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Breed B, Leigh C, Ahmer I. Morphological events at the time of oocyte maturation and sperm–egg interactions during fertilisation in a dasyurid marsupial. AUST J ZOOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1071/zo22030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
In marsupials there have been several studies on oocyte maturation and sperm–egg interactions at the time of fertilisation, but controversy exists as to when and how some of the processes occur. Here we present a summary of relevant data from a species of dasyurid marsupial, the fat-tailed dunnart (Sminthopsis crassicaudata). The findings show that in oocytes of developing ovarian follicles cortical granules are produced with many of the granules sometimes initially congregating around the cytoplasmic vacuoles before migrating to the proximity of the oocyte cell membrane. During fertilisation the spermatozoon binds to the zona pellucida that surrounds the oocyte with its tail lying parallel to the long axis of the head. As the spermatozoon passes through the zona pellucida it is surrounded by the zona matrix and, when entering the egg cytoplasm, a localised area of elevated ooplasm occurs around the spermatozoon. Also, unlike a recent claim to the contrary, the head of the spermatozoon travels a considerable distance into the egg cytoplasm before chromatin decondensation occurs, an event that probably minimises the chances of chromatin disruption by the sperm tail at the time of its incorporation.
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Mechanisms of Sperm–Egg Interactions: What Ascidian Fertilization Research Has Taught Us. Cells 2022; 11:cells11132096. [PMID: 35805180 PMCID: PMC9265791 DOI: 10.3390/cells11132096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2022] [Revised: 06/18/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Fertilization is an essential process in terrestrial organisms for creating a new organism with genetic diversity. Before gamete fusion, several steps are required to achieve successful fertilization. Animal spermatozoa are first activated and attracted to the eggs by egg-derived chemoattractants. During the sperm passage of the egg’s extracellular matrix or upon the sperm binding to the proteinaceous egg coat, the sperm undergoes an acrosome reaction, an exocytosis of acrosome. In hermaphrodites such as ascidians, the self/nonself recognition process occurs when the sperm binds to the egg coat. The activated or acrosome-reacted spermatozoa penetrate through the proteinaceous egg coat. The extracellular ubiquitin–proteasome system, the astacin-like metalloproteases, and the trypsin-like proteases play key roles in this process in ascidians. In the present review, we summarize our current understanding and perspectives on gamete recognition and egg coat lysins in ascidians and consider the general mechanisms of fertilization in animals and plants.
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An Update on Semen Physiology, Technologies, and Selection Techniques for the Advancement of In Vitro Equine Embryo Production: Section I. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11113248. [PMID: 34827983 PMCID: PMC8614440 DOI: 10.3390/ani11113248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2021] [Revised: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Male fertility is often estimated by simple sperm assessment, and therefore, it is crucial to establish species-specific baselines for normal sperm parameters. In this paper, sperm physiology, function, and common abnormalities in stallions will be reviewed. Abstract As the use of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) and in vitro embryo production (IVP) expand in the equine industry, it has become necessary to further our understanding of semen physiology as it applies to overall fertility. This segment of our two-section review will focus on normal sperm parameters, beginning with development and extending through the basic morphology of mature spermatozoa, as well as common issues with male factor infertility in IVP. Ultimately, the relevance of sperm parameters to overall male factor fertility in equine IVP will be assessed.
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Kuske M, Floehr J, Yiallouros I, Michna T, Jahnen-Dechent W, Tenzer S, Stöcker W, Körschgen H. Limited proteolysis by acrosin affects sperm-binding and mechanical resilience of the mouse zona pellucida. Mol Hum Reprod 2021; 27:6199430. [PMID: 33779727 DOI: 10.1093/molehr/gaab022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Revised: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The encounter of oocyte and sperm is the key event initiating embryonic development in mammals. Crucial functions of this existential interaction are determined by proteolytic enzymes, such as acrosin, carried in the sperm head acrosome, and ovastacin, stored in the oocyte cortical granules. Ovastacin is released upon fertilisation to cleave the zona pellucida, a glycoprotein matrix surrounding the oocyte. This limited proteolysis hardens the oocyte envelope, and thereby provides a definitive block against polyspermy and protects the developing embryo. On the other hand, acrosin, the renowned and most abundant acrosomal protease, has been thought to enable sperm to penetrate the oocyte envelope. Depending on the species, proteolytic cleavage of the zona pellucida by acrosin is either essential or conducive for fertilisation. However, the specific target cleavage sites and the resulting physiological consequences of this proteolysis remained obscure. Here, we treated native mouse zonae pellucidae with active acrosin and identified two cleavage sites in zona pellucida protein 1 (ZP1), five in ZP2 and one in ZP3 by mass spectrometry. Several of these sites are highly conserved in mammals. Remarkably, limited proteolysis by acrosin leads to zona pellucida remodelling rather than degradation. Thus, acrosin affects both sperm binding and mechanical resilience of the zona pellucida, as assessed by microscopy and nanoindentation measurements, respectively. Furthermore, we ascertained potential regulatory effects of acrosin, via activation of latent pro-ovastacin and inactivation of fetuin-B, a tight binding inhibitor of ovastacin. These results offer novel insights into the complex proteolytic network modifying the extracellular matrix of the mouse oocyte, which might apply also to other species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Kuske
- Institute of Molecular Physiology, Cell and Matrix Biology, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, German
| | - Julia Floehr
- Biointerface Laboratory, Helmholtz-Institute for Biomedical Engineering, RWTH Aachen University Medical Faculty, Aachen, German
| | - Irene Yiallouros
- Institute of Molecular Physiology, Cell and Matrix Biology, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, German
| | - Thomas Michna
- Institute for Immunology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Willi Jahnen-Dechent
- Biointerface Laboratory, Helmholtz-Institute for Biomedical Engineering, RWTH Aachen University Medical Faculty, Aachen, German
| | - Stefan Tenzer
- Institute for Immunology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Walter Stöcker
- Institute of Molecular Physiology, Cell and Matrix Biology, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, German
| | - Hagen Körschgen
- Institute of Molecular Physiology, Cell and Matrix Biology, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, German
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5
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Achikanu C, Correia J, Guidobaldi HA, Giojalas LC, Barratt CLR, Da Silva SM, Publicover S. Continuous behavioural 'switching' in human spermatozoa and its regulation by Ca2+-mobilising stimuli. Mol Hum Reprod 2020; 25:423-432. [PMID: 31194869 PMCID: PMC6736438 DOI: 10.1093/molehr/gaz034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2019] [Revised: 04/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Human sperm show a variety of different behaviours (types of motility) that have different functional roles. Previous reports suggest that sperm may reversibly switch between these behaviours. We have recorded and analysed the behaviour of individual human sperm (180 cells in total), each cell monitored continuously for 3–3.5 min either under control conditions or in the presence of Ca2+-mobilising stimuli. Switching between different behaviours was assessed visually (1 s bins using four behaviour categories), and was verified by fractal dimension analysis of sperm head tracks. In the absence of stimuli, ~90% of cells showed at least one behavioural transition (mean rate under control conditions = 6.4 ± 0.8 transitions.min−1). Type 1 behaviour (progressive, activated-like motility) was most common, but the majority of cells (>70%) displayed at least three behaviour types. Treatment of sperm with Ca2+-mobilising agonists had negligible effects on the rate of switching but increased the time spent in type 2 and type 3 (hyperactivation-like) behaviours (P < 2*10−8; chi-square). Treatment with 4-aminopyridine under alkaline conditions (pHo = 8.5), a highly-potent Ca2+-mobilising stimulus, was the most effective in increasing the proportion of type 3 behaviour, biasing switching away from type 1 (P < 0.005) and dramatically extending the duration of type 3 events (P < 10−16). Other stimuli, including 300 nM progesterone and 1% human follicular fluid, had qualitatively similar effects but were less potent. We conclude that human sperm observed in vitro constitutively display a range of behaviours and regulation of motility by [Ca2+]i, at the level of the single cell, is achieved not by causing cells to adopt a ‘new’ behaviour but by changing the relative contributions of those behaviours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cosmas Achikanu
- School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Joao Correia
- School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Héctor A Guidobaldi
- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Centro de Biología Celular y Molecular, Av. Vélez Sarsfield 1611, CP X5016GCA, Córdoba, Argentina.,Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas, UNC, CONICET, FCEFyN, Av. Vélez Sarsfield 1611, CP X5016GCA, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Laura C Giojalas
- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Centro de Biología Celular y Molecular, Av. Vélez Sarsfield 1611, CP X5016GCA, Córdoba, Argentina.,Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas, UNC, CONICET, FCEFyN, Av. Vélez Sarsfield 1611, CP X5016GCA, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Christopher L R Barratt
- Reproductive and Developmental Biology, School of Medicine, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, Dundee DD19SY, UK.,University of Dundee, Dundee DD19SY, UK 4Assisted Conception Unit, Ninewells Hospital Dundee, Dundee DD19SY, UK
| | - Sarah Martins Da Silva
- Reproductive and Developmental Biology, School of Medicine, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, Dundee DD19SY, UK.,University of Dundee, Dundee DD19SY, UK 4Assisted Conception Unit, Ninewells Hospital Dundee, Dundee DD19SY, UK
| | - Stephen Publicover
- School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.,Centre for Human Reproductive Science, University of Birmingham, UK
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6
