Impact of cilia-related genes on mitochondrial dynamics during Drosophila spermatogenesis

Abstract

Spermatogenesis is a dynamic process of cellular differentiation that generates the mature spermatozoa required for reproduction. Errors that arise during this process can lead to sterility due to low sperm counts and malformed or immotile sperm. While it is estimated that 1 out of 7 human couples encounter infertility, the underlying cause of male infertility can only be identified in 50% of cases. Here, we describe and examine the genetic requirements for missing minor mitochondria (mmm), sterile affecting ciliogenesis (sac), and testes of unusual size (tous), three previously uncharacterized genes in Drosophila that are predicted to be components of the flagellar axoneme. Using Drosophila, we demonstrate that these genes are essential for male fertility and that loss of mmm, sac, or tous results in complete immotility of the sperm flagellum. Cytological examination uncovered additional roles for sac and tous during cytokinesis and transmission electron microscopy of developing spermatids in mmm, sac, and tous mutant animals revealed defects associated with mitochondria and the accessory microtubules required for the proper elongation of the mitochondria and flagella during ciliogenesis. This study highlights the complex interactions of cilia-related proteins within the cell body and advances our understanding of male infertility by uncovering novel mitochondrial defects during spermatogenesis.