Phospholipase Cζ, the Molecular Spark of Fertilization and Male Infertility: Insights from Bench to Bedside
Abstract
1. Introduction
2. Molecular and Functional Overview
2.1. Structure, Biochemical Features, Expression and Localization of PLCζ
2.2. Mechanism of Action During Fertilization
3. Clinical Relevance
3.1. PLCζ Deficiency and Male Infertility
3.2. Broader Impacts on Assisted Reproductive Technologies and on Reproductive Outcomes
4. Diagnostic Strategies
5. Therapeutic Approaches
5.1. Assisted Oocyte Activation (AOA)
5.2. Emerging Treatments: PLCζ Protein/mRNA Therapy and Novel Interventions
6. Future Directions
7. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Method | Key Principle/ Procedure | Main Observations/Points | References |
---|---|---|---|
Immunofluorescence (IF) |
|
| [23,25,46,62,64] |
Western Blot/Protein Quantification (e.g., Flow Cytometry) |
|
| [47,65,66] |
Functional Oocyte-Activation Tests (e.g., Mouse Oocyte Activation Test) |
|
| [5,63,67] |
Genetic Testing (PLCZ1 Gene Sequencing) |
|
| [26,42,43,44,45,68,69] |
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© 2025 by the authors. Published by MDPI on behalf of the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
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Kaltsas, A.; Kyrgiafini, M.-A.; Mamuris, Z.; Dimitriadis, F.; Zachariou, A.; Chrisofos, M.; Sofikitis, N. Phospholipase Cζ, the Molecular Spark of Fertilization and Male Infertility: Insights from Bench to Bedside. Medicina 2025, 61, 963. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina61060963
Kaltsas A, Kyrgiafini M-A, Mamuris Z, Dimitriadis F, Zachariou A, Chrisofos M, Sofikitis N. Phospholipase Cζ, the Molecular Spark of Fertilization and Male Infertility: Insights from Bench to Bedside. Medicina. 2025; 61(6):963. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina61060963
Chicago/Turabian StyleKaltsas, Aris, Maria-Anna Kyrgiafini, Zissis Mamuris, Fotios Dimitriadis, Athanasios Zachariou, Michael Chrisofos, and Nikolaos Sofikitis. 2025. "Phospholipase Cζ, the Molecular Spark of Fertilization and Male Infertility: Insights from Bench to Bedside" Medicina 61, no. 6: 963. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina61060963
APA StyleKaltsas, A., Kyrgiafini, M.-A., Mamuris, Z., Dimitriadis, F., Zachariou, A., Chrisofos, M., & Sofikitis, N. (2025). Phospholipase Cζ, the Molecular Spark of Fertilization and Male Infertility: Insights from Bench to Bedside. Medicina, 61(6), 963. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina61060963