help button home button Endocrine Society JCEM
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS

This Article
Right arrow Abstract Freely available
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Submit a related Letter to the Editor
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Request Copyright Permission
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Tut, T. G.
Right arrow Articles by Yong, E. L.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Tut, T. G.
Right arrow Articles by Yong, E. L.
The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism Vol. 82, No. 11 3777-3782
Copyright © 1997 by The Endocrine Society


Original Studies

Long Polyglutamine Tracts in the Androgen Receptor Are Associated with Reduced Trans-Activation, Impaired Sperm Production, and Male Infertility1

Thein G. Tut, Farid J. Ghadessy, M. A. Trifiro, L. Pinsky and E. L. Yong

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National University of Singapore, Republic of Singapore 119074; and Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Sir Mortimer B. Davis-Jewish General Hospital, Departments of Human Genetics and Medicine, McGill University (M.A.T., L.P.), Montreal, Canada H3T 1E2

Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Dr. E. L. Yong, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National University Hospital, Lower Kent Ridge Road, Republic of Singapore 119074.


    Abstract
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Subjects and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 
The X-linked androgen receptor (AR) gene contains two polymorphic trinucleotide repeat segments that code for polyglutamine and polyglycine tracts in the N-terminal trans-activation domain of the AR protein. Changes in the lengths of these polymorphic repeat segments have been associated with increased risk of prostate cancer, an androgen-dependent tumor. Expansion of the polyglutamine tract causes a rare neuromuscular disease, spinal bulbar muscular atrophy, that is associated with low virilization, reduced sperm production, testicular atrophy, and infertility. As spermatogenesis is exquisitely androgen dependent, it is plausible that changes in these two repeat segments could have a role in some cases of male infertility associated with impaired spermatogenesis. To test this hypothesis, we examined the lengths of the polyglutamine and polyglycine repeats in 153 patients with defective sperm production and compared them to 72 normal controls of proven fertility. There was no significant association between the polyglycine tract and infertility. However, patients with 28 or more glutamines (Gln) in their AR had more than 4-fold (95% confidence interval, 4.9–3.2) increased risk of impaired spermatogenesis, and the more severe the spermatogenic defect, the higher the proportion of patients with a longer Gln repeat. Concordantly, the risk of defective spermatogenesis was halved when the polyglutamine tract was short (<=23 Gln). Whole cell transfection experiments using AR constructs harboring 15, 20, and 31 Gln repeats and a luciferase reporter gene with an androgen response element promoter confirmed an inverse relationship between Gln number and trans-regulatory activity. Immunoblot analyses indicated that the reduced androgenicity of the AR was unlikely to be due to a change in AR protein content. The data indicate a direct relation between length of the AR polyglutamine tract and the risk of defective spermatogenesis that is attributable to the decreased functional competence of AR with longer glutamine tracts.


    Introduction
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Subjects and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 
INFERTILITY affects 10–15% of all couples, and impaired sperm production accounts for about half of these cases. The cause of defective spermatogenesis remains largely obscure (1). Androgens are required for normal spermatogenesis; however, most males with impaired spermatogenesis have normal serum androgen levels. Therefore, attention was focused on the androgen receptor (AR) as a possible cause of the impaired spermatogenesis in subjects with idiopathic male infertility. The AR protein, when activated by androgen binding, translocates to the nucleus and binds to androgen response elements (ARE) in the promoter regions of androgen-responsive genes, causing specific gene transcription (2). The AR gene contains two polymorphic trinucleotide repeat loci: [CAG]n, which codes for a polyglutamine tract, and [GGC]n, which coded for a polyglycine tract. Both loci are located in exon 1, which encodes the trans-activation domain of the receptor protein (3). Expansion of the polyglutamine segment in the male leads to spinal bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA) (4), a fatal neuromuscular disease associated with low virilization, oligospermia (reduced sperm production) or azoospermia (no sperm production), testicular atrophy, and reduced fertility (5, 6). Relatively short polyglutamine tracts with or without associated polyglycine tract changes have been linked to an increased risk (7) or an earlier age of onset (8) of prostate cancer, an androgen-dependent tumor. It is, therefore, plausible that spermatogenesis, an exquisitely androgen-dependent process, could be affected by changes in the lengths of these two microsatellite tracts. To explore the validity of this hypothesis we determined the lengths of the two AR polymorphic tracts in subjects with defective spermatogenesis and compared them to normal fertile controls. A significant relationship was found between the length of the polyglutamine tract and defective sperm production, and functional studies were performed to examine the trans-activation capacity of these AR variants in vitro.


    Subjects and Methods
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Subjects and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 
Patients were recruited from the subfertility clinic after giving informed consent. Patients who had hypopituitarism, hyperprolactinemia, or infective or obstructive syndromes of the genital tract were excluded. Sperm parameters were assessed according to standard criteria (9) and were the mean of at least two analyses performed 3 months apart. Control subjects, recruited from the contraceptive clinic, were men of proven fertility with no previous infertility history or treatment and without any genetic disease.

Trinucleotide repeat allele analysis

DNA was extracted from the peripheral blood of patients and control subjects using standard techniques (10). The CAG repeat segment was amplified using primers ALS and A2 (Fig. 1Go) (4). One microcurie of [{alpha}-33P]deoxy-ATP was added to make a final reaction volume of 25 µL. We used a 2-step 30-cycle amplification protocol in which the denaturing temperature was 95 C for 45 s, and the combined annealing and extension temperature was 68 C for 1.5 min. In the first cycle the sample was denatured for 5 min. The GGC repeat segment was amplified using 70% deaza-GTP, thermostable vent DNA polymerase, and the primers A7.1 (CTCATCCTGGCACACTCTCTTCACAGC) and A8 (GGACTGGGATAGGGCACTCTGCTCACC; Fig. 1Go). Denaturing temperatures of 98 C for 1 min and annealing/extension at 70 C for 5 min were used for 40 cycles to amplify this GC-rich region. The reactions were terminated with 20 µL of a solution containing 95% formamide in 20 mmol/L ethylenediamine tetraacetate and 0.05% of bromophenol blue and xylene cyanol. The mixture was heat denatured for 3 min at 95 C before being electrophoresed on an 8% polyacrylamide-7 mol/L urea sequencing gel at 70 watts for 6 h. Gels were dried and exposed to Kodak X-Omat film (Eastman Kodak, Rochester, NY) overnight. The size of the most prominent (usually upper doublet) band was determined by comparison with PCR products of known lengths and also with dideoxy sequencing ladders. Each allele was examined on at least two separate occasions using different PCR reactions, and alleles of the same size were examined together to eliminate any discrepancies in length. Some repeats were also directly sequenced to confirm the accuracy of the length assignments, and these were subsequently used as reference samples. Sequencing was performed using automated fluorescent sequencing (Perkin-Elmer, Foster City, CA) in both the forward and reverse directions.



View larger version (19K):
[in this window]
[in a new window]
 
Figure 1. Schematic representation of exon 1 from the AR gene and sequencing electropherogram of an expanded trinucleotide tract coding for polyglutamine from a patient with defective spermatogenesis. The primer pairs ALS, A2 and A7.1, A8 were used to amplify segments coding for the polyglutamine and polyglycine tracts, respectively. The tract shown consists of 30 CAG repeats and a terminal CAA codon resulting in 31 Gln.

