The primary job of spermatozoa is to deliver the paternal genome to the oocyte. However, in 1962, sperm were discovered to carry RNAs. Studies later showed that sperm RNAs are diverse and predominant in small RNAs. In addition to carrying RNA from the testis, many RNAs get loaded on sperm during maturation in the epididymis. Today, sperm are known to carry a variety of small RNAs, the functions of most of which remain unknown. Studies in the last two decades have shown the significance of some of these RNAs in early embryonic development or transgenerational inheritance. However, this is just the beginning of the uncovering of the major secrets that sperm RNAs hold, which at present are way beyond our understanding. Irrespective of their functional importance in sperm, these RNAs can be exploited as markers of sperm quality and fertility.

The present research topic focuses on studies on sperm RNAs. This would include studies on the role of RNAs in germ cell development, sperm RNA alterations during epididymal maturation, the presence and diversity of sperm RNAs, the functions of sperm RNAs post-fertilization, and their roles in transgenerational inheritance. All these topics should collectively put forth the significance of sperm RNAs in fertility, infertility, and transgenerational inheritance.

The present article collection aims to cover all aspects of sperm RNAs, including their importance in fertility, infertility, embryonic development, and transgenerational inheritance. We look forward to articles specifically on the following:

1. Studies on the significance of sperm RNAs (past or future roles)

2. Studies on epididymal RNAs that get loaded on sperm during maturation

3. Functional studies on sperm RNAs showing their importance in post-fertilization development

4. Assessment of sperm RNAs as markers of fertility and infertility

5. RNA therapeutics for male infertility treatment

6. Analysis of sperm RNAs in transgenerational inheritance

7. Diversity of sperm RNAs, including mRNAs, rRNAs, miRNAs, piRNAs, tsRNAs, sncRNAs, and circRNAs

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Frontiers in Reproductive Health

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