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Dolebo AT, Khayatzadeh N, Melesse A, Wragg D, Rekik M, Haile A, Rischkowsky B, Rothschild MF, Mwacharo JM. Genome-wide scans identify known and novel regions associated with prolificacy and reproduction traits in a sub-Saharan African indigenous sheep (Ovis aries). Mamm Genome 2019; 30:339-352. [PMID: 31758253 PMCID: PMC6884434 DOI: 10.1007/s00335-019-09820-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2019] [Accepted: 11/12/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Maximizing the number of offspring born per female is a key functionality trait in commercial- and/or subsistence-oriented livestock enterprises. Although the number of offspring born is closely associated with female fertility and reproductive success, the genetic control of these traits remains poorly understood in sub-Saharan Africa livestock. Using selection signature analysis performed on Ovine HD BeadChip data from the prolific Bonga sheep in Ethiopia, 41 candidate regions under selection were identified. The analysis revealed one strong selection signature on a candidate region on chromosome X spanning BMP15, suggesting this to be the primary candidate prolificacy gene in the breed. The analysis also identified several candidate regions spanning genes not reported before in prolific sheep but underlying fertility and reproduction in other species. The genes associated with female reproduction traits included SPOCK1 (age at first oestrus), GPR173 (mediator of ovarian cyclicity), HB-EGF (signalling early pregnancy success) and SMARCAL1 and HMGN3a (regulate gene expression during embryogenesis). The genes involved in male reproduction were FOXJ1 (sperm function and successful fertilization) and NME5 (spermatogenesis). We also observed genes such as PKD2L2, MAGED1 and KDM3B, which have been associated with diverse fertility traits in both sexes of other species. The results confirm the complexity of the genetic mechanisms underlying reproduction while suggesting that prolificacy in the Bonga sheep, and possibly African indigenous sheep is partly under the control of BMP15 while other genes that enhance male and female fertility are essential for reproductive fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asrat Tera Dolebo
- Southern Agricultural Research Institute (SARI), P.O. Box 06, Hawassa, Ethiopia
- Department of Animal and Range Sciences, Hawassa University, P.O Box 5, Hawassa, Ethiopia
| | - Negar Khayatzadeh
- Department of Sustainable Agricultural Systems, Division of Livestock Sciences, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Gregor-Mendel-Strasse, 1180, Vienna, Austria
| | - Aberra Melesse
- Department of Animal and Range Sciences, Hawassa University, P.O Box 5, Hawassa, Ethiopia
| | - David Wragg
- Centre for Tropical Livestock Genetics and Health, The Roslin Institute, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Mourad Rekik
- Small Ruminant Genomics, International Centre for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), P.O. Box 5689, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Aynalem Haile
- Small Ruminant Genomics, International Centre for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), P.O. Box 5689, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Barbara Rischkowsky
- Small Ruminant Genomics, International Centre for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), P.O. Box 5689, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Max F Rothschild
- Department of Animal Science, Iowa State University, 2255 Kildee Hall, Ames, IA, 50011-3150, USA
| | - Joram M Mwacharo
- Small Ruminant Genomics, International Centre for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), P.O. Box 5689, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
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Khawar MB, Gao H, Li W. Mechanism of Acrosome Biogenesis in Mammals. Front Cell Dev Biol 2019; 7:195. [PMID: 31620437 PMCID: PMC6759486 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2019.00195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2019] [Accepted: 08/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
During sexual reproduction, two haploid gametes fuse to form the zygote, and the acrosome is essential to this fusion process (fertilization) in animals. The acrosome is a special kind of organelle with a cap-like structure that covers the anterior portion of the head of the spermatozoon. The acrosome is derived from the Golgi apparatus and contains digestive enzymes. With the progress of our understanding of acrosome biogenesis, a number of models have been proposed to address the origin of the acrosome. The acrosome has been regarded as a lysosome-related organelle, and it has been proposed to have originated from the lysosome or the autolysosome. Our review will provide a brief historical overview and highlight recent findings on acrosome biogenesis in mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Babar Khawar
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hui Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Li
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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Yanagimachi R, Alikani M. Remembering J Michael Bedford (1932 – 2018): a great thinker and scholar. Reprod Biomed Online 2018; 37:4-5. [DOI: 10.1016/j.rbmo.2018.04.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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9
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Nishio S, Okumura H, Matsuda T. Egg-Coat and Zona Pellucida Proteins of Chicken as a Typical Species of Aves. Curr Top Dev Biol 2018; 130:307-329. [PMID: 29853181 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2018.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Birds are oviparous vertebrates in terrestrial animals. Birds' eggs accumulate mass of egg yolk during the egg development and are accordingly much larger than the eggs of viviparous vertebrates. Despite such difference in size and contents, the birds' eggs are surrounded with the egg-coat morphologically and compositionally resembling the mammalian egg-coat, zona pellucida. On the other hand, there are some differences in part between the two egg-coats, though relationships of such structural differences to any biological roles specific for the extracellular matrix of birds' eggs are not fully understood. In birds, unlike mammals, ZP proteins constituting the egg-coat are highly conserved and therefore those of chicken are described as a representative of birds. The egg-coat ZP proteins, ZP1, ZP3, and ZPD as the majors, accumulate and form the matrix by self-assembly around the egg rapidly growing in the ovarian follicle, in which ZP1 is from liver and both ZP3 and ZPD are from follicular granulosa cells. Although details of the egg-coat-sperm interaction on fertilization remain to be investigated, the lytic degradation process of egg-coat matrix for the sperm penetration has become to be clarified gradually. ZP1 is the primary target of sperm acrosin, and the limited cleavage in the specific region leading to the loss of intermolecular cross-linkages is crucial for the lysis of egg-coat matrix. Possible roles of the ZP1 with the additional sequence characteristic to birds are discussed from a viewpoint of giving both robustness and elastomeric nature to the egg-coat matrix for the birds' eggs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shunsuke Nishio
- Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | | | - Tsukasa Matsuda
- Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan.
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10
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Foster JA, Gerton GL. The Acrosomal Matrix. ADVANCES IN ANATOMY EMBRYOLOGY AND CELL BIOLOGY 2016; 220:15-33. [PMID: 27194348 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-30567-7_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/11/2023]
Abstract
The acrosome, a single exocytotic vesicle on the head of sperm, has an essential role in fertilization, but the exact mechanisms by which it facilitates sperm-egg interactions remain unresolved. The acrosome contains dozens of secretory proteins that are packaged into the forming structure during spermatogenesis; many of these proteins are localized into specific topographical areas of the acrosome, while others are more diffusely distributed. Acrosomal proteins can also be biochemically classified as components of the acrosomal matrix, a large, relatively insoluble complex, or as soluble proteins. This review focuses on recent findings using genetically modified mice (gene knockouts and transgenic "green acrosome" mice) to study the effects of eliminating acrosomal matrix-associated proteins on sperm structure and function. Some gene knockouts produce infertile phenotypes with obviously missing, specific activities that affect acrosome biogenesis during spermatogenesis or interfere with acrosome function in mature sperm. Mutations that delete some components produce fertile phenotypes with subtler effects that provide useful insights into acrosomal matrix function in fertilization. In general, these studies enable the reassessment of paradigms to explain acrosome formation and function and provide novel, objective insights into the roles of acrosomal matrix proteins in fertilization. The use of genetically engineered mouse models has yielded new mechanistic information that complements recent, important in vivo imaging studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- James A Foster
- Department of Biology, Randolph-Macon College, Ashland, VA, 23005, USA.
| | - George L Gerton
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Center for Research on Reproduction and Women's Health, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-6160, USA
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11
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Belmonte SA, Mayorga LS, Tomes CN. The Molecules of Sperm Exocytosis. ADVANCES IN ANATOMY EMBRYOLOGY AND CELL BIOLOGY 2016; 220:71-92. [PMID: 27194350 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-30567-7_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Exocytosis is a fundamental process used by eukaryotic cells to release biological compounds and to insert lipids and proteins in the plasma membrane. Specialized secretory cells undergo regulated exocytosis in response to physiological signals. Sperm exocytosis or acrosome reaction (AR) is essentially a regulated secretion with special characteristics. We will focus here on some of these unique features, covering the topology, kinetics, and molecular mechanisms that prepare, drive, and regulate membrane fusion during the AR. Last, we will compare acrosomal release with exocytosis in other model systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia A Belmonte
- Laboratorio de Biología Celular y Molecular, Instituto de Histología y Embriología, IHEM-CONICET, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, 5500, Mendoza, Mendoza, Argentina
| | - Luis S Mayorga
- Laboratorio de Biología Celular y Molecular, Instituto de Histología y Embriología, IHEM-CONICET, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, 5500, Mendoza, Mendoza, Argentina
| | - Claudia N Tomes
- Laboratorio de Biología Celular y Molecular, Instituto de Histología y Embriología, IHEM-CONICET, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, 5500, Mendoza, Mendoza, Argentina.
