Identification of transcripts by macroarrays, RT–PCR and in situ hybridization in human ejaculate spermatozoa

Round spermatids contain high levels of extremely varied mRNAs that are synthesized either throughout early spermatogenesis or during spermiogenesis from the haploid genome. Concomitantly, with major changes in the chromatin organization, arrest of transcription occurs at midspermiogenesis. However, previous investigations using RT–PCR have revealed the persistence of numerous and different transcripts in ejaculated spermatozoa. In the present study, a step-by-step analysis by means of macroarray hybridization, RT–PCR and in situ hybridization was performed to identify more accurately the different mRNA species found in the human ejaculated spermatozoa. The data showed an extended pattern of various transcripts encoding a diverse range of proteins involved in signal transduction and cell proliferation. For the first time, they demonstrated that mRNAs coding for the transcription factors NFκB, HOX2A, ICSBP, protein kinase JNK2, growth factor HBEGF and receptors RXRβ and ErbB3 accumulate within the sperm nucleus. The origin and fate of the sperm transcripts remain subject to discussion.