 
Single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analyses

The rest of the coding sequence of AR (exons 2–8) was examined by PCR-SSCP and silver staining (10) to screen for other associated subtle mutations in our group of patients. This was to ensure that our data were not confounded by exonic mutations that were linked to any particular trinucleotide repeat allelle. Mutations so uncovered were not included in this report.

Construction of CAG expression plasmids

Two AR alleles with polyglutamine sizes at the extremes of our range were selected, 1 with 31 glutamines (Gln) from an infertile patient, and the other with 15 Gln from a normal control. The segments containing either 15 or 31 polyglutamine repeats were amplified from genomic DNA using the primer pairs A1 and A2 (3) and high fidelity Pfu DNA polymerase (Stratagene, La Jolla, CA). The amplified fragments containing the CAG trinucleotide tract were gel purified and double digested with EagI and BfrI, and the central fragment with overhanging ends was ligated to an AR expression plasmid (BHEXE-pAR) that had the corresponding segment excised. The resulting vectors, encoding ARs with 31 and 15 Gln, were used along with the original BHEXE-pAR (20 Gln) for cotransfection experiments. The spliced portions were sequenced to confirm the lengths of polyglutamine tracts as well as to exclude any inadvertent mutations.

Measurement of AR function

Plasmid constructs were transfected into COS-7 cells, a heterologous mammalian cell line that does not express endogenous AR. The reporter gene was pMAMneo-LUC (Clontech, Palo Alto CA), containing the luciferase gene coupled to the mouse mammary tumor virus long terminal repeat. The mouse mammary tumor virus long terminal repeat has several ARE that make it a strong promoter when activated by ligand-bound AR. COS-7 cells were transiently transfected using the lipofection technique. A DNA mix containing expression vector (1 µg), pMAMneo-LUC (1 µg) and pßGal (0.5 µg) was preincubated for 45 min at room temperature with 10 µL Lipofectamine (Promega, Madison, WI) in 400 µL serum-free medium. The DNA-liposome complexes were overlayed onto 80–95% confluent COS-7 cells in a total volume of 2.4 mL, and transfection was continued for 16–24 h before the addition of growth medium containing 10% charcoal-stripped FCS, penicillin-streptomycin, a 5{alpha}-reductase inhibitor (finasteride, 10-7 mol/L), and the indicated amounts of androgens. After 40–48 h of incubation, the cells were rinsed twice with phosphate-buffered saline and lysed with 400 µL reporter lysis buffer (Promega). Cells were scraped from the petri dishes, and after one freeze-thaw cycle, the cell lysates were cleared by centrifugation at 12,000 x g for 10 min. Cell lysates (20 µL) were added to 100 µL luciferase substrate, and luciferase activity measured with a luminometer. Transfection efficiency was assessed by ß-galactosidase activity and luciferase activity normalized by the protein content of the cell lysates. Total protein in the supernatant was quantified using the method of Lowry et al. (11), with BSA as the standard.

Western analysis

Immunoblot analyses were used to study the effect of polyglutamine length on levels of AR protein. Equal volumes of 2 x SDS-PAGE gel loading buffer (100 mmol/L Tris Cl, pH 6.8; 200 mmol/L dithiothreitol; 4% SDS; 0.2% bromophenol blue; and 20% glycerol) were added to the cell extracts (30 µg total protein), and the samples of cleared cell lysates were heated to 100 C for 5 min before loading onto a 7% SDS-PAGE gel. Electrophoresis was carried out in SDS-PAGE running buffer (25 mmol/L Tris, 250 mmol/L glycine, and 0.1% SDS) at 80 V for 1.5 h. The gel was preequilibrated for 15 min in transfer buffer (48 mmol/L Tris base, 39 mmol/L glycine, and 20% methanol) before electroblotting (100 V, 1 h) onto nitrocellulose membrane (Hybond ECL, Amersham, Singapore) using the Mini Trans-Blot Cell (Bio-Rad, Hercules, CA). We used the rabbit monoclonal antibody, PG-21 (a gift from Dr. G. Prins), to recognize the first 21 N-terminal amino acids of the human AR. AR-antibody complexes were subsequently visualized by enhanced chemiluminescence following the manufacturer’s protocol (ECL System, Amersham).

Statistical analyses

The computed odds ratio (OR) was used as an estimate of the relative risk. Confidence intervals (CIs) on the OR were constructed based on the logarithmic transformation method of Katz (12). Student’s t test was used to evaluate differences in trans-activation experiments. Values of P < 0.05 were considered significant.


    Results
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Subjects and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 
Patients (n = 153) with varying degrees and types of impaired spermatogenesis were recruited from the infertility clinic. Their mean serum FSH and LH levels were slightly raised at 6.4 IU/L (normal, 0.8–4.7) and 7.53 IU/L (normal, 2.0–6.9) respectively. Serum PRL and testosterone levels were 213 IU/mL and 6.58 ng/mL, respectively, not different from those in the normal population. Based on the average semen quality on at least two occasions, the patients were classified into the following categories: azoospermia (no spermatozoa detected), severe oligospermia (<5 million sperm/mL), moderate oligospermia (5–20 million sperm/mL), and those with normal sperm concentrations (>20 million/mL) but with abnormalities of motility or morphology (Table 1Go). Subjects (n = 72) of proven fertility and with no history of infertility served as controls. The racial compositions of the patient and control groups were similar: ethnic Chinese formed 64% and 59% of the patient and control groups, respectively.


View this table:
[in this window]
[in a new window]
 
Table 1. Size of the polyglycine tract in patients with defective spermatogenesis and in fertile controls

 
PCR-SSCP was used to screen DNA from the peripheral blood of the patients and control subjects for mutations in exons 2–8 of the AR gene. Several point mutations were uncovered (13, 14), and these patients were excluded from the present report. DNA fragments coding for the polymorphic polyglutamine and polyglycine tracts of AR (Fig. 1Go) were amplified in the presence of [{alpha}-33P]deoxy-ATP, and their sizes were determined by comparison with sequencing ladders on denaturing polyacrylamide gels (Fig. 2Go). Several alleles with longer and shorter trinucleotide fragments were directly sequenced to confirm the accuracy of size assignments (Fig. 1Go). The polyglycine tract was less polymorphic and consisted of 7 alleles (Table 1Go). The most common allele, forming about 62–77% of the cases in each category, coded for 23 glycines. There were no significant differences in the size of the polyglycine tract between patients and controls. In contrast, the distribution of alleles encoding the polyglutamine tract suggested that patients with reduced sperm counts differed significantly, with respect to the prevalence of Gln number beyond 27, compared to normal fertile controls (Table 2Go). Patients with 28 or more Gln in their AR had more than 4-fold (95% CI, 4.9–3.2) increased risk of reduced spermatogenesis. There was also a trend whereby the more severe the spermatogenic defect, the greater the proportion of patients with the longer polyglutamine alleles. Thus, in azoospermic patients 17.8% had 29 or more Gln in their AR compared to 15.7%, 15.3%, and 3.4% for severe oligospermia, moderate oligospermia, and abnormal motility cases, respectively. Interestingly, the risk of reduced spermatogenesis was halved (OR, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.42–0.77) with short repeat lengths of 23 or fewer Gln (Table 2Go). For Gln repeats of 21 or fewer, the OR was 0.44, suggesting that the shorter the length the less the chance of defective spermatogenesis. The data indicate an inverse relationship between the length of the polyglutamine tract in the AR and the risk of reduced spermatogenesis.