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12
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Hirohashi N. Site of Mammalian Sperm Acrosome Reaction. ADVANCES IN ANATOMY EMBRYOLOGY AND CELL BIOLOGY 2016; 220:145-58. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-30567-7_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
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13
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Hedrih A, Banić M. The effect of friction and impact angle on the spermatozoa-oocyte local contact dynamics. J Theor Biol 2016; 393:32-42. [PMID: 26780648 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2015.12.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2015] [Revised: 11/17/2015] [Accepted: 12/17/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Although a large proportion of biomolecules involved in spermatozoa-oocyte interaction has been discovered so far, many details of fertilization mechanism remain unknown. Both biochemical and biomechanical components exist in the fertilization process. Mammalian sperm evolved a ZP (zona pelucida) thrust reduction penetration strategy probably in response to the ZP resilient elasticity. Using a biomechanical approach and FEM analysis, local contact stress, ZP deformations during impact and attempt of sperm head penetration relative to different sperm impact angles (SIA) were studied. The sperm-oocyte contact was defined as non-linear frictional contact. A transient structural analysis at 37°C revealed that, from the mechanical standpoint there are SIA that are more favorable for possible ZP penetration due to larger equivalent stress of ZP. An "slip-stick" resembling effect was identified for almost all examined SIA. The sperm head-ZP contact area increases as SIA decreases. Favorable ZP-stress state for sperm penetration regarding SIA are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andjelka Hedrih
- Department for Bio-Medical Science, State University of Novi Pazar, Vuka Karadzica bb, 36 300 Novi Pazar, Serbia.
| | - Milan Banić
- Department for Mechanical Design, Development and Engineering, Mechanical Engineering Faculty, University of Nis, Aleksandra Medvedeva 14, 18000 Nis, Serbia
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14
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Sánchez-Calabuig MJ, de la Fuente J, Laguna-Barraza R, Beltrán-Breña P, Martínez-Nevado E, Johnston SD, Rizos D, Gutiérrez-Adán A, Pérez-Gutiérrez JF. Heterologous murine and bovine IVF using bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) spermatozoa. Theriogenology 2015; 84:983-94. [PMID: 26149074 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2015.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2015] [Revised: 06/04/2015] [Accepted: 06/04/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Assisted reproductive technologies are of great importance for increasing the genetic diversity in captive animals. The use of bovine or murine oocytes in heterologous IVF provides advantages compared to homologous IVF in nondomestic animals, such as the accessibility to oocytes and the availability of well-developed in vitro maturation systems. The aim of this study was to determine the heterologous IVF parameters using cryopreserved dolphin spermatozoa and zona-intact bovine or murine oocytes and to examine the nuclear chromatin status of the dolphin spermatozoa. All the processes involved in the fertilization including embryo cleavage were observed by confocal microscopy and hybrid embryo formation was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction. Heterologous bovine IVF showed no polyspermy, lower percentages of pronuclear formation, and a lower cleavage rate compared to homologous IVF group (34.8% vs. 89.3%). Heterologous murine IVF showed a lower cleavage rate than homologous IVF (9.6% vs. 77.1%). With respect to dolphin sperm chromatin, it was more stable, i.e. more resistant to EDTA-SDS decondensation than the bovine sperm chromatin. This study revealed the stability of the dolphin sperm chromatin and the ability of the dolphin spermatozoa to penetrate zona-intact bovine and murine oocytes, leading to hybrid embryo formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- M J Sánchez-Calabuig
- Department of Animal Reproduction, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA), Madrid, Spain
| | - J de la Fuente
- Department of Animal Reproduction, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA), Madrid, Spain
| | - R Laguna-Barraza
- Department of Animal Reproduction, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA), Madrid, Spain
| | - P Beltrán-Breña
- Department of Animal Reproduction, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA), Madrid, Spain
| | | | - S D Johnston
- Wildlife Science Unit, School of Agriculture and Food Science, University of Queensland, Gatton, Australia
| | - D Rizos
- Department of Animal Reproduction, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA), Madrid, Spain
| | - A Gutiérrez-Adán
- Department of Animal Reproduction, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA), Madrid, Spain
| | - J F Pérez-Gutiérrez
- Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, School of Veterinary Medicine, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
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15
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El-Taieb MA, Ali MA, Nada EA. Oxidative stress and acrosomal morphology: A cause of infertility in patients with normal semen parameters. MIDDLE EAST FERTILITY SOCIETY JOURNAL 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mefs.2014.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
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16
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Influence of sperm impact angle on successful fertilization through mZP oscillatory spherical net model. Comput Biol Med 2015; 59:19-29. [PMID: 25659799 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2015.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2014] [Revised: 12/23/2014] [Accepted: 01/12/2015] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
According to the available literature, penetrating sperm creates an oblique path trough Zona pellucida (ZP)--the most outer surface of oocytes. Considering fertilization process as an oscillatory phenomenon, the influence of sperm impact angle relative to the oscillatory behavior of mouse ZP is described by using the discrete continuum mechanical model in the form of a spherical net model. A parametric frequency analysis of oscillatory behavior of knot material particles in the mouse ZP (mZP) spherical net model is conducted by using generalized Lussajous curves. The influence of impact angles of sperm cells on the corresponding knot mass particles' resultant trajectory is discussed. Favorable sperm impact angles for successful fertilization are identified.
