Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32301969›Full record

ArticleBiology of reproduction2020

Knockout of serine-rich single-pass membrane protein 1 (Ssmem1) causes globozoospermia and sterility in male mice†.

Kaori Nozawa, Qian Zhang, Haruhiko Miyata, Darius J Devlin, Zhifeng Yu, Seiya Oura, Takayuki Koyano, Makoto Matsuyama, Masahito Ikawa, Martin M Matzuk

Open access · hybridAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Biology of reproduction, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
14citing papers in PubMed
4.0field-weighted citation impact, top 7% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

14 citing papers in PubMed, 27 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Testis expressed 50 is essential for maintaining sperm acrosome integrity during epididymal transit.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2025
    Article
  3. 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 · 2025
    Article
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  5. PNAS nexus · 2024
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Kaori NozawaCenter for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX.
Qian ZhangDepartment of Experimental Genome Research, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan.
Haruhiko MiyataDepartment of Experimental Genome Research, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan.
Darius J DevlinCenter for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX.
Zhifeng YuCenter for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX.
Seiya OuraDepartment of Experimental Genome Research, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan.
Takayuki KoyanoDivision of Molecular Genetics, Shigei Medical Research Institute, Okayama, Japan.
Makoto MatsuyamaDivision of Molecular Genetics, Shigei Medical Research Institute, Okayama, Japan.
Masahito IkawaDepartment of Experimental Genome Research, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan.
Martin M MatzukCenter for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX.
Baylor College of Medicine · USOsaka University · JPShigei Medical Research Institute · JP

Funding

Targeting sperm-specific proteins during meiosis and sperm morphogenesisP01HD087157 · NICHD · BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE · PI GARCIA, THOMAS · 2017 to 2021
$6.2M
Functional analysis of novel testis-expressed secreted and transmembrane proteinsR01HD088412 · NICHD · BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE · PI MARTIN M. MATZUK · 2016 to 2026
$4.5M
Training Program in Translational Biology and Molecular MedicineT32GM088129 · NIGMS · BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE · PI ROONEY, CLIONA M., VAN DEN VEYVER, IGNATIA B · 2010 to 2019
$3.0M
Training Interdisciplinary Pharmacology ScientistsT32GM120011 · NIGMS · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HLTH SCI CTR HOUSTON · PI DESSAUER, CARMEN W. · 2016 to 2020
$1.0M
Gates Foundation INV-001902NICHD NIH HHS P01 HD087157NICHD NIH HHS R01 HD088412NIGMS NIH HHS T32 GM088129NIGMS NIH HHS T32 GM120011
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Globozoospermia (sperm with an abnormally round head shape) and asthenozoospermia (defective sperm motility) are known causes of male infertility in human patients. Despite many studies, the molecular details of the globozoospermia etiology are still poorly understood. Serine-rich single-pass membrane protein 1 (Ssmem1) is a conserved testis-specific gene in mammals. In this study, we generated Ssmem1 knockout (KO) mice using the CRISPR/Cas9 system, demonstrated that Ssmem1 is essential for male fertility in mice, and found that SSMEM1 protein is expressed during spermatogenesis but not in mature sperm. The sterility of the Ssmem1 KO (null) mice is associated with globozoospermia and loss of sperm motility. To decipher the mechanism causing the phenotype, we analyzed testes with transmission electron microscopy and discovered that Ssmem1-disrupted spermatids have abnormal localization of Golgi at steps eight and nine of spermatid development. Immunofluorescence analysis with anti-Golgin-97 to label the trans-Golgi network, also showed delayed movement of the Golgi to the spermatid posterior region, which causes failure of sperm head shaping, disorganization of the cell organelles, and entrapped tails in the cytoplasmic droplet. In summary, SSMEM1 is crucial for intracellular Golgi movement to ensure proper spatiotemporal formation of the sperm head that is required for fertilization. These studies and the pathway in which SSMEM1 functions have implications for human male infertility and identifying potential targets for nonhormonal contraception.

Indexed as

AnimalsFemaleInfertility, MaleMaleMiceMice, KnockoutSeminal Plasma ProteinsSpermatogenesisSpermatozoaSperm MotilityTeratozoospermiaSeminal Plasma Proteinsfertilizationmale infertilitynull mutation/knockoutspermspermatogenesis

Identifiers

PMID32301969
PMCPMC7401026
OpenAlexW3016656836

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.