ArticleMolecular biology of the cell2016
Intraflagellar transport protein IFT20 is essential for male fertility and spermiogenesis in mice.
Article in Molecular biology of the cell, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 72 papers.
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Who cites it
72 citing papers in PubMed, 96 citations in OpenAlex.
- Basal body docking failure triggers centriole clustering and elimination in mammalian spermatogenesis.EMBO reports · 2026Article
- A narrative review on the role of autophagy in male infertility-associated sperm abnormalities.Asian journal of andrology · 2026Review
- Article
- Identification and Functional Analysis of miRNAs in the Cauda Epididymis of Yak and Cattle.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2026Article
- [Research progress on the roles of primary cilia in fertility].Zhejiang da xue xue bao. Yi xue ban = Journal of Zhejiang University. Medical sciences · 2025Review
- Loss of cilia drives centriole clustering and elimination during mammalian spermatogenesis.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2025Article
- Male infertility.Systems biology in reproductive medicine · 2025Review
- Characterisation of the manchette architecture and its role as transport scaffold using cryo-electron tomography.Life science alliance · 2025Article
- ELAPOR1 is a copper-dependent tethering factor driving proacrosomal vesicle fusion during acrosome biogenesis.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2025Article
- Human asthenozoospermia: Update on genetic causes, patient management, and clinical strategies.Andrology · 2025Review
- A novel mechanism of sperm midpiece epididymal maturation and the role of CCDC112 in sperm midpiece formation and establishing an optimal flagella waveform.Cell communication and signaling : CCS · 2025Article
- Preparation of Testicular Cells for Immunofluorescence Analysis of Manchette in Elongating Spermatids.Bio-protocol · 2025Article
- PCM1 orchestrates centrosomal and flagellar protein transport to promote sperm maturation.Communications biology · 2025Article
- Function of manchette and intra-manchette transport in spermatogenesis and male fertility.Cell communication and signaling : CCS · 2025Review
- Role of intraflagellar transport protein IFT140 in the formation and function of motile cilia in mammals.Cellular and molecular life sciences : CMLS · 2025Article
- Coordination of IFT20 With Other IFT Components Is Required for Ciliogenesis.Journal of clinical laboratory analysis · 2025Article
- DNAHX: a novel, non-motile dynein heavy chain subfamily, identified by cryo-EM endogenously.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2025Article
- Immunofluorescence Staining of the Manchette and Developing Sperm Flagella in Mouse.Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.) · 2025Article
- Intraflagellar Transport (IFT) and Sperm Formation.Advances in experimental medicine and biology · 2025Review
- HomozygousZoological research · 2024Article
12 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
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Authors and funding
11 authors at 6 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
Intraflagellar transport (IFT) is a conserved mechanism thought to be essential for the assembly and maintenance of cilia and flagella. However, little is known about its role in mammalian sperm flagella formation. To fill this gap, we disrupted the Ift20 gene in male germ cells. Homozygous mutant mice were infertile with significantly reduced sperm counts and motility. In addition, abnormally shaped elongating spermatid heads and bulbous round spermatids were found in the lumen of the seminiferous tubules. Electron microscopy revealed increased cytoplasmic vesicles, fiber-like structures, abnormal accumulation of mitochondria and a decrease in mature lysosomes. The few developed sperm had disrupted axonemes and some retained cytoplasmic lobe components on the flagella. ODF2 and SPAG16L, two sperm flagella proteins failed to be incorporated into sperm tails of the mutant mice, and in the germ cells, both were assembled into complexes with lighter density in the absence of IFT20. Disrupting IFT20 did not significantly change expression levels of IFT88, a component of IFT-B complex, and IFT140, a component of IFT-A complex. Even though the expression level of an autophagy core protein that associates with IFT20, ATG16, was reduced in the testis of the Ift20 mutant mice, expression levels of other major autophagy markers, including LC3 and ubiquitin were not changed. Our studies suggest that IFT20 is essential for male fertility and spermiogenesis in mice, and its major function is to transport cargo proteins for sperm flagella formation. It also appears to be involved in removing excess cytoplasmic components.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.