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Medarde N, Martínez-Vargas J, Sánchez-Chardi A, López-Fuster MJ, Ventura J. Effect of Robertsonian translocations on sperm head form in the house mouse. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nuria Medarde
- Departament de Biologia Animal; de Biologia Vegetal i d'Ecologia; Facultat de Biociències; Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; E-08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès Spain
| | - Jessica Martínez-Vargas
- Departament de Biologia Animal; de Biologia Vegetal i d'Ecologia; Facultat de Biociències; Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; E-08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès Spain
| | | | - María José López-Fuster
- Departament de Biologia Animal and Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio); Facultat de Biologia; Universitat de Barcelona; E-08007 Barcelona Spain
| | - Jacint Ventura
- Departament de Biologia Animal; de Biologia Vegetal i d'Ecologia; Facultat de Biociències; Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; E-08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès Spain
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Mao HT, Yang WX. Modes of acrosin functioning during fertilization. Gene 2013; 526:75-9. [PMID: 23747402 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2013.05.058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2013] [Accepted: 05/22/2013] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Mammalian fertilization is a complex process that involves gamete recognition, penetration, and fusion. Biochemical studies that identified the role of acrosome components during sperm-ova interaction especially the zona pellucida (ZP) provided major advances in sperm cell biology. Acrosin (a typical serine protease) functions during fertilization in several significant ways which include: a) activation of acrosome components, b) secondary binding with the ZP, and c) hydrolysis of the ZP. However, studies using knockout (KO) acrosin-deficient mice cast doubt on the traditional role of acrosin in fertilization. The KO acrosin-deficient mice exhibit normal fecundity except for delayed fertilization. Despite the doubt cast on the traditional role of acrosin by the KO acrosin-deficient mouse studies, acrosin still remains a major protease involved in multiple processes of fertilization. In this review, we assess the functional profile of acrosin and briefly summarize recent findings on proteases involved in fertilization. We propose a refined scheme for the functional role of acrosin in fertilization. We particularly emphasize the role of acrosin in acrosome exocytosis and activation of other acrosome components based on advanced technology like structural X-ray analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hai-Tao Mao
- The Sperm Laboratory, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
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Dorman F, Balsamo P, Leigh C, Breed WG. Co-evolution of gametes of the Greater Bandicoot Rat,Bandicota indica- a murine rodent from South-East Asia. ACTA ZOOL-STOCKHOLM 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/azo.12036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Fiona Dorman
- Discipline of Anatomy and Pathology; Faculty of Health Sciences; School of Medical Sciences; The University of Adelaide; Adelaide South Australia 5005 Australia
| | - Priscilla Balsamo
- Discipline of Anatomy and Pathology; Faculty of Health Sciences; School of Medical Sciences; The University of Adelaide; Adelaide South Australia 5005 Australia
| | - Chris Leigh
- Discipline of Anatomy and Pathology; Faculty of Health Sciences; School of Medical Sciences; The University of Adelaide; Adelaide South Australia 5005 Australia
| | - William G. Breed
- Discipline of Anatomy and Pathology; Faculty of Health Sciences; School of Medical Sciences; The University of Adelaide; Adelaide South Australia 5005 Australia
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Alasmari W, Costello S, Correia J, Oxenham SK, Morris J, Fernandes L, Ramalho-Santos J, Kirkman-Brown J, Michelangeli F, Publicover S, Barratt CLR. Ca2+ signals generated by CatSper and Ca2+ stores regulate different behaviors in human sperm. J Biol Chem 2013; 288:6248-58. [PMID: 23344959 PMCID: PMC3585060 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m112.439356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
[Ca2+]i signaling regulates sperm motility, enabling switching between functionally different behaviors that the sperm must employ as it ascends the female tract and fertilizes the oocyte. We report that different behaviors in human sperm are recruited according to the Ca2+ signaling pathway used. Activation of CatSper (by raising pHi or stimulating with progesterone) caused sustained [Ca2+]i elevation but did not induce hyperactivation, the whiplash-like behavior required for progression along the oviduct and penetration of the zona pellucida. In contrast, penetration into methylcellulose (mimicking penetration into cervical mucus or cumulus matrix) was enhanced by activation of CatSper. NNC55-0396, which abolishes CatSper currents in human sperm, inhibited this effect. Treatment with 5 μm thimerosal to mobilize stored Ca2+ caused sustained [Ca2+]i elevation and induced strong, sustained hyperactivation that was completely insensitive to NNC55-0396. Thimerosal had no effect on penetration into methylcellulose. 4-Aminopyridine, a powerful modulator of sperm motility, both raised pHi and mobilized Ca2+ stored in sperm (and from microsomal membrane preparations). 4-Aminopyridine-induced hyperactivation even in cells suspended in Ca2+-depleted medium and also potentiated penetration into methylcellulose. The latter effect was sensitive to NNC55-039, but induction of hyperactivation was not. We conclude that these two components of the [Ca2+]i signaling apparatus have strikingly different effects on sperm motility. Furthermore, since stored Ca2+ at the sperm neck can be mobilized by Ca2+-induced Ca2+ release, we propose that CatSper activation can elicit functionally different behaviors according to the sensitivity of the Ca2+ store, which may be regulated by capacitation and NO from the cumulus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wardah Alasmari
- From the Reproductive and Developmental Biology, Medical School, University of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital, Dundee DD1 9SY, Scotland, United Kingdom
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Vladić T, Petersson E. Artificially selected human sperm morphology after swim-up processing. CAN J ZOOL 2012. [DOI: 10.1139/z2012-088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The swim-up technique is a clinical practice used to select highly motile sperm cells from patient ejaculates to use in assisted fertilization. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the length of different sperm-cell components is related to gamete function. Thus, we explored whether swim-up technique selects for longer sperm cells than mean sperm cells from unprocessed ejaculates. Sperm midpiece, tail endpiece, and total length were measured before and after the swim-up selection by means of contrast-phase and electron microscopy. Correlations between sperm dimensions, sperm motility, and sperm concentration were also investigated. Swim-up selected cells with longer midpiece compared with the unprocessed fractions (5.8 μm (CI 5.52–6.16 μm) vs. 5.3 μm (CI 4.97–5.61 μm), p < 0.05) and shorter tail endpiece (7.8 μm (CI 7.11–8.44 μm) vs. 8.5 μm (CI 7.81–9.14 μm), p < 0.05 after meta-analysis), whereas no effect of swim-up selection was detected on the total sperm cell length. Individuals producing high sperm concentrations had longer sperm midpiece than had men producing lower sperm concentrations. It is concluded that short sperm flagellar tips with long midpieces may be used as biomarkers in infertility therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomislav Vladić
- Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Andrology Centre, Karolinska University Hospital, Box 140, SE-171 76 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Erik Petersson
- SLU, Inst. Aquatic Resources, Freshwater Laboratory, Stångholmvägen 2, SE-178 93 Drottningholm, Sweden
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MMP2 and acrosin are major proteinases associated with the inner acrosomal membrane and may cooperate in sperm penetration of the zona pellucida during fertilization. Cell Tissue Res 2012; 349:881-95. [PMID: 22729485 PMCID: PMC3429778 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-012-1429-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2012] [Accepted: 04/04/2012] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Sperm-zona pellucida (ZP) penetration during fertilization is a process that most likely involves enzymatic digestion of this extracellular coat by spermatozoa. Since the inner acrosomal membrane (IAM) is the leading edge of spermatozoa during penetration and proteins required for secondary binding of sperm to the zona are present on it, the IAM is the likely location of these enzymes. The objectives of this study were to identify and characterize proteinases present on the IAM, confirm their localization and provide evidence for their role in fertilization. Gelatin zymography of detergent extracts of the IAM revealed bands of enzymatic activity identified as serine and matrix metallo-proteinases (MMPs). Specific inhibitors to MMPs revealed that MMP activity was due to MMP2. Immunoblotting determined that the serine protease activity on the zymogram was due to acrosin and also confirmed the MMP2 activity. Immunogold labeling of spermatozoa at the electron microscope level showed that acrosin and MMP2 were confined to the apical and principal segments of the acrosome in association with the IAM, confirming our IAM isolation technique. Immunohistochemical examination of acrosin and MMP2 during spermiogenesis showed that both proteins originate in the acrosomic granule during the Golgi phase and later redistribute to the acrosomal membrane. Anti-MMP2 antibodies and inhibitors incorporated into in vitro fertilization media significantly decreased fertilization rates. This is the first study to demonstrate that MMP2 and acrosin are associated with the IAM and introduces the possibility of their cooperation in enzymatic digestion of the ZP during penetration.
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Acrosome-reacted mouse spermatozoa recovered from the perivitelline space can fertilize other eggs. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2011; 108:20008-11. [PMID: 22084105 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1116965108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Many investigators maintain that spermatozoa that have initiated the acrosome reaction (AR) before reaching the surface of the egg's zona pellucida (ZP) are unable to bind and penetrate the ZP. A recent study has revealed that most fertilizing mouse spermatozoa initiate the AR before contacting the ZP. We found that acrosome-reacted spermatozoa collected from the perivitelline space of Cd9-null mice (whose egg plasma membranes are incapable of fusing with spermatozoa) were able to pass through both the cumulus and ZP of WT mouse eggs and produced live offspring. This means that the spermatozoa we used had the ability to pass through the ZP at least twice. Apparently, some spermatozoa that had undergone the AR long before contact with the ZP remained capable of crossing the ZP and fertilizing eggs. Thus, the concept that acrosome-reacted spermatozoa are unable to bind to the ZP and have lost their fertilizing capacity must be reconsidered.
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Abstract
The omnipresent ubiquitin–proteasome system (UPS) is an ATP-dependent enzymatic machinery that targets substrate proteins for degradation by the 26S proteasome by tagging them with an isopeptide chain composed of covalently linked molecules of ubiquitin, a small chaperone protein. The current knowledge of UPS involvement in the process of sperm penetration through vitelline coat (VC) during human and animal fertilization is reviewed in this study, with attention also being given to sperm capacitation and acrosome reaction/exocytosis. In ascidians, spermatozoa release ubiquitin-activating and conjugating enzymes, proteasomes, and unconjugated ubiquitin to first ubiquitinate and then degrade the sperm receptor on the VC; in echinoderms and mammals, the VC (zona pellucida/ZP in mammals) is ubiquitinated during oogenesis and the sperm receptor degraded during fertilization. Various proteasomal subunits and associated enzymes have been detected in spermatozoa and localized to sperm acrosome and other sperm structures. By using specific fluorometric substrates, proteasome-specific proteolytic and deubiquitinating activities can be measured in live, intact spermatozoa and in sperm protein extracts. The requirement of proteasomal proteolysis during fertilization has been documented by the application of various proteasome-specific inhibitors and antibodies. A similar effect was achieved by depletion of sperm-surface ATP. Degradation of VC/ZP-associated sperm receptor proteins by sperm-borne proteasomes has been demonstrated in ascidians and sea urchins. On the applied side, polyspermy has been ameliorated by modulating sperm-associated deubiquitinating enzymes. Diagnostic and therapeutic applications could emerge in human reproductive medicine. Altogether, the studies on sperm proteasome indicate that animal fertilization is controlled in part by a unique, gamete associated, extracellular UPS.
