• Exploring QRICH2 as a potentia...

*Result*: Exploring QRICH2 as a potential male contraceptive target.

Title:
Exploring QRICH2 as a potential male contraceptive target.
Authors:
Delnatte A; Laboratory of Cell Biology, Research Institute for Biosciences, Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, University of Mons, Mons 7000, Belgium., Inglese M; Laboratory of Cell Biology, Research Institute for Biosciences, Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, University of Mons, Mons 7000, Belgium., Delroisse J; Biology of Marine Organisms and Biomimetics Unit, Research Institute for Biosciences, University of Mons, Mons 7000, Belgium., Nonclercq D; Laboratory of Histology, Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, University of Mons, Mons 7000, Belgium., Frau A; Laboratory of Histology, Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, University of Mons, Mons 7000, Belgium., Wattiez R; Laboratory of Proteomics and Microbiology, Research Institute for Biosciences, University of Mons, Mons 7000, Belgium., Leroy B; Laboratory of Proteomics and Microbiology, Research Institute for Biosciences, University of Mons, Mons 7000, Belgium., Arcolia V; Clinique de Fertilité Régionale de Mons, CHU HELORA, Mons 7000, Belgium., Simon JF; Clinique de Fertilité Régionale de Mons, CHU HELORA, Mons 7000, Belgium., Masai T; Laboratory of Cell Biology, Research Institute for Biosciences, Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, University of Mons, Mons 7000, Belgium., Hennebert E; Laboratory of Cell Biology, Research Institute for Biosciences, Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, University of Mons, Mons 7000, Belgium.
Source:
Reproduction (Cambridge, England) [Reproduction] 2026 Jan 15; Vol. 171 (1).
Publication Type:
Journal Article
Language:
English
Journal Info:
Publisher: Published for the Society for Reproduction and Fertility by BioScientifica Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 100966036 Publication Model: Print Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1741-7899 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 14701626 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Reproduction Subsets: MEDLINE
Imprint Name(s):
Publication: <2004->: Bristol, UK : Published for the Society for Reproduction and Fertility by BioScientifica
Original Publication: Cambridge, UK : Journals of Reproduction and Fertility, Ltd. c2001-
MeSH Terms:
Contraceptive Agents, Male*/pharmacology , Spermatozoa*/metabolism , Spermatozoa*/drug effects , Spermatogenesis*/drug effects , Testis*/metabolism , Seminal Plasma Proteins*/metabolism , Seminal Plasma Proteins*/genetics, Male ; Humans ; Animals ; Proteomics ; Mice
Grant Information:
UMONS Research Institute for Biosciences; Fund for Scientific Research of Belgium; European Regional Development Fund
Contributed Indexing:
Keywords: QRICH2; humans; male contraception; non-hormonal contraceptive target; spermatogenesis; testis-specific expression
Substance Nomenclature:
0 (Contraceptive Agents, Male)
0 (Seminal Plasma Proteins)
Entry Date(s):
Date Created: 20260123 Date Completed: 20260123 Latest Revision: 20260123
Update Code:
20260130
DOI:
10.1093/reprod/xaaf009
PMID:
41575150
Database:
MEDLINE

*Further Information*

*Today, male contraceptive options remain limited to condoms and vasectomy, highlighting the urgent need for alternative methods. In this context, discovering and characterizing reproductive-tract-specific proteins that can be targeted by natural or chemical molecules is of particular interest. Recent studies on the sperm protein glutamine-rich protein 2 (QRICH2) show that it could represent a promising candidate. Indeed, it has been genetically confirmed to be essential for male fertility in mice, bulls, and humans, with gene knockout and loss-of-function mutations leading to defective sperm and complete infertility without evident accompanying symptoms. However, information on human QRICH2 remains limited. In this study, we aimed to better characterize human QRICH2 to assess its potential as a target for male contraceptive development. Using mass spectrometry, we assessed which of the QRICH2 isoforms described in databases might be expressed in human sperm. Through in silico analyses, we showed that QRICH2 has no paralogs in humans, and is conserved across mammals, particularly in a region containing two functional domains, suggesting their importance for QRICH2 function. Finally, using immunodetection methods and proteomic dataset analyses, we investigated the tissue specificity of QRICH2 by examining its protein expression across 12 human organs. Our results show that QRICH2 is restricted to the testes, where it localizes to different cellular compartments throughout spermatogenesis, and acts as a cytoskeletal component in mature sperm, both in the head and flagellum. We conclude that QRICH2 represents a promising candidate for further investigation as a potential target for male contraception and we propose different strategies that could be explored for its inhibition.
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