View larger version (58K):
[in this window]
[in a new window]
 
Figure 2. Representative autoradiogram showing differences in (CAG)n repeat lengths between patients and controls. The CAG repeat segment of the AR gene was amplified in the presence of [{alpha}-33P]deoxy-ATP before separation in a denaturing polyacrylamide gel. The first six lanes were from normal fertile controls, and the last six were from patients with azoospermia and severe oligospermia. Numbers on the left represent the length of the polyglutamine tracts encoded by each fragment. Stutter bands can be seen below the most prominent doublet.

 

View this table:
[in this window]
[in a new window]
 
Table 2. Relationship between size of polyglutamine tract and severity of sperm defects

 
To investigate whether the differences in polyglutamine lengths encountered in our group of patients and controls can lead to varying AR function in vitro, AR complementary DNA encoding 31 and 15 Gln were constructed from patient and control genomic DNA, respectively. These AR sizes were at the extreme range encountered in our subjects. AR variants were expressed in COS-7 cells, and their ability to trans-activate a reporter gene was examined. There was an inverse relationship between AR polyglutamine tract length and its transactivation function (Fig. 3AGo). Thus, the AR with 31 Gln had only 64% of the trans-activation capacity of the AR with 15 (by t test, P = 0.005). This pattern was observed with 100 nmol/L of both of the physiological androgens, testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT). These differences in trans-activation function, whereby the shorter the glutamine tract, the greater the trans-activation function, were also observed when a dose-response experiment was performed (Fig. 3BGo). Thus, at 10 or 30 nmol/L DHT, the greatest trans-activation activity was seen with the smallest AR (15 Gln), whereas the longest (31 Gln) had a significantly lower trans-activation capacity (P < 0.01). Concurrent Western analyses (Fig. 3CGo) showed that the amounts of immunoreactive AR protein present at any specific hormone dose for the three AR variants were similar (comparing lanes 1, 4, and 7; 2, 5, and 8; and 3, 6, and 9), indicating that the trans-activation differences observed were unlikely to be due simply to changes in the AR protein content. The amounts of AR protein in this experiment were within the linear range of the immunoblot assay as shown in Fig. 3DGo. For each AR variant, we observed slight increases in AR protein at the higher DHT concentrations (comparing lanes 1–3, 4–6, and 7–9), probably reflecting increased receptor stability in the presence of higher doses of androgen (15).



View larger version (40K):
[in this window]
[in a new window]
 
Figure 3. Trans-activation capacity of AR variants with long and short polyglutamine tracts. ARs with polyglutamine tracts of three sizes (15, 20, and 31 Gln) were expressed in COS-7 cells and examined for their ability to trans-activate a luciferase reporter construct. Bars were the means ± SE of four replicates. A, In the presence of saturating doses (100 nmol/L) of the physiological androgens, DHT and testosterone (TEST), AR with 31 Gln had significantly less trans-activation capacity than AR with 15 Gln for both DHT (P = 0.005) and TEST (P = 0.018). B, Responses of AR variants to increasing doses of DHT. The longer AR (31 Gln) had significantly lower trans-activation capacity compared to the shorter AR (15 Gln) at doses of DHT above 10 nmol/L (P < 0.01). C, Immunoblot showing AR protein from the cell lysates of the experiment depicted in B. AR variants with 15 (lanes 1–3), 20 (lanes 4–6), and 31 (lanes 7–9) Gln were exposed to 3 nmol/L (lanes 1, 4, and 7), 10 nmol/L (lanes 2, 5, and 8), and 30 nmol/L (lanes 3, 6, and 9) DHT. Total protein (30 µg) from representative cell lysates were separated on an SDS-PAGE gel and blotted, and AR protein (arrow) was identified with a specific monoclonal antibody. D, Immunoblot to establish the linear range of the assay. Cell lysates from the aliquot (lane 3, C) with the strongest signal were separated on an SDS-PAGE gel and analyzed as described above. Lanes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 contained 52.5, 45, 37.5, 30, 22.5, and 15 µg total protein, respectively. Lane 4 in this gel is equivalent to lane 3 in C.

 

    Discussion
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Subjects and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 
The AR is critical for male sexual development, and sperm formation is extremely dependent on androgens (16). Suppression of endogenous androgen production has been used as a form of male contraception (17). Androgen levels in our patients (mean testosterone, 6.58; normal range, 3.2–9.5 ng/mL) were normal. We wondered whether defects of the androgen response pathway could be involved in the etiology of idiopathic male infertility. Trinucleotide repeat tract expansions are very common in receptor genes (18), and there is evidence that they may serve a regulatory function (19). Patients with SBMA have evidence of deficient virilization and defective sperm production (20) in association with expanded polyglutamine tracts in their AR. We, therefore, investigated whether the lengths of the two polyglutamine and polyglycine tracts in the AR were related to defective sperm production. As missense mutations of the AR gene can also lead to mild androgen insensitivity and defective sperm production (21), cases with exonic point mutations uncovered by PCR-SSCP screening (13, 14) were excluded from the present analysis. There was no significant relationship between the length of the polyglycine tract and male infertility. In contrast, moderate expansion of the polyglutamine tract (>=28 Gln), although still in the polymorphic range, was associated with a significantly increased risk of defective spermatogenesis. There was a trend whereby the greater the spermatogenic defect, the greater the proportion of patients with long polyglutamine tracts. In contrast, short polyglutamine tracts were significantly associated with reduced risk of infertility. These differences were not due to ethnic origins (22), as the racial composition of patients and controls were similar, the majority being of Southern Chinese descent.

The maximum polyglutamine length encountered in our patients was 31 Gln, well short of the 40 or more Gln found in SBMA patients. Although there is evidence that the pathologically expanded tracts found in SBMA patients can reduce AR trans-activation (23), our data suggest that the polymorphic expansions in Gln number encountered in our patients could also significantly reduce AR function in vitro. There was an inverse relationship between the length of the polyglutamine tract and the ability to trans-activate a reporter gene with AREs in its promoter. This reduced trans-activation was seen with both of the physiological androgens, testosterone and DHT, and at doses of DHT between 10–100 nmol/L. Relatively high doses of androgens were selected because androgen levels are 50- to 100-fold higher in the testes than those in plasma (24). High concentrations of androgens, although greater than their Kd in vitro, appear essential for sperm production, as spermatogenesis could be impaired when testosterone levels in seminiferous tubule fluid were below 45 nmol/L (16). Examination of messenger ribonucleic acid and protein expression of AR constructs harboring 0–66 Gln suggest that repeat expansion could be associated with reduced AR messenger ribonucleic acid and protein expression (25). Reduction of immunodetectable AR with increasing polyglutamine length was not observed in our study, although the range examined (15–31 Gln) could be too narrow for these differences to be evident.