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Zimmerman SW, Manandhar G, Yi YJ, Gupta SK, Sutovsky M, Odhiambo JF, Powell MD, Miller DJ, Sutovsky P. Sperm proteasomes degrade sperm receptor on the egg zona pellucida during mammalian fertilization. PLoS One 2011; 6:e17256. [PMID: 21383844 PMCID: PMC3044170 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0017256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2010] [Accepted: 01/27/2011] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite decades of research, the mechanism by which the fertilizing spermatozoon penetrates the mammalian vitelline membrane, the zona pellucida (ZP) remains one of the unexplained fundamental events of human/mammalian development. Evidence has been accumulating in support of the 26S proteasome as a candidate for echinoderm, ascidian and mammalian egg coat lysin. Monitoring ZP protein degradation by sperm during fertilization is nearly impossible because those few spermatozoa that penetrate the ZP leave behind a virtually untraceable residue of degraded proteins. We have overcome this hurdle by designing an experimentally consistent in vitro system in which live boar spermatozoa are co-incubated with ZP-proteins (ZPP) solubilized from porcine oocytes. Using this assay, mimicking sperm-egg interactions, we demonstrate that the sperm-borne proteasomes can degrade the sperm receptor protein ZPC. Upon coincubation with motile spermatozoa, the solubilized ZPP, which appear to be ubiquitinated, adhered to sperm acrosomal caps and induced acrosomal exocytosis/formation of the acrosomal shroud. The degradation of the sperm receptor protein ZPC was assessed by Western blotting band-densitometry and proteomics. A nearly identical pattern of sperm receptor degradation, evident already within the first 5 min of coincubation, was observed when the spermatozoa were replaced with the isolated, enzymatically active, sperm-derived proteasomes. ZPC degradation was blocked by proteasomal inhibitors and accelerated by ubiquitin-aldehyde(UBAL), a modified ubiquitin protein that stimulates proteasomal proteolysis. Such a degradation pattern of ZPC is consistent with in vitro fertilization studies, in which proteasomal inhibitors completely blocked fertilization, and UBAL increased fertilization and polyspermy rates. Preincubation of intact zona-enclosed ova with isolated active sperm proteasomes caused digestion, abrasions and loosening of the exposed zonae, and significantly reduced the fertilization/polyspermy rates after IVF, accompanied by en-mass detachment of zona bound sperm. Thus, the sperm borne 26S proteasome is a candidate zona lysin in mammals. This new paradigm has implications for contraception and assisted reproductive technologies in humans, as well as animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shawn W. Zimmerman
- Division of Animal Science, and Departments of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Women's Health, University of Missouri–Columbia, Columbia, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Gaurishankar Manandhar
- Division of Animal Science, and Departments of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Women's Health, University of Missouri–Columbia, Columbia, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Young-Joo Yi
- Research Center for Transgenic Cloned Pigs, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Satish K. Gupta
- Reproductive Cell Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Immunology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, India
| | - Miriam Sutovsky
- Division of Animal Science, and Departments of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Women's Health, University of Missouri–Columbia, Columbia, Missouri, United States of America
| | - John F. Odhiambo
- Division of Animal Science, and Departments of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Women's Health, University of Missouri–Columbia, Columbia, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Michael D. Powell
- Morehouse School of Medicine, Morehouse Univeristy, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - David J. Miller
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Peter Sutovsky
- Division of Animal Science, and Departments of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Women's Health, University of Missouri–Columbia, Columbia, Missouri, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Macqueen DJ, Delbridge ML, Manthri S, Johnston IA. A Newly Classified Vertebrate Calpain Protease, Directly Ancestral to CAPN1 and 2, Episodically Evolved a Restricted Physiological Function in Placental Mammals. Mol Biol Evol 2010; 27:1886-902. [DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msq071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Hourcade JD, Pérez-Crespo M, Fernández-González R, Pintado B, Gutiérrez-Adán A. Selection against spermatozoa with fragmented DNA after postovulatory mating depends on the type of damage. Reprod Biol Endocrinol 2010; 8:9. [PMID: 20113521 PMCID: PMC2825232 DOI: 10.1186/1477-7827-8-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2009] [Accepted: 01/31/2010] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Before ovulation, sperm-oviduct interaction mechanisms may act as checkpoint for the selection of fertilizing spermatozoa in mammals. Postovulatory mating does not allow the sperm to attach to the oviduct, and spermatozoa may only undergo some selection processes during the transport through the female reproductive tract and/or during the zona pellucida (ZP) binding/penetration. METHODS We have induced DNA damage in spermatozoa by two treatments, (a) a scrotal heat treatment (42 degrees C, 30 min) and (b) irradiation with 137Cs gamma-rays (4 Gy, 1.25 Gy/min). The effects of the treatments were analyzed 21-25 days post heat stress or gamma-radiation. Postovulatory females mated either with treated or control males were sacrificed at Day 14 of pregnancy, and numbers of fetuses and resorptions were recorded. RESULTS Both treatments decreased significantly implantation rates however, the proportion of fetuses/resorptions was only reduced in those females mated to males exposed to radiation, indicating a selection favoring fertilization of sperm with unfragmented DNA on the heat treatment group. To determine if DNA integrity is one of the keys of spermatozoa selection after postovulatory mating, we analyzed sperm DNA fragmentation by COMET assay in: a) sperm recovered from mouse epididymides; b) sperm recovered from three different regions of female uterine horns after mating; and c) sperm attached to the ZP after in vitro fertilization (IVF). Similar results were found for control and both treatments, COMET values decreased significantly during the transit from the uterine section close to the uterotubal junction to the oviduct, and in the spermatozoa attached to ZP. However, fertilization by IVF and intracytoplasmatic sperm injection (ICSI) showed that during sperm ZP-penetration, a stringent selection against fragmented-DNA sperm is carried out when the damage was induced by heat stress, but not when DNA fragmentation was induced by radiation. CONCLUSION Our results indicate that in postovulatory mating there is a preliminary general selection mechanism against spermatozoa with low motility and fragmented-DNA during the transport through the female reproductive tract and in the ZP binding, but the ability of the ZP to prevent fertilization by fragmented-DNA spermatozoa is achieved during sperm-ZP penetration, and depends on the source of damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan D Hourcade
- Dpto. de Reproducción Animal y Conservación de Recursos Zoogenéticos, INIA, Ctra de la Coruña Km 5.9, Madrid 28040, Spain
| | - Miriam Pérez-Crespo
- Dpto. de Reproducción Animal y Conservación de Recursos Zoogenéticos, INIA, Ctra de la Coruña Km 5.9, Madrid 28040, Spain
| | - Raúl Fernández-González
- Dpto. de Reproducción Animal y Conservación de Recursos Zoogenéticos, INIA, Ctra de la Coruña Km 5.9, Madrid 28040, Spain
| | - Belén Pintado
- Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, CSIC. C/Darwin 3 Madrid 28049, Spain
| | - Alfonso Gutiérrez-Adán
- Dpto. de Reproducción Animal y Conservación de Recursos Zoogenéticos, INIA, Ctra de la Coruña Km 5.9, Madrid 28040, Spain
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Zimmerman S, Sutovsky P. The sperm proteasome during sperm capacitation and fertilization. J Reprod Immunol 2009; 83:19-25. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jri.2009.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2009] [Revised: 07/27/2009] [Accepted: 07/31/2009] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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Cervantes MI, Arenas-Ríos E, Miguel Ángel LG, Ricardo LW, Demetrio A, Adolfo R. Spermatozoa Epididymal Maturation in the Mexican Big-Eared Bat (Corynorhinus Mexicanus). Syst Biol Reprod Med 2009; 54:196-204. [DOI: 10.1080/19396360802334466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Avalos-Rodríguez A, Ortíz-Muñíz AR, Ortega-Camarillo C, Vergara-Onofre M, Rosado-García A, Rosales-Torres AM. FLUOROMETRIC STUDY OF RABBIT SPERM HEAD MEMBRANE PHOSPHOLIPID ASYMMETRY DURING CAPACITATION AND ACROSOME REACTION USING ANNEXIN-V FITC. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2009; 50:273-85. [PMID: 15277006 DOI: 10.1080/01485010490448741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
This study was conducted to evaluate phosphatidylserine translocation in head plasma membrane of Percoll-gradient purified of rabbit cauda epididymal sperm during capacitation and acrosome reaction (AR) using Annexin-V. Propidium iodide was used as control to reject dead or dying cells. The presence and distribution of Annexin-V binding sites were analyzed using flow fluorocytometry and confocal microscopy. After 6 h of incubation of sperm in capacitation medium, the number of cells positively stained with Annexin-V showed a small but significant increment. The Annexin-V binding sites produced during capacitation were found mainly in the post-acrosomal region of the sperm head plasma membrane. After AR induction with progesterone, the localization of phosphatidylserine was changed and the Annexin-V binding sites were found almost only in the acrosomal region, but with higher number of binding sites in the equatorial area. On the contrary, after AR induction with A23187, phosphatidylserine translocation, although predominant over the acrosomal region, was also observed in the post-acrosomal region. Plasma membrane destabilization during capacitation and AR may be important for sperm-oocyte fusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Avalos-Rodríguez
