Diacylglycerol kinase gene Dgkh deficiency disrupts testicular lipid balance in male mice without affecting fertility

Diacylglycerol kinase eta (DGKη), encoded by the Dgkh gene, catalyzes the phosphorylation of diacylglycerol to phosphatidic acid, both of which are key lipid second messengers. While Dgkh is highly expressed in the testis, particularly during spermatogenesis, its functional role in male fertility remains unclear. To investigate the role of DGKη in male fertility, we generated Dgkh -/- mice using CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing and conducted comprehensive lipidomic profiling. In addition, under both normal and high-fat diet (HFD) conditions, we evaluated fertility, performed histological assessments, quantified DAG, PA, TG, and FFA levels, and analyzed the expression of other DGK isoforms via RT-qPCR. Our results showed that Dgkh was predominantly expressed in round spermatids. Dgkh -/- mice exhibited normal testis morphology, sperm parameters, and fertility under both standard and HFD conditions. However, lipidomic analysis revealed significant alterations in testicular lipid composition, including increased levels of DAG, triglycerides, phospholipids, and free fatty acids. Under HFD, Dgkh -/- mice showed exacerbated testicular lipid accumulation. Notably, expression of several other DGK isoforms (e.g. Dgka, Dgkd, Dgke, Dgki, and Dgkz) was upregulated, suggesting compensatory mechanisms that preserve spermatogenesis despite DGKη deficiency. These findings demonstrate that, despite its high expression in the testes and its role in regulating lipid metabolism, DGKη is not essential for male fertility or spermatogenesis under either normal or HFD conditions. These findings suggest the existence of compensatory mechanisms - likely involving other DGK isoforms - and offer new insights into the context-dependent functions of DGKη in testicular lipid homeostasis.