Mahmoud Aarabi

Publications (9) View all

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  Available from: Mahmoud Aarabi

  Article: The testicular and epididymal expression profile of PLCζ in mouse and human does not support its role as a sperm-borne oocyte activating factor.

  Mahmoud Aarabi, Yang Yu, Wei Xu, Man Y Tse, Stephen C Pang, Young-Joo Yi, Peter Sutovsky, Richard Oko
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  ABSTRACT: Phospholipase C zeta (PLCζ) is a candidate sperm-borne oocyte activating factor (SOAF) which has recently received attention as a potential biomarker of human male infertility. However, important SOAF attributes of PLCζ, including its developmental expression in mammalian spermiogenesis, its compartmentalization in sperm head perinuclear theca (PT) and its release into the ooplasm during fertilization have not been established and are addressed in this investigation. Different detergent extractions of sperm and head/tail fractions were compared for the presence of PLCζ by immunoblotting. In both human and mouse, the active isoform of PLCζ was detected in sperm fractions other than PT, where SOAF is expected to reside. Developmentally, PLCζ was incorporated as part of the acrosome during the Golgi phase of human and mouse spermiogenesis while diminishing gradually in the acrosome of elongated spermatids. Immunofluorescence localized PLCζ over the surface of the postacrosomal region of mouse and bull and head region of human spermatozoa leading us to examine its secretion in the epididymis. While previously thought to have strictly a testicular expression, PLCζ was found to be expressed and secreted by the epididymal epithelial cells explaining its presence on the sperm head surface. In vitro fertilization (IVF) revealed that PLCζ is no longer detectable after the acrosome reaction occurs on the surface of the zona pellucida and thus is not incorporated into the oocyte cytoplasm for activation. In summary, we show for the first time that PLCζ is compartmentalized as part of the acrosome early in human and mouse spermiogenesis and is secreted during sperm maturation in the epididymis. Most importantly, no evidence was found that PLCζ is incorporated into the detergent-resistant perinuclear theca fraction where SOAF resides.
  PLoS ONE 01/2012; 7(3):e33496. · 4.09 Impact Factor
• Article: Polymorphisms of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, angiotensin converting enzyme and coagulation factor XIII genes in patients with recurrent spontaneous abortion.

  Mahmoud Aarabi, Toktam Memariani, Soheila Arefi, Mohsen Aarabi, Sedigheh Hantoosh Zadeh, Mehdi A Akhondi, Mohammad H Modarressi
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  ABSTRACT: We investigated polymorphisms of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE ) and coagulation factor XIII (FXIII) genes and their association with recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA) in Iranian patients and normal healthy controls. Ten (18.5%) patients were homozygote (4G/4G) for PAI-1 polymorphism, in contrast with two (2%) controls (p = 0.001). Patients with homozygote 4G mutation were significantly more prone to RSA in contrast to others (odds ratio: 11.0, 95% CI: 2.3-52.4). Nineteen (30.2%) patients and 25 (26.6%) controls were homozygote (DD) for ACE polymorphism. We observed only two patients and one control with homozygosity (34leu) for FXIII polymorphism. 4G/4G polymorphism for PAI-1 gene could be a thrombophilic mutation leading to abortion in Iranian population.
  The journal of maternal-fetal & neonatal medicine: the official journal of the European Association of Perinatal Medicine, the Federation of Asia and Oceania Perinatal Societies, the International Society of Perinatal Obstetricians 03/2011; 24(3):545-8. · 1.36 Impact Factor
• Article: Sperm-borne protein, PAWP, initiates zygotic development in Xenopus laevis by eliciting intracellular calcium release.

