Fatty acyl-CoA reductase FAR1 is essential for testicular seminolipid synthesis, spermatogenesis, and male fertility

Seminolipids are testis-specific ether glycolipids that are important for spermatogenesis. The fatty alcohol (ether-linked alkyl moiety) in ether lipids is generated from an acyl-CoA by fatty acyl-CoA reductase (FAR). To date, the diversity of the alkyl and acyl moieties in seminolipids, the specific stage of spermatogenesis during which seminolipids are produced, and the FAR isozyme (FAR1 or FAR2) involved in the synthesis of the alkyl moieties have remained largely unclear. Here, we demonstrated that Far1 is expressed in the mouse testis via quantitative RT-PCR analysis, whereas Far2 was barely detectable. In situ hybridization and quantitative RT-PCR analysis of spermatogenic cells separated via FACS revealed that Far1 is expressed in spermatogonia, spermatocytes, and spermatids. We generated Far1 knockout (KO) mice and found that male Far1 KO mice were infertile. In these mice, sperms were absent in the epididymides and the testes were small, with multinucleated cells and vacuoles in the seminiferous tubules. LC-MS/MS analysis showed that the vast majority of seminolipids (> 90%) in wild-type mouse testes contained C16:0 in both the alkyl and the acyl moieties. Seminolipids were present in all subclasses of spermatogenic cells in wild-type mice, but they were absent in Far1 KO mice. Instead, the production of non-ether, diacyl-type sulfogalactosyl lipids (sulfogalactosyl diacylglycerols) was induced in Far1 KO mice. In conclusion, the alkyl and acyl moieties of seminolipids in the testis are low in diversity, and Far1 is essential for seminolipid synthesis and spermatogenesis.