Tsga10, or testis-specific gene antigen 10, is a testis-specific protein highly conserved among species. It is involved in crucial biological functions, with its role in spermatogenesis and cancer-related processes being of particular interest. In spermatogenesis, it may be associated with the autophagy pathway, and in cancer, it has implications in signaling pathways related to carcinogenesis [1,5].

In mice, Tsga10 deficiency created by CRISPR/Cas9 technology led to male infertility in heterozygous Tsga10 male mice. The infertility was due to significantly reduced sperm motility caused by disordered mitochondrial sheath formation. Also, a homozygous deletion within Tsga10 in a human patient with acephalic spermatozoa was identified, suggesting its importance in sperm structure [3,6]. In cancer research, overexpression of Tsga10 in HeLa cells disrupted the hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) axis. In human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), Tsga10 overexpression decreased cell proliferation, migration, and in vitro angiogenesis. In breast cancer cells, Tsga10 overexpression decreased metastatic and metabolic activity by inhibiting HIF-1 [2,4].

In conclusion, Tsga10 is essential for male fertility, specifically in the arrangement of the mitochondrial sheath in spermatozoa. In the context of cancer, it shows potential as a target for anti-cancer therapies, as its overexpression can suppress tumor progression by inhibiting processes like angiogenesis, metastasis, and cancer cell metabolism. The study of Tsga10 using gene knockout models in mice has provided valuable insights into its functions in both spermatogenesis and cancer-related biological processes [1-6].

References:

1. Taghizadeh-Hesary, Farzad, Ghadyani, Mobina, Kashanchi, Fatah, Behnam, Babak. 2024. Exploring TSGA10 Function: A Crosstalk or Controlling Mechanism in the Signaling Pathway of Carcinogenesis? In Cancers, 16, . doi:10.3390/cancers16173044. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39272902/

2. Amoorahim, Mahtab, Valipour, Elahe, Hoseinkhani, Zohreh, Moradi, Sajad, Mansouri, Kamran. 2019. TSGA10 overexpression inhibits angiogenesis of HUVECs: A HIF-2α biased perspective. In Microvascular research, 128, 103952. doi:10.1016/j.mvr.2019.103952. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31704243/

3. Luo, Geng, Hou, Meiqi, Wang, Bo, Wang, Jiarui, Zhang, Xianqin. 2020. Tsga10 is essential for arrangement of mitochondrial sheath and male fertility in mice. In Andrology, 9, 368-375. doi:10.1111/andr.12889. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32790169/

4. Jahani, Mozhgan, Shahlaei, Mohsen, Norooznezhad, Fatemeh, Mahnam, Azadeh, Mansouri, Kamran. 2020. TSGA10 Over Expression Decreases Metastasic and Metabolic Activity by Inhibiting HIF-1 in Breast Cancer Cells. In Archives of medical research, 51, 41-53. doi:10.1016/j.arcmed.2019.12.002. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32086108/

5. Asgari, Rezvan, Bakhtiari, Mitra, Rezazadeh, Davood, Esmaeili, Farzaneh, Mansouri, Kamran. 2021. TSGA10 as a Potential Key Factor in the Process of Spermatid Differentiation/Maturation: Deciphering Its Association with Autophagy Pathway. In Reproductive sciences (Thousand Oaks, Calif.), 28, 3228-3240. doi:10.1007/s43032-021-00648-6. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34232471/

6. Sha, Y-W, Sha, Y-K, Ji, Z-Y, Xu, X, Li, L. 2018. TSGA10 is a novel candidate gene associated with acephalic spermatozoa. In Clinical genetics, 93, 776-783. doi:10.1111/cge.13140. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28905369/