Browsing by Author "Memili, Erdoğan"

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Expression profile of Toll-like receptor 4 in rat testis and epididymis throughout postnatal development.
(2020-04-01T00:00:00Z) Özbek, Mehmet; Hitit, Mustafa; Ergün, Emel; Ergün, Levent; Beyaz, Feyzullah; Erhan, Füsun; Yıldırım, Nuh; Kandil, Banu; Özgenç, Özge; Memili, Erdoğan
Toll-like receptors (TLRs) belonging to pattern recognition receptors are involved in maintaining testicular and epididymal immune homeostasis. The purpose of the current study was to investigate TLR4 expression in rat testis and epididymis throughout postnatal development. Weak staining was detected in peritubular myoid cells and immature Sertoli cells while no staining was observed in gonocytes during prepubertal period. However, TLR4 expression began to appear in spermatocytes in pubertal period and gradually increased in spermatids. An intense staining was observed in steps 5-19 spermatids in post pubertal and mature periods. Similarly, TLR4 expression in the testes steadily increased from pubertal period to mature period. Puberty also caused a significant increase in TLR4 expression in epididymis. TLR4 expression in cauda epididymis was lower as compared to those of other epididymal segments. The majority of epididymal epithelial cells exhibited apical TLR4 expression, whereas basal cells showed intense intracytoplasmic immunoreaction. We detected an intense staining in epididymal smooth muscle cells. The expression levels of TLR4 showed dynamic changes in both spermatogenic cells, and entire testicular and epididymal tissues during postnatal development. These results suggest that TLR4 expression contributes not only to inflammation but also to the development of spermatogenic cells.
Proteomic fertility markers in ram sperm.
(2021-12-01T00:00:00Z) Hitit, Mustafa; Özbek, Mehmet; Ayaz-Guner, Serife; Guner, Huseyin; Oztug, Merve; Bodu, Mustafa; Kirbas, Mesut; Bulbul, Bulent; Bucak, Mustafa Numan; Ataman, Mehmet Bozkurt; Memili, Erdoğan; Kaya, Abdullah
Precise estimation of ram fertility is important for sheep farming to sustain reproduction efficiency and profitability of production. There, however, is no conventional method to accurately predict ram fertility. The objective of this study, therefore, was to ascertain proteomic profiles of ram sperm having contrasting fertility phenotypes. Mature rams (n = 66) having greater pregnancy rates than average (89.4 ± 7.2%) were assigned into relatively-greater fertility (GF; n = 31; 94.5 ± 2.8%) whereas those with less-than-average pregnancy rates were assigned into a lesser-fertility (LF; n = 25; 83.1 ± 5.73%; P = 0.028) group. Sperm samples from the outlier greatest- and least-fertility rams (n = 6, pregnancy rate; 98.4 ± 1.8% and 76.1 ± 3.9%) were used for proteomics assessments utilizing Label-free LC-MS/MS. A total of 997 proteins were identified, and among these, 840 were shared by both groups, and 57 and 93 were unique to GF and LF, respectively. Furthermore, 190 differentially abundant proteins were identified; the abundance of 124 was larger in GF while 66 was larger in LF rams. The GF ram sperm had 79 GO/pathway terms in ten major biological networks while there were 47 GO/pathway terms in six biological networks in sperm of LF rams. Accordingly, differential abundances of sperm proteins between sperm of GF and LF rams were indicative of functional implications of sperm proteome on male fertility. The results of this study emphasize there are potential protein markers for evaluation of semen quality and estimation of ram sperm fertilizing capacity.
Sperm signatures of fertility and freezability.
(2022-12-01T00:00:00Z) Hitit, Mustafa; Memili, Erdoğan
Apart from traditional semen examination parameters, there is not yet a set of functional markers for accurate determination of bull fertility and sperm freezability or cryopreservability, which are vital for production of food animals to feed the world. Therefore, reliable biomarkers are needed to objectively analyze semen quality and predict male fertility. Rapid developments in animal biotechnology have led to significant progress in developing science-based solutions for global problems in food animal production. Although andrology studies employing genomic and functional genomics (transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics) approaches have elucidated some molecular aspects of sperm, there is also a need for additional mechanistic studies to ascertain the functional underpinnings. Biomarkers discovered through applying various -omics technologies using sperm from bulls with varying fertility phenotypes are valuable for semen evaluation and fertility prediction.