Thus, both in vivo and in vitro data support the concept that the longer its Gln repeat, the less androgenic the AR. On the other hand, short Gln repeats are associated with increased risk of the androgen-dependent tumor, prostate cancer (26). Prostate cancer can be considered a manifestation of an excessive response to androgens, and androgen suppression or ablation therapy has been used to control the malignancy (27). A length less than 23 Gln was associated with a 2-fold increased risk of the cancer (7). Cases with short polyglutamine lengths had an earlier age of onset of prostate cancer (8), increased extraprostatic extension, and higher histological grade of tumor (28). Interestingly, ARs with polyglutamine lengths of 23 or fewer, the same size that was found to give an excessive risk of prostate cancer (7), were associated with a reduced risk of male infertility in the present study, suggesting that the greater androgenicity associated with the shorter Gln repeats could boost germ cell replication but at the long term risk of overstimulating the growth of prostatic tissue. Collectively, the evidence supports the hypothesis that the Gln repeat has a role in AR function by fine-tuning the balance between excess and deficient receptor function. The highly polymorphic nature of the Gln repeat would imply a subtle gradation of AR function among individuals, possibly allowing alleles with evolutionary advantages to be selected and transmitted to future generations.

None of our patients with moderate expansion of the CAG repeat segment exhibit any sign of neuromuscular disease. The greatest CAG repeat number in our patients was 31, whereas all cases of SBMA have segment lengths above 40 (4). Besides SBMA, Gln repeat expansions have been implicated in several other neurodegenerative disorders (29), including, Huntington’s disease, spinocerebellar ataxia type 1, dentatorubral-pallidoluysian atrophy, and Machado-Joseph’s disease. In these neurodegenerative diseases, there is no overlap between disease-causing alleles and their normal counterparts. Moderate expansion of the polyglutamine tract (28–31 Gln) exerts a modulatory effect on the usual AR function, whereas expansion beyond a threshold (>=40 Gln) is likely to trigger a separate process that is neurotoxic. The size distribution of polyglutamine alleles in our patients with defective spermatogenesis overlapped that of fertile controls. Polyglutamine expansion confers an increased risk, but is not an absolute index of male infertility. This is not surprising, as conception is still possible with reduced sperm counts, albeit the chance of success is less than normal. In some of our cases repeat expansion may be one of several factors (30) contributing to defective spermatogenesis.

In summary, this study suggests for the first time that subjects with long polyglutamine tracts in their AR have a significantly increased risk of defective spermatogenesis. Cases with 28 or more Gln in their AR protein have a 4-fold higher risk of male infertility compared to fertile controls. On the other hand, ARs with short Gln repeats are associated with a reduced risk of male infertility. In vitro expression of a range of AR variants encountered in our subjects showed an inverse relationship between the length of the Gln repeat and trans-activation function. Thus, both in vivo and in vitro data suggest that the length of the Gln repeat could have an etiological role in male infertility through its effect on AR trans-activation competence. Further study of the structural mechanisms of regulation by the AR Gln repeats and the genes so regulated could lead to a greater understanding of trinucleotide repeat tracts in general, and the design of rational hormonal therapy (13) for male infertility in particular.


    Acknowledgments
 
We thank Profs. S. C. Ng and S. S. Ratnam for providing blood samples from some of the patients; Dr. Prema Raghavan and staff of the Fertility Control Clinic, National University Hospital, for help with collecting control blood samples. We are grateful to Dr. Gail S. Prins, University of Illinois, for her generous gift of the PG-21 antibody.


    Footnotes
 
1 This work was supported by the Fonds de la Recherche en Sante du Quebec (Hydro-Quebec), the Medical Research Council of Canada, and the National Medical Research Council of Singapore. Back

Received June 3, 1997.

Revised July 30, 1997.

Accepted August 5, 1997.


    References
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Subjects and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 

  1. WHO 1991 Infertility: a tabulation of available data on the prevalence of primary and secondary infertility. Geneva: WHO; 1–72.
  2. Quigley CA, De Bellis A, Marschke KB, El Awady MK, Wilson EM, French FS. 1995 Androgen receptor defects: historical, clinical and molecular perspectives. Endocr Rev. 16:271–321.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  3. Lubahn DB, Brown TR, Simental JA, et al. 1989 Sequence of the intron/exon junctions of the coding region of the human androgen receptor gene and identification of a point mutation in a family with complete androgen insensitivity. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 86:9534–9538.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  4. La Spada AR, Wilson EM, Lubahn DB, Harding AE, Fischbeck KH. 1991 Androgen receptor gene mutations in X-linked spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy. Nature. 352:77–79.[CrossRef][Medline]
  5. Arbizu T, Santamaria J, Gomex JM, Quilez A, Serra JP. 1983 A family with adult spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy, X-linked inheritance and associated testicular failure. J Neurol Sci. 59:371–382.[CrossRef][Medline]
  6. Nagashima T, Seko K, Hirose K. 1988 Familial bulbo-spinal muscular atrophy associated with testicular atrophy and sensory neuropathy (Kennedy-Alter-Sung syndrome): autopsy case report of two brothers. J Neurol Sci. 87:141–152.[CrossRef][Medline]
  7. Irvine RA, Yu MC, Ross RK, Coetzee GA. 1994 The CAG and GGC microsatellites of the androgen receptor gene are in linkage disequilibrium in men with prostate cancer. Cancer Res. 54:2861–2864.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  8. Hardy DO, Scher HI, Bogenreider T, et al. 1996 Androgen receptor CAG repeat lengths in prostate cancer: correlation with age of onset. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 81:4400–4405.[Abstract]
  9. WHO. 1992 WHO special program of research, development, and research training in human reproduction. Laboratory manual for the examination of human semen and sperm-cervical mucus interactions, 3rd ed. Geneva: WHO; p. 3–20.
  10. Yong EL, Chua KL, Yang M, Roy A, Ratnam SS. 1994 Complete androgen insensitivity due to a splice-site mutation in the androgen receptor gene and genetic screening with single stranded conformation polymorphism. Fertil Steril. 61:856–862.[Medline]
  11. Lowry OH, Rosebrough NJ, Farr AL, Randall R. 1951 Protein measurement with Folin phenol reagent. J Biol Chem. 193:265–275.[Free Full Text]
  12. Katz D, Baptista J, Azen SP, Pike MC. 1978 Obtaining confidence intervals for the risk ratio in cohort studies. Biometrics. 34:469–474.[CrossRef]
  13. Yong EL, Ng SC, Roy AC, Yun G, Ratnam SS. 1994 Pregnancy after hormonal correction of severe spermatogenic defect due to mutation in androgen receptor gene. Lancet. 344:826–827.
  14. Yong EL, Abdullah AAR, Choo CK, et al. 1996 Mild androgen insensitivity and male infertility: substitution in the ligand-binding domain of the androgen receptor that impairs transactivation but not androgen binding. Am J Hum Genet. 59(Suppl):A43.
  15. Zhou ZX, Lane MV, Kemppainen JA, French FS, Wilson EM. 1995 Specificity of ligand-dependent androgen receptor stabilization: receptor domain interactions influence ligand dissociation and receptor stability. Mol Endocrinol. 9:208–218.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  16. Zirkin BR, Santuli R, Awoniyi CA, Ewing LL. 1989 Maintenance of advanced spermatogenic cells in the adult rat testis: quantitative relationship to testosterone concentration within the testis. Endocrinology. 124:3043–3049.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  17. Remy JJ, Couture L, Rabesona H, Haertle T, Salesse R. 1996 Immunization against exon 1 decapeptides from the lutrotropin/choriogonadotropin receptor or the follitropin receptor as a potential male contraceptive. J Reprod Immunol. 32:37–54.[CrossRef][Medline]
  18. Gerber HP, Seipel K, Giorgiev O, Hofferer M, Hug M, Rusconi S. 1994 Transcriptional activation modulated by homopolymeric glutamine and proline stretches. Science. 263:808–812.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  19. Karlin S, Bueger C. 1996 Trinucleotide repeats and long homopeptides in genes and proteins associated with nervous system disease and development. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 93:1560–1565.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  20. Amato AA, Prior TW, Barohn RJ, Snyder P, Papp A, Mendell JR. 1993 Kennedy’s disease: a clinicopathologic correlation with mutations in the androgen receptor gene. Neurology. 43:791–794.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  21. Tsukada T, Inoue M, Tachibana S, Nakai Y, Takebe H. 1994 An androgen receptor mutation causing androgen resistance in the undervirilised male syndrome. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 79:1202–1207.[Abstract]
  22. Edwards A, Hammond HA, Jin L, Caskey CT, Chakraborty R. 1992 Genetic variation at five trimeric and tetrameric tandem repeat loci in four human population groups. Genomics. 12:241–253.[CrossRef][Medline]
  23. Kazemi-Esfarjani P, Trifiro MA, Pinsky L. 1995 Evidence for a repressive function of the long polyglutamine tract in the human androgen receptor: possible pathogenetic relevance for the (CAG)n-expanded neuronopathies. Hum Mol Genet. 4:523–527.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  24. McLachlan RI, Wreford NG, O’Donnell L, de Kretser DM, Robertson DM. 1996 The endocrine regulation of spermatogenesis: independent roles for testosterone and FSH. J Endocrinol. 148:1–9.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  25. Choong CS, Kemppainen JA, Zhou ZX, Wilson EM. 1996 Reduced androgen receptor gene expression with first exon CAG repeat expansion. Mol Endocrinol. 10:1527–1535.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  26. Schoenberg MP, Hakimi JM, Wang S, et al. 1994 Microsatellite mutation (CAG 24->18) in the androgen receptor gene in human prostate cancer. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 198:74–80.[CrossRef][Medline]
  27. Scher HI, Steineck G, Kelly WK. 1995 Hormone refractory (D3) prostate cancer: refining the concept. Urology. 46:142–148.[CrossRef][Medline]
  28. Giovannucci E, Stampfer MJ, Krithivas K, et al. 1997 The CAG repeat within the androgen receptor gene and its relationship to prostate cancer. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 94:3320–3323.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  29. La Spada AR, Paulson HL, Fischbeck KH. 1994 Trinucleotide repeat expansion in neurological disease. Ann Neurol. 36:814–822.[CrossRef][Medline]
  30. Pryor JL, Kent-First M, Muallem A, et al. 1997 Microdeletions in the Y chromosome of infertile men. N Engl J Med. 336:534–539.[Abstract/Free Full Text]



