The role of epigenetics in spermatogenesis

Male germ cells have a unique morphology and function to facilitate fertilization. Sperm deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is highly condensed to protect the paternal genome during transfer from male to oocyte. Sperm cells undergo extensive epigenetic modifications during differentiation to become a mature spermatozoon. Epigenetic modifications, including DNA methylation, histone modifications, and chromatin remodeling are substantial regulators of spermatogenesis. DNA hypermethylation is associated with gene silencing. Meanwhile, hypomethylation is associated with gene expression. In sperm cells, promoters of developmental genes are highly hypomethylated. Proper DNA methylation is essential for embryo development. Histone modifications are chemical modifications that change the DNA-binding capacity of histones and the accessibility of regulatory factors to the DNA, thereby altering gene expression. Phosphorylation, methylation, acetylation, and ubiquitination are primary modifications of lysine and serine residues on histone tails. In addition to somatic histones, testis-specific histone variants are expressed, including histone H2B in mature sperm. The replacement of histones with protamines is a crucial step in spermatogenesis. Histone hyperacetylation induces a loose chromatin structure and facilitates topoisomerase-induced DNA strand breaks. As a result, histones are replaced with transition proteins. Next, the transition proteins are replaced with protamines that induce compaction of sperm DNA. This review provides an overview of epigenetic changes during spermatogenesis.