Assessment of Sperm PAWP Expression in Infertile Men

The aim of this study was to evaluate expression of Post-Acrosomal WW Binding Protein (PAWP) in infertile men with low and high fertilization post ICSI and also globozoospermic men.

Semen samples were collected from 18 infertile men with previously failed or low fertilization (< 25%) post ICSI, 10 men with high fertilization (>50%) post ICSI, 15 globozoospermic men, and 21 fertile individuals. Then, expression of PAWP was assessed at RNA with quantitative Real Time PCR.

Relative expression of PAWP in sperm was significantly (P < .05) lower in infertile men with globozoospermia (41.5 ± 5.7) or low fertilization rate (43.3±10.4) compared to fertile (138.8 ± 17.3)or men with high fertilization (211.6 ± 75.6). In addition, a significant positive correlation (r = 0.628; P = .001) was observed between percentage of fertilization with the relative expression of PAWP.

Considering solid recent evidences regarding PLCζ as the main sperm factor involved in oocyte activation, therefore co-localization of PLCζ with PAWP in perinuclear theca may account for the above observation and it is likely that PAWP may have other functions and/or it may assist PLCζ.