This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
Hum ReprodHome page
S. Chatterjee, R. Singh, S. Kadam, A. Maitra, K. Thangaraj, P. Meherji, and D. Modi
Longer CAG repeat length in the androgen receptor gene is associated with premature ovarian failure
Hum. Reprod., December 1, 2009; 24(12): 3230 - 3235.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Hum Reprod UpdateHome page
K. Stouffs, H. Tournaye, I. Liebaers, and W. Lissens
Male infertility and the involvement of the X chromosome
Hum. Reprod. Update, November 1, 2009; 15(6): 623 - 637.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J AndrolHome page
W. A. Badran, I. Fahmy, W. M. Abdel-Megid, K. Elder, R. Mansour, and M. Kent-First
Length of Androgen Receptor-CAG Repeats in Fertile and Infertile Egyptian Men
J Androl, July 1, 2009; 30(4): 416 - 425.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J Mol EndocrinolHome page
P. Davies, K. Watt, S. M Kelly, C. Clark, N. C Price, and I. J McEwan
Consequences of poly-glutamine repeat length for the conformation and folding of the androgen receptor amino-terminal domain
J. Mol. Endocrinol., November 1, 2008; 41(5): 301 - 314.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Physiol. GenomicsHome page
H. E. MacLean, W. S. M. Chiu, C. Ma, J. F. McManus, R. A. Davey, R. Cameron, A. J. Notini, and J. D. Zajac
A floxed allele of the androgen receptor gene causes hyperandrogenization in male mice
Physiol Genomics, October 8, 2008; 33(1): 133 - 137.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev.Home page
M. L. Biggs, M. D. Davis, D. L. Eaton, N. S. Weiss, D. B. Barr, D. R. Doody, S. Fish, L. L. Needham, C. Chen, and S. M. Schwartz
Serum Organochlorine Pesticide Residues and Risk of Testicular Germ Cell Carcinoma: A Population-Based Case-Control Study
Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev., August 1, 2008; 17(8): 2012 - 2018.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Endocr. Rev.Home page
S. T. Page, J. K. Amory, and W. J. Bremner
Advances in Male Contraception
Endocr. Rev., June 1, 2008; 29(4): 465 - 493.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab.Home page
N. A. Shah, H. J. Antoine, M. Pall, K. D. Taylor, R. Azziz, and M. O. Goodarzi
Association of Androgen Receptor CAG Repeat Polymorphism and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., May 1, 2008; 93(5): 1939 - 1945.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Eur J EndocrinolHome page
J. Eberhard, O. Stahl, M. Cwikiel, E. Cavallin-Stahl, Y. Giwercman, E. C. Salmonson, and A. Giwercman
Risk factors for post-treatment hypogonadism in testicular cancer patients.
Eur. J. Endocrinol., April 1, 2008; 158(4): 561 - 570.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab.Home page
C. A. Davis-Dao, E. D. Tuazon, R. Z. Sokol, and V. K. Cortessis
Male Infertility and Variation in CAG Repeat Length in the Androgen Receptor Gene: A Meta-analysis
J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., November 1, 2007; 92(11): 4319 - 4326.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab.Home page
S. Bhasin
Approach to the Infertile Man
J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., June 1, 2007; 92(6): 1995 - 2004.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Hum ReprodHome page
A. Amaral, J. Ramalho-Santos, and J. C. St John
The expression of polymerase gamma and mitochondrial transcription factor A and the regulation of mitochondrial DNA content in mature human sperm
Hum. Reprod., June 1, 2007; 22(6): 1585 - 1596.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Mol Hum ReprodHome page
T. Tiido, A. Rignell-Hydbom, B.A.G. Jonsson, L. Rylander, A. Giwercman, and Y.L. Giwercman
Modifying effect of the AR gene trinucleotide repeats and SNPs in the AHR and AHRR genes on the association between persistent organohalogen pollutant exposure and human sperm Y : X ratio
Mol. Hum. Reprod., April 1, 2007; 13(4): 223 - 229.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J AndrolHome page
R. Radpour, M. Rezaee, A. Tavasoly, S. Solati, and A. Saleki
Association of Long Polyglycine Tracts (GGN Repeats) in Exon 1 of the Androgen Receptor Gene With Cryptorchidism and Penile Hypospadias in Iranian Patients
J Androl, January 1, 2007; 28(1): 164 - 169.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J AndrolHome page
S. Rajender, V. Rajani, N. J. Gupta, B. Chakravarty, L. Singh, and K. Thangaraj
No Association of Androgen Receptor GGN Repeat Length Polymorphism With Infertility in Indian Men
J Androl, November 1, 2006; 27(6): 785 - 789.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab.Home page
R. Werner, P.-M. Holterhus, G. Binder, H.-P. Schwarz, M. Morlot, D. Struve, C. Marschke, and O. Hiort
The A645D Mutation in the Hinge Region of the Human Androgen Receptor (AR) Gene Modulates AR Activity, Depending on the Context of the Polymorphic Glutamine and Glycine Repeats
J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., September 1, 2006; 91(9): 3515 - 3520.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab.Home page
K. B. Lundin, A. Nordenskjold, A. Giwercman, and Y. L. Giwercman
Frequent Finding of the Androgen Receptor A645D Variant in Normal Population
J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., August 1, 2006; 91(8): 3228 - 3231.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Mol. Endocrinol.Home page
M. A. Albertelli, A. Scheller, M. Brogley, and D. M. Robins
Replacing the Mouse Androgen Receptor with Human Alleles Demonstrates Glutamine Tract Length-Dependent Effects on Physiology and Tumorigenesis in Mice
Mol. Endocrinol., June 1, 2006; 20(6): 1248 - 1260.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Hum Reprod UpdateHome page
E. Rajpert-De Meyts
Developmental model for the pathogenesis of testicular carcinoma in situ: genetic and environmental aspects
Hum. Reprod. Update, May 1, 2006; 12(3): 303 - 323.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Hum ReprodHome page
E. Guarducci, F. Nuti, L. Becherini, M. Rotondi, G. Balercia, G. Forti, and C. Krausz
Estrogen receptor {alpha} promoter polymorphism: stronger estrogen action is coupled with lower sperm count
Hum. Reprod., April 1, 2006; 21(4): 994 - 1001.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev.Home page
W. Wang, E. M. John, and S. A. Ingles
Androgen Receptor and Prostate-Specific Antigen Gene Polymorphisms and Breast Cancer in African-American Women
Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev., December 1, 2005; 14(12): 2990 - 2994.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab.Home page
A. R. Zinn, P. Ramos, F. F. Elder, K. Kowal, C. Samango-Sprouse, and J. L. Ross
Androgen Receptor CAGn Repeat Length Influences Phenotype of 47,XXY (Klinefelter) Syndrome
J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., September 1, 2005; 90(9): 5041 - 5046.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Cancer Res.Home page
K. L. Terry, I. De Vivo, L. Titus-Ernstoff, M.-C. Shih, and D. W. Cramer
Androgen Receptor Cytosine, Adenine, Guanine Repeats, and Haplotypes in Relation to Ovarian Cancer Risk
Cancer Res., July 1, 2005; 65(13): 5974 - 5981.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Eur J EndocrinolHome page
A. Ferlin, A. Garolla, A. Bettella, L. Bartoloni, C. Vinanzi, A. Roverato, and C. Foresta
Androgen receptor gene CAG and GGC repeat lengths in cryptorchidism
Eur. J. Endocrinol., March 1, 2005; 152(3): 419 - 425.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Reproductive SciencesHome page
I. S. Brum, P. M. Spritzer, F. Paris, M. A. Maturana, F. Audran, and C. Sultan
Association Between Androgen Receptor Gene CAG Repeat Polymorphism and Plasma Testosterone Levels in Postmenopausal Women
Reproductive Sciences, February 1, 2005; 12(2): 135 - 141.
[Abstract] [PDF]


