DEtail-seq profiled meiotic DSBs in Homo sapiens

SPO11-promoted DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) formation is a crucial step for meiotic recombination, and it is indispensable to detect the broken DNA ends accurately for dissecting the molecular mechanisms behind. Here, we report a novel technique, named DEtail-seq (DNA End tailing followed by sequencing), that can directly and quantitatively capture the meiotic DSB 3’ overhang hotspots at single-nucleotide resolution. Adult human testis samples were obtained from two patients with obstructive azoospermia (OA) who underwent vasoepididymostomy. The patients with OA were enrolled from Reproductive Center of Peking University Third Hospital. We excluded patients with chromosomal abnormalities, Y-chromosome microdeletions, varicocele, metabolic disorders such as diabetes and hepatic disease, occupational exposure to the agents, and other known factors related to male infertility.