Abstract

Primate-specific genes (PSGs), important contributors to the origin of adaptive evolutionary novelties, are abundantly expressed in the testis. However, the specific roles of PSGs in the male reproductive system of humans and other primates are largely unknown. Here, we employed whole-exome sequencing and identified deleterious variants of TFDP3 , an X-linked PSG, in eight infertile men with oligoasthenoteratozoospermia. All of the male subjects harboring TFDP3 variants presented dramatic reductions in sperm concentration, motility, and abnormal sperm morphology. Furthermore, Tfdp3 -knockdown (KD) in the testes of cynomolgus monkeys confirmed the important role of TFDP3 in normal spermatogenesis in primates. Consistently, dramatic decreases in sperm concentration, motility, and abnormal sperm morphology were also observed in Tfdp3 -KD male cynomolgus monkeys. More importantly, further functional studies revealed that TFDP3 deficiency activated E2F1 induced apoptosis and thus led to decreased sperm count and motility. In addition, five of the eight couples underwent intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection treatment and achieved a successful pregnancy, indicating a potentially good outcome of assisted reproduction for those with TFDP3 deficiency-mediated oligoasthenoteratozoospermia. Collectively, our genetic analyses and experimental observations in humans and cynomolgus monkeys highlight the crucial role of TFDP3, an inhibitor of apoptosis, in normal spermatogenesis. These findings expand the spectrum of pathogenic variants for oligoasthenoteratozoospermia-associated male infertility and also reveal the special significance of primate-specific TFDP3 for the human male reproductive system, thus providing important guidance for genetic counseling and the clinical diagnosis of male infertility.