Home page
J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab.Home page
E. L. Aschim, A. Nordenskjold, A. Giwercman, K. B. Lundin, Y. Ruhayel, T. B. Haugen, T. Grotmol, and Y. L. Giwercman
Linkage between Cryptorchidism, Hypospadias, and GGN Repeat Length in the Androgen Receptor Gene
J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., October 1, 2004; 89(10): 5105 - 5109.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab.Home page
C. Krausz, E. Guarducci, L. Becherini, S. degl'Innocenti, L. Gerace, G. Balercia, and G. Forti
The Clinical Significance of the POLG Gene Polymorphism in Male Infertility
J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., September 1, 2004; 89(9): 4292 - 4297.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Hum ReprodHome page
Y. Ruhayel, K. Lundin, Y. Giwercman, C. Hallden, M. Willen, and A. Giwercman
Androgen receptor gene GGN and CAG polymorphisms among severely oligozoospermic and azoospermic Swedish men
Hum. Reprod., September 1, 2004; 19(9): 2076 - 2083.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Hum Mol GenetHome page
G. Buchanan, M. Yang, A. Cheong, J. M. Harris, R. A. Irvine, P. F. Lambert, N. L. Moore, M. Raynor, P. J. Neufing, G. A. Coetzee, et al.
Structural and functional consequences of glutamine tract variation in the androgen receptor
Hum. Mol. Genet., August 15, 2004; 13(16): 1677 - 1692.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Mol Hum ReprodHome page
A. Ferlin, L. Bartoloni, G. Rizzo, A. Roverato, A. Garolla, and C. Foresta
Androgen receptor gene CAG and GGC repeat lengths in idiopathic male infertility
Mol. Hum. Reprod., June 1, 2004; 10(6): 417 - 421.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Hum ReprodHome page
J. Eberhard, O. Stahl, Y. Giwercman, M. Cwikiel, E. Cavallin-Stahl, K.B. Lundin, P. Flodgren, and A. Giwercman
Impact of therapy and androgen receptor polymorphism on sperm concentration in men treated for testicular germ cell cancer: a longitudinal study
Hum. Reprod., June 1, 2004; 19(6): 1418 - 1425.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Hum ReprodHome page
D. Milatiner, D. Halle, M. Huerta, E. J. Margalioth, Y. Cohen, A. Ben-Chetrit, M. Gal, T. Mimoni, and T. Eldar-Geva
Associations between androgen receptor CAG repeat length and sperm morphology
Hum. Reprod., June 1, 2004; 19(6): 1426 - 1430.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Biol. Chem.Home page
Q. Wang, T. S. Udayakumar, T. S. Vasaitis, A. M. Brodie, and J. D. Fondell
Mechanistic Relationship between Androgen Receptor Polyglutamine Tract Truncation and Androgen-dependent Transcriptional Hyperactivity in Prostate Cancer Cells
J. Biol. Chem., April 23, 2004; 279(17): 17319 - 17328.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Sci Aging Knowl EnvironHome page
J. Raber
Androgens, ApoE, and Alzheimer's Disease
Sci. Aging Knowl. Environ., March 17, 2004; 2004(11): re2 - re2.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Am J EpidemiolHome page
F. Modugno
Ovarian Cancer and Polymorphisms in the Androgen and Progesterone Receptor Genes: A HuGE Review
Am. J. Epidemiol., February 15, 2004; 159(4): 319 - 335.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Am J EpidemiolHome page
R. O. Roberts, E. J. Bergstralh, J. M. Cunningham, S. J. Hebbring, S. N. Thibodeau, M. M. Lieber, and S. J. Jacobsen
Androgen Receptor Gene Polymorphisms and Increased Risk of Urologic Measures of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
Am. J. Epidemiol., February 1, 2004; 159(3): 269 - 276.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev.Home page
A. Liede, W. Zhang, M. L. D. L. Matsuda, A. Tan, and S. A. Narod
Androgen Receptor Gene Polymorphism and Breast Cancer Susceptibility in the Philippines
Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev., September 1, 2003; 12(9): 848 - 852.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Mol Hum ReprodHome page
K.B. Lundin, A. Giwercman, J. Richthoff, P-A. Abrahamsson, and Y.L. Giwercman
No association between mutations in the human androgen receptor GGN repeat and inter-sex conditions
Mol. Hum. Reprod., July 1, 2003; 9(7): 375 - 379.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Am. J. Physiol. Endocrinol. Metab.Home page
L. J. Woodhouse, S. Reisz-Porszasz, M. Javanbakht, T. W. Storer, M. Lee, H. Zerounian, and S. Bhasin
Development of models to predict anabolic response to testosterone administration in healthy young men
Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab, May 1, 2003; 284(5): E1009 - E1017.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J AndrolHome page
L. Mengual, J. Oriola, C. Ascaso, J. L. Ballesca, and R. Oliva
An Increased CAG Repeat Length in the Androgen Receptor Gene in Azoospermic ICSI Candidates
J Androl, March 1, 2003; 24(2): 279 - 284.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Biol. Chem.Home page
G. Liao, L.-Y. Chen, A. Zhang, A. Godavarthy, F. Xia, J. C. Ghosh, H. Li, and J. D. Chen
Regulation of Androgen Receptor Activity by the Nuclear Receptor Corepressor SMRT
J. Biol. Chem., February 7, 2003; 278(7): 5052 - 5061.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev.Home page
N. M. Suter, K. E. Malone, J. R. Daling, D. R. Doody, and E. A. Ostrander
Androgen Receptor (CAG)n and (GGC)n Polymorphisms and Breast Cancer Risk in a Population-Based Case-Control Study of Young Women
Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev., February 1, 2003; 12(2): 127 - 135.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Hum ReprodHome page
J. Richthoff, M. Spano, Y.L. Giwercman, B. Frohm, K. Jepson, J. Malm, S. Elzanaty, M. Stridsberg, and A. Giwercman
The impact of testicular and accessory sex gland function on sperm chromatin integrity as assessed by the sperm chromatin structure assay (SCSA)
Hum. Reprod., December 1, 2002; 17(12): 3162 - 3169.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
GeneticsHome page
T. F. Satterfield, S. M. Jackson, and L. J. Pallanck
A Drosophila Homolog of the Polyglutamine Disease Gene SCA2 Is a Dosage-Sensitive Regulator of Actin Filament Formation
Genetics, December 1, 2002; 162(4): 1687 - 1702.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J AndrolHome page
K. Thangaraj, M. B. Joshi, A. G. Reddy, N. J. Gupta, B. Chakravarty, and L. Singh
CAG Repeat Expansion in the Androgen Receptor Gene Is Not Associated With Male Infertility in Indian Populations
J Androl, November 1, 2002; 23(6): 815 - 818.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab.Home page
S. Dejager, H. Bry-Gauillard, E. Bruckert, B. Eymard, F. Salachas, E. LeGuern, S. Tardieu, R. Chadarevian, P. Giral, and G. Turpin