- Unidad Xochimilco, Departamento de Producción Agrícola y Animal, Laboratorio de Bioquímica de la Reproducción, Alumno del Doctorado en Ciencias Biológicas, División de CBS UAM Xochlzt., Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Mexico
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Netzel-Arnett S, Bugge TH, Hess RA, Carnes K, Stringer BW, Scarman AL, Hooper JD, Tonks ID, Kay GF, Antalis TM. The glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored serine protease PRSS21 (testisin) imparts murine epididymal sperm cell maturation and fertilizing ability. Biol Reprod 2009; 81:921-32. [PMID: 19571264 DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.109.076273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
Abstract
An estimated 25%-40% of infertile men have idiopathic infertility associated with deficient sperm numbers and quality. Here, we identify the membrane-anchored serine protease PRSS21, also known as testisin, to be a novel proteolytic factor that directs epididymal sperm cell maturation and sperm-fertilizing ability. PRSS21-deficient spermatozoa show decreased motility, angulated and curled tails, fragile necks, and dramatically increased susceptibility to decapitation. These defects reflect aberrant maturation during passage through the epididymis, because histological and electron microscopic structural analyses showed an increased tendency for curled and detached tails as spermatozoa transit from the corpus to the cauda epididymis. Cauda epididymal spermatozoa deficient in PRSS21 fail to mount a swelling response when exposed to hypotonic conditions, suggesting an impaired ability to respond to osmotic challenges facing maturing spermatozoa in the female reproductive tract. These data suggest that aberrant regulation of PRSS21 may underlie certain secondary male infertility syndromes, such as "easily decapitated" spermatozoa in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Netzel-Arnett
- Center for Vascular and Inflammatory Diseases, Department of Physiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201, USA
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Branham MT, Bustos MA, De Blas GA, Rehmann H, Zarelli VEP, Treviño CL, Darszon A, Mayorga LS, Tomes CN. Epac activates the small G proteins Rap1 and Rab3A to achieve exocytosis. J Biol Chem 2009; 284:24825-39. [PMID: 19546222 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m109.015362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Exocytosis of the acrosome (the acrosome reaction) relies on cAMP production, assembly of a proteinaceous fusion machinery, calcium influx from the extracellular medium, and mobilization from inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate-sensitive intracellular stores. Addition of cAMP to human sperm suspensions bypasses some of these requirements and elicits exocytosis in a protein kinase A- and extracellular calcium-independent manner. The relevant cAMP target is Epac, a guanine nucleotide exchange factor for the small GTPase Rap. We show here that a soluble adenylyl cyclase synthesizes the cAMP required for the acrosome reaction. Epac stimulates the exchange of GDP for GTP on Rap1, upstream of a phospholipase C. The Epac-selective cAMP analogue 8-pCPT-2'-O-Me-cAMP induces a phospholipase C-dependent calcium mobilization in human sperm suspensions. In addition, our studies identify a novel connection between cAMP and Rab3A, a secretory granule-associated protein, revealing that the latter functions downstream of soluble adenylyl cyclase/cAMP/Epac but not of Rap1. Challenging sperm with calcium or 8-pCPT-2'-O-Me-cAMP boosts the exchange of GDP for GTP on Rab3A. Recombinant Epac does not release GDP from Rab3A in vitro, suggesting that the Rab3A-GEF activation by cAMP/Epac in vivo is indirect. We propose that Epac sits at a critical point during the exocytotic cascade after which the pathway splits into two limbs, one that assembles the fusion machinery into place and another that elicits intracellular calcium release.
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Affiliation(s)
- María T Branham
- Laboratorio de Biología Celular y Molecular, Instituto de Histología y Embriología-Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, CC 56, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, 5500 Mendoza, Argentina
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Watanabe A, Fukutomi K, Kubo H, Ohta M, Takayama-Watanabe E, Onitake K. Identification of egg-jelly substances triggering sperm acrosome reaction in the newt,Cynops pyrrhogaster. Mol Reprod Dev 2009; 76:399-406. [DOI: 10.1002/mrd.20959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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35
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Deppe M, Morales P, Sánchez R. Effect of Protease Inhibitors on the Acrosome Reaction and Sperm-Zona Pellucida Binding in Bovine Sperm. Reprod Domest Anim 2008; 43:713-9. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0531.2007.00977.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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37
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Chen Y, Zhang Z, Lv XY, Wang YD, Hu ZG, Sun H, Tan RZ, Liu YH, Bian GH, Xiao Y, Li QW, Yang QT, Ai JZ, Feng L, Yang Y, Wei YQ, Zhou Q. Expression of Pkd2l2 in testis is implicated in spermatogenesis. Biol Pharm Bull 2008; 31:1496-500. [PMID: 18670078 DOI: 10.1248/bpb.31.1496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Pkd2l2 is a novel member of the polycystic kidney disease (PKD) gene family in mammals. Prominently expressed in testis, this gene is still poorly understood. In this study, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) results showed a time-dependent expression pattern of Pkd2l2 in postnatal mouse testis. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that Pkd2l2 encoded a protein, polycystin-L2, which was predominantly detectable in the plasma membrane of spermatocytes and round spermatids, as well as in the head and tail of elongating spermatids within seminiferous tubules in mouse testis tissue sections of postnatal day 14 and adult mice. A green fluorescent fusion protein of Pkd2l2 resided in the plasma membrane of HEK 293 and MDCK cells, suggesting that it functions as a plasma membrane protein. Overexpression of Pkd2l2 increased the intracellular calcium concentration of MDCK cells, as detected by flow cytometry. Collectively, these data indicated that Pkd2l2 may be involved in the mid-late stage of spermatogenesis through modulation of the intracellular calcium concentration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ye Chen
- Core Facility of Gene Engineered Mice, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Sichuan, China
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38
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Raterman D, Springer MS. The molecular evolution of acrosin in placental mammals. Mol Reprod Dev 2008; 75:1196-207. [PMID: 18247330 DOI: 10.1002/mrd.20868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Acrosin is thought to fulfill several different roles in fertilization including that of a serine protease and in secondary zona pellucida (ZP) binding. However, acrosin's importance as a fertilization protein has been questioned. Especially since it was discovered that acrosin knockout mice are fertile. In this study, we explored the sites involved in serine protease activity and secondary binding. We also assessed conservation in functional sites across species and examined whether amino acid changes present in the human population have the potential to affect fertility. In addition, since many mammalian reproduction proteins have been found to evolve rapidly, we tested for positive selection. Sequences from 43 mammals from all 19 placental orders, which included a total of 828 nucleotides from acrosin exons 2, 3, 4, and a portion of exon 5, were obtained. We found that all sites of the serine catalytic triad as well as three other sites linked to catalytic activity were completely conserved. Five of six sites proposed to play a role in secondary binding were 100% conserved as basic residues. These results support an evolutionary conserved role for acrosin as a serine protease and secondary binding protein across placental mammals. We found statistically significant support for positive selection within acrosin, but no single amino acid site reached the significance level of P > 0.95 for inclusion within the category omega > 1. Based upon two amino acid mutation scoring systems, three out of seven human residue changing single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were found to be potentially protein-altering mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denise Raterman
- Department of Biology, University of California-Riverside, Riverside, California 92521, USA.
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39
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Role of proteasomal activity in the induction of acrosomal exocytosis in human spermatozoa. Reprod Biomed Online 2008; 16:391-400. [PMID: 18339263 DOI: 10.1016/s1472-6483(10)60601-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Sperm-associated proteasomes have been suggested to play an important role during fertilization in animals. To delineate the role of these proteasomes during fertilization in humans, the present study reports proteasomal proteolytic activity both in noncapacitated and capacitated human spermatozoa, which is not altered in the presence of baculovirus-expressed recombinant human zona pellucida glycoprotein-3 (ZP3) and zona pellucida glycoprotein-4 (ZP4). However, inhibition of proteasomal proteolytic activity by clasto-lactacystin beta-lactone (CLBL) and Z-Leu-Leu-Leu-CHO (MG132), which are specific inhibitors of the 20S proteasomal core proteases, led to a significant (P < 0.05) inhibition of induction of acrosome reaction mediated by both recombinant human ZP3 and ZP4. Both inhibitors, however, failed to inhibit the induction of acrosomal exocytosis mediated by pharmacological agonist, calcium ionophore (A23187). The binding of recombinant human ZP3 and ZP4, labelled with fluorescein isothiocyanate, to the capacitated spermatozoa was not affected in the presence of proteasomal inhibitors. These observations suggest a role of the sperm proteasome in the induction of ZP3- and ZP4-mediated acrosomal exocytosis upstream of calcium signalling in humans.
