The constructive and destructive impact of autophagy on both genders' reproducibility, a comprehensive review

Reproduction is characterized by a series of massive renovations at molecular, cellular, and tissue levels. Recent studies have strongly tended to reveal the involvement of basic molecular pathways such as autophagy, a highly conserved eukaryotic cellular recycling, during reproductive processes. This review comprehensively describes the current knowledge, updated to September 2022, of autophagy contribution during reproductive processes in males including spermatogenesis, sperm motility and viability, and male sex hormones and females including germ cells and oocytes viability, ovulation, implantation, fertilization, and female sex hormones. Furthermore, the consequences of disruption in autophagic flux on the reproductive disorders including oligospermia, azoospermia, asthenozoospermia, teratozoospermia, globozoospermia, premature ovarian insufficiency, polycystic ovarian syndrome, endometriosis, and other disorders related to infertility are discussed as well.

Automated summary

Reproduction involves significant molecular, cellular, and tissue changes, and recent studies have highlighted the importance of basic molecular pathways, such as autophagy, in reproductive processes. This comprehensive review provides an up-to-date overview of the role of autophagy in male reproduction, including spermatogenesis, sperm motility and viability, and male sex hormones, as well as female reproduction, including germ cells and oocyte viability, ovulation, implantation, fertilization, and female sex hormones. The review also discusses the impact of disrupted autophagic flux on reproductive disorders, including infertility-related conditions such as oligospermia, azoospermia, asthenozoospermia, teratozoospermia, globozoospermia, premature ovarian insufficiency, polycystic ovarian syndrome, endometriosis, and others.