while the expression level of prohibitin protein was analyzed using SDS-PAGE and Western blot. The results showed that the prohibitin protein was co-localized with MitoTracker® Red probe in the sperm mitochondria. The sperm mitochondrial potential was significantly lower in the sperm from A (P<0.05) or OA (P<0.001) subjects than normospermia (N) subjects. The decrease in potential was more severe for OA subjects than A subjects (P<0.05). The prohibitin expression was also significantly lower in sperm from A or OA subjects (P<0.05). Positive correlations were found among prohibitin expression, mitochondrial potentials and sperm motility (P<0.05). We conclude that prohibitin may be used as an indicator of sperm quality in asthenospermic or oligoasthenospermic infertile subjects.