A Comprehensive Endocrine Description of Kennedy's Disease Revealing Androgen Insensitivity Linked to CAG Repeat Length
J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., August 1, 2002; 87(8): 3893 - 3901.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab.Home page
Y. L. Giwercman, A. Nordenskjold, E. M. Ritzen, K. O. Nilsson, S.-A. Ivarsson, U. Grandell, and A. Wedell
An Androgen Receptor Gene Mutation (E653K) in a Family with Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia due to Steroid 21-Hydroxylase Deficiency as well as in Partial Androgen Insensitivity
J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., June 1, 2002; 87(6): 2623 - 2628.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Am J EpidemiolHome page
K. A. Nelson and J. S. Witte
Androgen Receptor CAG Repeats and Prostate Cancer
Am. J. Epidemiol., May 15, 2002; 155(10): 883 - 890.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Endocr. Rev.Home page
C. A. Heinlein and C. Chang
Androgen Receptor (AR) Coregulators: An Overview
Endocr. Rev., April 1, 2002; 23(2): 175 - 200.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Cancer Res.Home page
C. A. Haiman, M. Brown, S. E. Hankinson, D. Spiegelman, G. A. Colditz, W. C. Willett, P. W. Kantoff, and D. J. Hunter
The Androgen Receptor CAG Repeat Polymorphism and Risk of Breast Cancer in the Nurses' Health Study
Cancer Res., February 1, 2002; 62(4): 1045 - 1049.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab.Home page
T. Hickey, A. Chandy, and R. J. Norman
The Androgen Receptor CAG Repeat Polymorphism and X-Chromosome Inactivation in Australian Caucasian Women with Infertility Related to Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., January 1, 2002; 87(1): 161 - 165.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab.Home page
T. Ishii, S. Sato, K. Kosaki, G. Sasaki, K. Muroya, T. Ogata, and N. Matsuo
Micropenis and the AR Gene: Mutation and CAG Repeat-Length Analysis
J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., November 1, 2001; 86(11): 5372 - 5378.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Mol Hum ReprodHome page
A. Mifsud, A. T. Choon, D. Fang, and E.L. Yong
Prostate-specific antigen, testosterone, sex-hormone binding globulin and androgen receptor CAG repeat polymorphisms in subfertile and normal men
Mol. Hum. Reprod., November 1, 2001; 7(11): 1007 - 1013.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab.Home page
M. Zitzmann, M. Brune, B. Kornmann, J. Gromoll, S. von Eckardstein, A. von Eckardstein, and E. Nieschlag
The CAG Repeat Polymorphism in the AR Gene Affects High Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol and Arterial Vasoreactivity
J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., October 1, 2001; 86(10): 4867 - 4873.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Clin. Cancer Res.Home page
F. Modugno, J. L. Weissfeld, D. L. Trump, J. M. Zmuda, P. Shea, J. A. Cauley, and R. E. Ferrell
Allelic Variants of Aromatase and the Androgen and Estrogen Receptors: Toward a Multigenic Model of Prostate Cancer Risk
Clin. Cancer Res., October 1, 2001; 7(10): 3092 - 3096.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab.Home page
B. Yu and D. J. Handelsman
Pharmacogenetic Polymorphisms of the AR and Metabolism and Susceptibility to Hormone- Induced Azoospermia
J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., September 1, 2001; 86(9): 4406 - 4411.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Physiol. GenomicsHome page
G. A. ROHRER, T. H. WISE, D. D. LUNSTRA, and J. J. FORD
Identification of genomic regions controlling plasma FSH concentrations in Meishan-White Composite boars
Physiol Genomics, August 30, 2001; 6(3): 145 - 151.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
EndocrinologyHome page
I. A. Hughes
Minireview: Sex Differentiation
Endocrinology, August 1, 2001; 142(8): 3281 - 3287.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Hum ReprodHome page
Y. Suzuki, I. Sasagawa, T. Tateno, J. Ashida, T. Nakada, K. Muroya, and T. Ogata
Mutation screening and CAG repeat length analysis of the androgen receptor gene in Klinefelter's syndrome patients with and without spermatogenesis
Hum. Reprod., August 1, 2001; 16(8): 1653 - 1656.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Cancer Res.Home page
Y. Giguere, E. Dewailly, J. Brisson, P. Ayotte, N. Laflamme, A. Demers, V.-I. Forest, S. Dodin, J. Robert, and F. Rousseau
Short Polyglutamine Tracts in the Androgen Receptor Are Protective against Breast Cancer in the General Population
Cancer Res., August 1, 2001; 61(15): 5869 - 5874.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab.Home page
H. N. Lim, R. M. Nixon, H. Chen, I. A. Hughes, and J. R. Hawkins
Evidence That Longer Androgen Receptor Polyglutamine Repeats Are a Causal Factor for Genital Abnormalities
J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., July 1, 2001; 86(7): 3207 - 3210.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab.Home page
L. Westberg, F. Baghaei, R. Rosmond, M. Hellstrand, M. Landen, M. Jansson, G. Holm, P. Bjorntorp, and E. Eriksson
Polymorphisms of the Androgen Receptor Gene and the Estrogen Receptor {beta} Gene Are Associated with Androgen Levels in Women
J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., June 1, 2001; 86(6): 2562 - 2568.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab.Home page
S. von Eckardstein, A. Syska, J. Gromoll, A. Kamischke, M. Simoni, and E. Nieschlag
Inverse Correlation between Sperm Concentration and Number of Androgen Receptor CAG Repeats in Normal Men
J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., June 1, 2001; 86(6): 2585 - 2590.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Mol Hum ReprodHome page
K. Muroya, I. Sasagawa, Y. Suzuki, T. Nakada, T. Ishii, and T. Ogata
Hypospadias and the androgen receptor gene: mutation screening and CAG repeat length analysis
Mol. Hum. Reprod., May 1, 2001; 7(5): 409 - 413.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Mol Hum ReprodHome page
I. Sasagawa, Y. Suzuki, T. Tateno, T. Nakada, K. Muroya, and T. Ogata
CAG repeat length of the androgen receptor gene in Japanese males with cryptorchidism
Mol. Hum. Reprod., November 1, 2000; 6(11): 973 - 975.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab.Home page
A. Mifsud, S. Ramirez, and E. L. Yong
Androgen Receptor Gene CAG Trinucleotide Repeats in Anovulatory Infertility and Polycystic Ovaries
J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., September 1, 2000; 85(9): 3484 - 3488.
[Abstract] [Full Text]


