Phenotype Compensation in Reproductive ADAM Gene Family: A Case Study with ADAM27 Knockout Mouse

A disintegrin and metalloproteinase (ADAM) cell surface proteins are expressed in different cells and are involved in biological processes such as cell-cell interactions, cell differentiation, sperm attachment and fertilization. A significant number of ADAM isoforms are expressed in the reproductive tracts of male mice and other mammals, which shows the importance of this gene family in reproduction. The role of ADAM27 protein in reproduction was investigated. ADAM27 knock-out mutant mice were generated using the blastocyst microinjection technique. The knock-out mice were analyzed genetically and phenotypically to discover any abnormalities. The results of this study revealed that the homozygote mutant male mice were fertile and showed no significant differences compared to wild-type male mice. A histological exam, sperm analysis and in-vitro fertilization experiments showed no statistical differences. We can conclude that the role of deficient ADAM27 protein is probably compensated mainly by other ADAM isoforms which are expressed in the reproductive system.