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40
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Ardon F, Helms D, Sahin E, Bollwein H, Topfer-Petersen E, Waberski D. Chromatin-unstable boar spermatozoa have little chance of reaching oocytes in vivo. Reproduction 2008; 135:461-70. [DOI: 10.1530/rep-07-0333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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41
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Maiti A, Mishra K, Majumder G. Role of the major ecto-phosphoprotein in sperm flagellar motility using a cell electroporation method. Mol Reprod Dev 2008; 75:1185-95. [DOI: 10.1002/mrd.20854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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42
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Feiden S, Stypa H, Wolfrum U, Wegener G, Kamp G. A novel pyruvate kinase (PK-S) from boar spermatozoa is localized at the fibrous sheath and the acrosome. Reproduction 2007; 134:81-95. [PMID: 17641091 DOI: 10.1530/rep-06-0250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Boar spermatozoa contain a novel pyruvate kinase (PK-S) that is tightly bound at the acrosome of the sperm head and at the fibrous sheath in the principal piece of the flagellum, while the midpiece contains a soluble pyruvate kinase (PK). PK-S could not be solubilized by detergents, but by trypsin with no loss of activity. Purified PK-S as well as PK-S still bound to cell structures and soluble sperm PK have all kinetics similar to those of rabbit muscle PK-M1. The PK-S subunit had a relative molecular mass of 64 +/- 1 x 10(3) (n = 3), i.e. slightly higher than that of PK-M1, and carried an N-terminal extension (NH(2)-TSEAM-COOH) that is lacking in native PK-M1. Evidence is provided that PK-S is encoded by the PKM gene. Antibodies produced against the N-terminus of purified PK-S (NH(2)-TSEAMPKAHMDAG-COOH) were specific for PK-S as they did not react with somatic PKs or soluble sperm PK, while anti-PK-M1 recognized both sperm PKs. Immunofluorescence microscopy showed anti-PK-S to label the acrosome and the flagellar principal piece, whereas the midpiece containing the mitochondria was labelled only by anti-PK-M1. Immunogold labelling confirmed the localization of PK-S at the acrosome. In the principal piece, both polyclonal anti-PK-M1 and anti-PK-S were found at the fibrous sheath. Our results suggest that PK-S is a major component in the structural organization of glycolysis in boar spermatozoa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Feiden
- Molecular Physiology Section, Institute of Zoology, Johannes Gutenberg-University, Becherweg 9-11, D-55099 Mainz, Germany
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43
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Kamp G, Schmidt H, Stypa H, Feiden S, Mahling C, Wegener G. Regulatory properties of 6-phosphofructokinase and control of glycolysis in boar spermatozoa. Reproduction 2007; 133:29-40. [PMID: 17244730 DOI: 10.1530/rep-06-0082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Glycolysis is crucial for sperm functions (motility and fertilization), but how this pathway is regulated in spermatozoa is not clear. This prompted to study the location and the regulatory properties of 6-phosphofructokinase (PFK, EC 2.7.1.11), the most important element for control of glycolytic flux. Unlike some other glycolytic enzymes, PFK showed no tight binding to sperm structures. It could readily be extracted from ejaculated boar spermatozoa by sonication and was then chromatographically purified. At physiological pH, the enzyme was allosterically inhibited by near-physiological concentrations of its co-substrate ATP, which induced co-operativity, i.e. reduced the affinity for the substrate fructose 6-phosphate. Inhibition by ATP was reinforced by citrate and H+. Above pH 8, PFK lost all its regulatory properties and showed maximum activity. However, in the physiological pH range, PFK activity was very sensitive to small changes in effectors. At near-physiological substrate concentrations, PFK activity requires activators (de-inhibitors) of which the combination of AMP and fructose 2,6-bisphosphate (F2,6P2) was most efficient as a result of synergistic effects. The kinetics of PFK suggest AMP, F2,6P2, H+, and citrate as allosteric effectors controlling PFK activity in boar spermatozoa. Using immunogold labeling, PFK was localized in the mid-piece and principal piece of the flagellum as well as in the acrosomal area at the top of the head and in the cytoplasmic droplets released from the mid-piece after ejaculation.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Kamp
- Institut für Zoologie, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, Becherweg 9-11, D-55099 Mainz, Germany
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Abstract
The gametes of man and some other Eutheria have been manipulated successfully for practical reasons, but many gaps remain in our basic understanding of the way that they function. This situation stems not least from a failure to recognize the extent to which eutherian spermatozoa and eggs, and elements related to their operation, have come to differ from those of other groups. Novel features in the male that reflect this include a radical design of the sperm head with the acrosome seeming to function primarily in egg-coat binding rather than its lysis, a multifaceted post-testicular sperm maturation and an androgen/low-temperature-regulated system of sperm storage--both tied to the epididymis, a variable male accessory sex gland complex, and descent of the testis and epididymis to a scrotum. In the female, such novelties are represented in a need for sperm capacitation, in an unusual regulation of sperm transport within the oviduct, in the cumulus oophorus and character of the zona pellucida around the small egg, and in a unique configuration of gamete fusion. The collective evidence now suggests that many of these features reflect a new fertilisation strategy or its consequences, with most being causally linked. One initial 'domino' in this regard appears to be the small yolkless state of the egg and its intolerance for polyspermy, as determinants of the unusual mode of oviductal sperm transport and possibly the existence and form of the cumulus oophorus. However, a particularly influential first 'domino' appears to be the physical character of the eutherian zona pellucida. This differs from the egg coats of other animal groups by virtue of a resilient elasticity and thickness. These qualities allow this primary and often only coat to stretch and so persist during later expansion of the blastocyst, usually until close to implantation. At the same time, the dimensions, physical character, and particularly the relative protease-insensitivity of the zona appear to have had profound effects on sperm form and function and, more indirectly, on sperm-related events in the male and the female tract. Marsupials display some similarities and also some strikingly different features, against which the enigmas of the eutherian situation can be evaluated.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Michael Bedford
- Centre for Reproductive Medicine and Infertility, Weill Medical College, Cornell University, New York, NY 10021, USA.
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45
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Chapman JA, Leigh CM, Breed WG. The zona pellucida of the koala (Phascolarctos cinereus): its morphogenesis and thickness. J Anat 2007; 209:393-400. [PMID: 16928207 PMCID: PMC2100332 DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-7580.2006.00613.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study the ultrastructural organization of the koala oocyte and the thickness of the surrounding extracellular coat, the zona pellucida, has been determined to ascertain whether there is coevolution of the morphology of the female gamete with that of the highly divergent male gamete that is found in this marsupial species. Ovaries from several adult koalas were obtained and prepared for transmission electron microscopy. Oocytes in large tertiary follicles were somewhat smaller than those of most other marsupials, although their ultrastructural organization appeared similar and included many yolk vesicles. The zona pellucida surrounding the oocytes in tertiary follicles was approximately 8 microm thick and thus is of similar thickness to that of some eutherian mammals but at least twice as thick as that of most marsupial species so far studied. The results indicate that the koala oocyte is unusually small for a marsupial species whereas the zona pellucida is, by contrast, much thicker. How this relates to sperm-egg interaction at the time of fertilization has yet to be determined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie A Chapman
- Discipline of Anatomy and Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Tasmania, Australia.