Home page
Mol Hum ReprodHome page
D.S. Cram, B. Song, R.I. McLachlan, and A.O. Trounson
CAG trinucleotide repeats in the androgen receptor gene of infertile men exhibit stable inheritance in female offspring conceived after ICSI
Mol. Hum. Reprod., September 1, 2000; 6(9): 861 - 866.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Cancer Res.Home page
A. W. Hsing, Y.-T. Gao, G. Wu, X. Wang, J. Deng, Y.-L. Chen, I. A. Sesterhenn, F. K. Mostofi, J. Benichou, and C. Chang
Polymorphic CAG and GGN Repeat Lengths in the Androgen Receptor Gene and Prostate Cancer Risk: A Population-based Case-Control Study in China
Cancer Res., September 1, 2000; 60(18): 5111 - 5116.
[Abstract] [Full Text]


Home page
J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab.Home page
O. Hiort, P.-M. Holterhus, T. Horter, W. Schulze, B. Kremke, M. Bals-Pratsch, G. H. G. Sinnecker, and K. Kruse
Significance of Mutations in the Androgen Receptor Gene in Males with Idiopathic Infertility
J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., August 1, 2000; 85(8): 2810 - 2815.
[Abstract] [Full Text]


Home page
Mol. Endocrinol.Home page
J. Lim, F. J. Ghadessy, A. A. R. Abdullah, L. Pinsky, M. Trifiro, and E. L. Yong
Human Androgen Receptor Mutation Disrupts Ternary Interactions between Ligand, Receptor Domains, and the Coactivator TIF2 (Transcription Intermediary Factor 2)
Mol. Endocrinol., August 1, 2000; 14(8): 1187 - 1197.
[Abstract] [Full Text]


Home page
Hum Mol GenetHome page
H.N. Lim, H. Chen, S. McBride, A.M. Dunning, R.M. Nixon, I.A. Hughes, and J.R. Hawkins
Longer polyglutamine tracts in the androgen receptor are associated with moderate to severe undermasculinized genitalia in XY males
Hum. Mol. Genet., March 22, 2000; 9(5): 829 - 834.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Mol Hum ReprodHome page
S. Dadze, C. Wieland, S. Jakubiczka, K. Funke, E. Schroder, B. Royer-Pokora, R. Willers, and P.F. Wieacker
The size of the CAG repeat in exon 1 of the androgen receptor gene shows no significant relationship to impaired spermatogenesis in an infertile Caucasoid sample of German origin
Mol. Hum. Reprod., March 1, 2000; 6(3): 207 - 214.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Hum Mol GenetHome page
R. A. Irvine, H. Ma, M. C. Yu, R. K. Ross, M. R. Stallcup, and G. A. Coetzee
Inhibition of p160-mediated coactivation with increasing androgen receptor polyglutamine length
Hum. Mol. Genet., January 22, 2000; 9(2): 267 - 274.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
CarcinogenesisHome page
A. M. Dunning, S. McBride, J. Gregory, F. Durocher, N. A. Foster, C. S. Healey, N. Smith, P. D. P. Pharoah, R. N. Luben, D. F. Easton, et al.
No association between androgen or vitamin D receptor gene polymorphisms and risk of breast cancer
Carcinogenesis, November 1, 1999; 20(11): 2131 - 2135.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab.Home page
D. M. de Kretser and H. W. G. Baker
Infertility in Men: Recent Advances and Continuing Controversies
J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., October 1, 1999; 84(10): 3443 - 3450.
[Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
JNCI J Natl Cancer InstHome page
A. B. Spurdle, G. S. Dite, X. Chen, C. J. Mayne, M. C. Southey, L. E. Batten, H. Chy, L. Trute, M. R. E. McCredie, G. G. Giles, et al.
Androgen Receptor Exon 1 CAG Repeat Length and Breast Cancer in Women Before Age Forty Years
J Natl Cancer Inst, June 2, 1999; 91(11): 961 - 966.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Mol Hum ReprodHome page
F.J. Ghadessy, S.L. Liow, and E.L. Yong
Mutations in the promoter region of the androgen receptor gene are not common in males with idiopathic infertility
Mol. Hum. Reprod., March 1, 1999; 5(3): 287 - 290.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Mol Hum ReprodHome page
S. Komori, H. Kasumi, R.-i. Kanazawa, K. Sakata, Y. Nakata, H. Kato, and K. Koyama
CAG repeat length in the androgen receptor gene of infertile Japanese males with oligozoospermia
Mol. Hum. Reprod., January 1, 1999; 5(1): 14 - 16.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


This Article
Right arrow Abstract Freely available
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Submit a related Letter to the Editor
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Request Copyright Permission
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Tut, T. G.
Right arrow Articles by Yong, E. L.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Tut, T. G.
Right arrow Articles by Yong, E. L.


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Endocrinology Endocrine Reviews J. Clin. End. & Metab.
Molecular Endocrinology Recent Prog. Horm. Res. All Endocrine Journals