Infertility is a global concern attributed to genetic defects,lifestyle,nutrition,and any other factors that affect the local metabolism and niche microenvironment of the reproductive system.2-Oxoglutarate receptor 1(...Infertility is a global concern attributed to genetic defects,lifestyle,nutrition,and any other factors that affect the local metabolism and niche microenvironment of the reproductive system.2-Oxoglutarate receptor 1(OXGR1)is abundantly expressed in the testis;however,its cellular distribution and biological function of OXGR1 in the male reproductive system remain unclear.In the current study,we demonstrated that OXGR1 is primarily expressed in epididymal smooth muscle cells(SMCs).Aging and heat stress significantly reduced OXGR1 expression in the epididymis.Using OXGR1 global knockout and epididymal-specific OXGR1 knockdown models,we revealed that OXGR1 is essential for epididymal sperm maturation and fluid acid–base balance.Supplementation ofα-ketoglutaric acid(AKG),the endogenous ligand of OXGR1,effectively reversed epididymal sperm maturation disorders caused by aging and heat stress.Furthermore,in vitro studies showed that AKG markedly stimulated the release of instantaneous intracellular calcium from epididymal SMCs and substantially reduced the pH_(i) value in the epididymal SMCs via OXGR1.Mechanistically,we discovered that AKG/OXGR1 considerably increased the expression of Na^(+)/HCO_(3)^(−)cotransporter(NBCe1)mRNA in the epididymal SMCs,mediated by intracellular calcium signaling.The local AKG/OXGR1 system changed the epididymal fluid pH value and HCO_(3)^(−)concentration,thereby regulating sperm maturation via intracellular calcium signaling and NBCe1 mRNA expression.This study for the first time reveals the crucial role of OXGR1 in male fertility and sheds light on the applicability of metabolic intermediates in the nutritional intervention of reproduction.展开更多
基金This work was supported by the Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture Project(NZ20211028)Local Innovative and Research Teams Project of Guangdong Province(2019BT02N630).
文摘Infertility is a global concern attributed to genetic defects,lifestyle,nutrition,and any other factors that affect the local metabolism and niche microenvironment of the reproductive system.2-Oxoglutarate receptor 1(OXGR1)is abundantly expressed in the testis;however,its cellular distribution and biological function of OXGR1 in the male reproductive system remain unclear.In the current study,we demonstrated that OXGR1 is primarily expressed in epididymal smooth muscle cells(SMCs).Aging and heat stress significantly reduced OXGR1 expression in the epididymis.Using OXGR1 global knockout and epididymal-specific OXGR1 knockdown models,we revealed that OXGR1 is essential for epididymal sperm maturation and fluid acid–base balance.Supplementation ofα-ketoglutaric acid(AKG),the endogenous ligand of OXGR1,effectively reversed epididymal sperm maturation disorders caused by aging and heat stress.Furthermore,in vitro studies showed that AKG markedly stimulated the release of instantaneous intracellular calcium from epididymal SMCs and substantially reduced the pH_(i) value in the epididymal SMCs via OXGR1.Mechanistically,we discovered that AKG/OXGR1 considerably increased the expression of Na^(+)/HCO_(3)^(−)cotransporter(NBCe1)mRNA in the epididymal SMCs,mediated by intracellular calcium signaling.The local AKG/OXGR1 system changed the epididymal fluid pH value and HCO_(3)^(−)concentration,thereby regulating sperm maturation via intracellular calcium signaling and NBCe1 mRNA expression.This study for the first time reveals the crucial role of OXGR1 in male fertility and sheds light on the applicability of metabolic intermediates in the nutritional intervention of reproduction.
