GammaH2AX-mediated repair of DNA damaged sperm in the zygote / 中华男科学杂志

Male germ cells are particularly susceptible to DNA damage by genotoxic agents during spermiogenesis and spermatozoal maturation, and meanwhile lack an effective repair system to eliminate the lesions. Because the DNA damaged sperm still has fertilizability and developmental potentiality, damage repair may occur after fertilization, but its mechanism remains unknown. Histone H2AX phosphorylation (gammaH2AX) is reportedly involved in the repair of damaged sperm DNA after fertilization. This review aims to summarize the present knowledge on the mechanism of gammaH2AX-mediated repair of DNA damaged sperm in the zygote.