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Mutational analysis of the human FATE gene in 144 infertile men

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Abstract

The FATE gene maps to Xq28 where one case of a translocation breakpoint has been found in an infertile man. Moreover, the FATE promoter contains a putative SF-1-binding site, and FATE has been proposed as representing a target gene of SF-1 in testicular development or germ cell differentiation. This study presents a complete mutational screening of the FATE gene in a random group of 144 infertile males. Four polymorphisms and two mutations were found. Three of the polymorphisms, viz., 741C→T, 905A→C, and 3985C→T, occurred in exon 5 and intron 2 and did not alter the deduced polypeptide. One polymorphism resulted in the conservative amino acid exchange, A10 V, in 16.0% of the patients. This substitution occurred with similar frequencies in the control groups, indicating that the mutation does not affect fertility in men or women. The two mutations caused the non-conservative amino acid substitutions S125R (patient 1) and I34T (patient 2). A family study (patient 1) revealed, however, that S125R was inherited and that a fertile male family member carried the mutation. Patient 2 did not have relevant family members who could be examined. Thus, this study has shown that only 1.4% of infertile men have mutations in the FATE gene, and that some of these mutations do not singly cause infertility. Hence, FATE may not play an important role in the disease-state of infertile men attending fertility clinics. However, FATE mutations cannot be excluded as being a contributing factor in some cases of male infertility.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the The Danish Environmental Research Programme, The Danish Medical Research Council (9700832), Novo Nordisk Foundation, Deutsche Bundesministerium für Forschung und Technologie (01KW99087) and the EU-Commission (BMH4-CT97–2268). Wilhelm Johannsen Centre for Functional Genome Research is established by the Danish National Research Foundation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, Rigshospitalet, DK-2100, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Christian Olesen

  2. Wilhelm Johannsen Center for Functional Genome Research, Department of Medical Genetics, IMBG, University of Copenhagen, DK-2200, Copenhagen N, Denmark

    Christian Olesen, Joachim Silber, Hans Eiberg & Niels Tommerup

  3. Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Aarhus University Hospital, DK-8000, Aarhus, Denmark

    Erik Ernst

  4. Fertility Clinic Ciconia, DK-8270, Høj Højbjerg, Denmark

    Karsten Petersen

  5. Fertility Clinic, Herlev Hospital, DK-2730, Herlev, Denmark

    Svend Lindenberg

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  1. Christian Olesen
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  2. Joachim Silber
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  3. Hans Eiberg
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  4. Erik Ernst
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  5. Karsten Petersen
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  6. Svend Lindenberg
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  7. Niels Tommerup
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Correspondence to Christian Olesen.

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Olesen, C., Silber, J., Eiberg, H. et al. Mutational analysis of the human FATE gene in 144 infertile men. Hum Genet 113, 195–201 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00439-003-0974-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00439-003-0974-9

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