A hidden protamine PTM code in sperm generates heterogeneous chromatin states and finetunes reproductive fitness

Abstract

Traditionally, the sperm genome is thought to be packaged by protamines into a uniformly compact and inert chromatin structure. Here, we challenge this long-standing view by demonstrating that protamine post-translational modifications (PTMs) present on distinct protamine molecules create discrete protamine-DNA chromatin states, ranging from weak to tightly associated chromatin configurations. Loss of these modifications alters protamine-DNA interactions in vitro and in vivo, compromising sperm chromatin integrity and impairing fertility. Therefore, these findings demonstrate that protamines do not merely serve as inert packaging proteins; rather protamine PTMs establish functional heterogeneity within sperm chromatin, creating compartment-like domains analogous to those in somatic cells. Thus, PTMs allow protamines to do more than simply compact the paternal genome--they likely encode a molecular blueprint that orchestrates the timely unpacking and reorganization of the paternal genome after fertilization.