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46
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Jaroszynski L, Dev A, Li M, Meinhardt A, de Rooij DG, Mueller C, Böhm D, Wolf S, Adham IM, Wulf G, Engel W, Nayernia K. Asthenoteratozoospermia in mice lacking testis expressed gene 18 (Tex18). Mol Hum Reprod 2007; 13:155-63. [PMID: 17208930 DOI: 10.1093/molehr/gal107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Testis expressed gene 18 (Tex18) is a small gene with one exon of 240 bp, which is specifically expressed in male germ cells. The gene encodes for a protein of 80 amino acids with unknown domain. To investigate the function of (Tex18) gene, we generated mice with targeted disruption of the (Tex18) gene by homologous recombination. Homozygous mutant males on a mixed genetic background (C57BL/6J x 129/Sv) are fertile, while they are subfertile on the 129/Sv background, although mating is normal. We showed that Tex18(-/-) males are subfertile because of abnormal sperm morphology and reduced motility, which is called asthenoteratozoospermia, suggesting that (Tex18) affects sperm characteristics. Maturation of spermatids is unsynchronized and partially impaired in seminiferous tubules of Tex18(-/-) mice. Electron microscopical examination demonstrated abnormal structures of sperm head. In vivo experiments with sperm of Tex18(-/-) 129/Sv mice revealed that the migration of spermatozoa from the uterus into the oviduct is reduced. This result is supported by the observation that sperm motility, as determined by the computer-assisted semen analysis system, is significantly affected, compared to wild-type spermatozoa. Generation of transgenic mice containing Tex18-EGFP fusion construct revealed a high transcriptional activity of (Tex18) during spermiogenesis, a process with morphological changes of haploid germ cells and development to mature spermatozoa. These results indicate that (Tex18) is expressed predominantly during spermatid differentiation and subfertility of the male Tex18(-/-) mice on the 129/Sv background is due to the differentiation arrest, abnormal sperm morphology and reduced sperm motility.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Jaroszynski
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
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47
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Sasanami T, Murata T, Ohtsuki M, Matsushima K, Hiyama G, Kansaku N, Mori M. Induction of sperm acrosome reaction by perivitelline membrane glycoprotein ZP1 in Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica). Reproduction 2007; 133:41-9. [PMID: 17244731 DOI: 10.1530/rep-06-0104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The extracellular matrix surrounding avian oocytes, called the perivitelline membrane (PL), consists of at least two major glycoproteins, ZP3 and ZP1. Our previous study using Japanese quail had demonstrated that the PL obtained from the preovulatory follicles was incubatedin vitrowith spermatozoa, and perforations were observed. This result indicated that the PL might contain a constituent that possesses activity to initiate the acrosome reaction (AR) in quail. In order to elaborate upon our previous findings, we evaluated the effects of ZP3 and ZP1 on the induction of sperm AR in Japanese quail. Ejaculated sperm were incubated with or without the purified PL glycoprotein, and their acrosome status was determined based on the presence or absence of the acrosome. Treatment of spermatozoa with increasing doses of the purified monomeric ZP1 led to a concentration-dependent stimulation of AR. The purified dimeric ZP1 had similar effect. Moreover, we found that the ZP1-induced AR was significantly blocked by the digestion of the PL protein with PNGaseF. In contrast, the addition of purified ZP3 failed to induce AR at any doses tested. These results indicate thatN-linked glycans on ZP1 play an important role in triggering the AR in Japanese quail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomohiro Sasanami
- Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Faculty of Agriculture, Shizuoka University, 836 Ohya, Shizuoka 422-8529, Japan.
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Bernabò N, Tettamanti E, Pistilli MG, Nardinocchi D, Berardinelli P, Mattioli M, Barboni B. Effects of 50 Hz extremely low frequency magnetic field on the morphology and function of boar spermatozoa capacitated in vitro. Theriogenology 2006; 67:801-15. [PMID: 17196643 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2006.10.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2006] [Revised: 10/03/2006] [Accepted: 10/04/2006] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of an acute exposure to a sinusoidal MF-ELF (50 Hz, 1mT) on the ability of boar mature spermatozoa to acquire the fertilizing competence in vitro. The spermatozoa exposed during the 4h of incubation to the MF-ELF were evaluated for morphological (surface morphology and acrosome integrity) and functional parameters (cell viability, motility, induction of acrosomal reaction, AR, and the ability to in vitro fertilize oocytes). In parallel, the intracellular Ca(2+) levels as well as the major mechanisms of Ca(2+) clearance were assessed: (45)Ca intakes and intracellular Ca(2+) sequestration by analyzing intracellular Ca(2+) elevation induced by thapsigargin or studying mitochondrial function with Mito-Tracker. The MF-ELF exposure did not affect sperm viability and morphology during the first h of incubation when sperm Ca(2+) homeostasis were already compromised. First of all, MF-ELF treated spermatozoa showed resting intracellular Ca(2+) levels significantly lower than those recorded in controls. This result was dependent on a lower extracellular Ca(2+) intake and from the inhibitory role exerted on both intracellular Ca(2+) storages. As a consequence, after 1h of incubation MF-ELF exposed cells displayed a reduced motility, a modest reactivity when coincubated with solubilized zonae pellucidae and a reduction in oocyte penetrating ability. After 2 or 4h of incubation, in addition, signs of morphological damage appeared on plasma membrane and at acrosomal level. In conclusion, MF-ELF influence negatively spermatozoa first by impairing cell Ca(2+) homeostasis then by dramatically affecting sperm morphology and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Bernabò
- Institute of Physiology, Department of Biomedical Science, P.zza Aldo Moro 45, Teramo, Italy
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49
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Xie F, Garcia MA, Carlson AE, Schuh SM, Babcock DF, Jaiswal BS, Gossen JA, Esposito G, van Duin M, Conti M. Soluble adenylyl cyclase (sAC) is indispensable for sperm function and fertilization. Dev Biol 2006; 296:353-62. [PMID: 16842770 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2006.05.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 183] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2006] [Revised: 05/25/2006] [Accepted: 05/31/2006] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
We previously demonstrated that male mice deficient in the soluble adenylyl cyclase (sAC) are sterile and produce spermatozoa with deficits in progressive motility and are unable to fertilize zona-intact eggs. Here, analyses of sAC(-/-) spermatozoa provide additional insights into the functions linked to cAMP signaling. Adenylyl cyclase activity and cAMP content are greatly diminished in crude preparations of sAC(-/-) spermatozoa and are undetectable after sperm purification. HCO(3)(-) is unable to rapidly accelerate the flagellar beat or facilitate evoked Ca(2+) entry into sAC(-/-) spermatozoa. Moreover, the delayed HCO(3)(-)-dependent increases in protein tyrosine phosphorylation and hyperactivated motility, which occur late in capacitation of wild-type spermatozoa, do not develop in sAC(-/-) spermatozoa. However, sAC(-/-) sperm fertilize zona-free oocytes, indicating that gamete fusion does not require sAC. Although ATP levels are significantly reduced in sAC(-/-) sperm, cAMP-AM ester increases flagellar beat frequency, progressive motility, and alters the pattern of tyrosine phosphorylated proteins. These results indicate that sAC and cAMP coordinate cellular energy balance in wild-type sperm and that the ATP generating machinery is not operating normally in sAC(-/-) spermatozoa. These findings demonstrate that sAC plays a critical role in cAMP signaling in spermatozoa and that defective cAMP production prevents engagement of multiple components of capacitation resulting in male infertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang Xie
- Division of Reproductive Biology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
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50
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Droba M, Józefczyk R, Droba B, Witkowski A. Changes in the activity of soluble arylsulphatase during the post-hatch development and regression after light reduction of Japanese quail testes and epididymides. Anim Reprod Sci 2006; 97:103-13. [PMID: 16443338 DOI: 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2005.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2005] [Revised: 11/24/2005] [Accepted: 12/28/2005] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
This study demonstrates that specific activity of soluble arylsulphatase (AS) during post-hatch development of Japanese quail testes is the highest for testes weighing from 20 to 200mg, and then decreases as the weight of testes increases, while AS activity per g of wet tissue decreases steadily for testes weighing over 20 to 30 mg. Total AS activity showed a steady increase with the increasing weight of testes. The highest increments in the enzyme activity concerned testes weighing up to 30 mg and those weighing from 30 to 150 mg. Mature animals with testes weighing from 2 to 4 g showed an equal level of total AS activity. Based on this data it is suggested that the changes found in the enzyme activity concern mainly arylsulphatase from Sertoli cells. Specific activity of AS in epididymides remains low until testes reach a weight of approximately 1g and then increases, reaching maximal values for epididymides from the testes of sexually mature animals. Testicular and epididymal regression induced by a short photoperiod (6L:18D) after 30 days of the experiment increases AS activity in the testes and reduces its activity in the epididymides to the values found in the early stages of development. Testes and epididymides in the earliest stage of post-hatch development are characterized by an elution profile of AS in which the form of the enzyme bound to the strong anion exchanger at pH 6.0 is predominant, while in mature animals the form of the enzyme unbound to the anion exchanger predominates in the testes and epididymides. After 30-day regression of the testes and epididymides, the form bound to the anion exchanger did not increase, which suggests that the organs do not return exactly to the stage before sexual maturity.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Droba
- Department of Basic Natural Sciences of Agriculture, University of Rzeszów, Cwiklińskiej str. No. 2, 35-601 Rzeszów, Poland.
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