  Mahmoud Aarabi, Zheng Qin, Wei Xu, Jeffrey Mewburn, Richard Oko
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  ABSTRACT: We previously reported postacrosomal sheath WW domain binding protein (PAWP) as a candidate sperm borne, oocyte-activating factor. PAWP enters the oocyte during fertilization and induces oocyte activation events including meiotic resumption, pronuclear formation, and egg cleavage. However, in order to provide proof that PAWP is a primary initiator of zygotic development it is imperative to show that PAWP initiates intracellular calcium signaling, which is considered essential for oocyte activation. Utilizing Xenopus laevis as our model, we injected recombinant PAWP or Xenopus sperm into metaphase II-arrested oocytes and observed a significant rise in intracellular calcium levels over controls. Concurring intensities and durations of PAWP and sperm-induced calcium waves, detected by infrared two-photon laser-scanning fluorescence microscopy, were prevented by coinjection of a competitive PPGY-containing peptide derived from PAWP but not by the point-mutated form of this peptide. This study also correlates PAWP and sperm-induced calcium release with meiotic resumption in Xenopus. The similar mode of oocyte activation, and the ability of the competitive peptide in blocking both sperm- and PAWP-induced calcium release, provide evidence for the first time that sperm-anchored PAWP is a primary initiator of zygotic development.
  Molecular Reproduction and Development 12/2009; 77(3):249-56. · 2.53 Impact Factor
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  Available from: tums.ac.ir

  Article: TGIFLY mRNA Expression in Human Testis with Spermatogenesis Defects

  M Heidari, Z Ousati-Ashtiani, Mh Modarressi, M Aarabi
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  ABSTRACT: Background: Hox genes are well-known transcription factors that play essential roles in directing embryonic development. TGIFLY is a Y-linked homeobox gene that was originally identified by virtue of its expression in adult testis. The functions of TGIFLY in normal and abnormal development are unknown. Methods: To investigate the potential roles of TGIFLY gene in the infertile males, a semi-nested Reverse Transcriptase Po-lymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) was performed on the testicular samples of 110 patients with non-obstructive azoospermia. Results: The expression of TGIFLY in 59(53.6%) out of 110 patients were undetectable. Patients with different spermato-genesis defects failed to show the expected in TGIFLY gene expression as demonstrated in the normal testes. Conclusion: Our results indicate that TGIFLY is expressed in testis and could be associated with infertility in patients with azoospermia. TGIFLY may be required for the regulation of spermatogonial stem cell specification and proliferation that is essential to the establishment and maintenance of spermatogenesis in human.
  Iranian J Publ Health. 01/2008; 37:51-58.
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  Available from: tums.ac.ir

  Article: Expression of two testis-specific genes, TSGA10 and SYCP3, in different cancers regarding to their pathological features.

  Maryam Beigom Mobasheri, Issa Jahanzad, Mohammad Ali Mohagheghi, Mahmoud Aarabi, Shima Farzan, Mohammad Hossein Modarressi
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  ABSTRACT: Cancer-testis genes are a group of genes expressed in testicular germinal cells and a range of human cancers. Testis-specific gene A10 (TSGA10) is expressed in testis and actively dividing and fetal differentiating tissues. Mouse homologue (Tsga10) mRNA is translated to a 65kDa protein and appears to be processed to a major fibrous sheath protein of sperm tail. SYCP3 gene is supposed to be a testis-specific gene and constitutes the core of the lateral elements of synaptonemal complex. It has role in regulating DNA binding to the chromatid axis, sister chromatid cohesion, synapsis, and recombination. In this study expression of TSGA10 and SYCP3 were investigated in different cancers (156 tumor samples) using RT-PCR. Diagnosis of cancer was based on histopathological reports. The association with histopathological characteristics of tumors was analyzed using statistical programs. TSGA10 expression was observed in 83% of brain tumors, 66% of breast cancers, 58% of gastrointestinal tumors, 66% of skin tumors and 53% of soft tissue tumors. But, SYCP3 transcripts were found in four tumor samples (moderately differentiated gemistocytic astrocytoma, pituitary adenoma, glioma and an ovarian tumor). These results may get further insight into TSGA10, but not SYCP3, potential role as a cancer marker and a cancer testis gene implicated in tumorogenesis of cancers.
  Cancer Detection and Prevention 02/2007; 31(4):296-302. · 2.52 Impact Factor