Lack of CCDC146, a ubiquitous centriole and microtubule-associated protein, leads to non-syndromic male infertility in human and mouse

From a cohort of 167 infertile patients suffering from multiple morphological abnormalities of the flagellum (MMAF), pathogenic bi-allelic mutations were identified in the CCDC146 gene. In somatic cells, CCDC146 is located at the centrosome and at multiple microtubule-related organelles during mitotic division, suggesting that it is a microtubule-associated protein (MAP). To decipher the molecular pathogenesis of infertility associated with CCDC146 mutations, a Ccdc146 knock-out (KO) mouse line was created. KO male mice were infertile, and sperm exhibited a phenotype identical to CCDC146 mutated patients. CCDC146 expression starts during late spermiogenesis. In the spermatozoon, the protein is conserved but is not localized to centrioles, unlike in somatic cells, rather it is present in the axoneme at the level of microtubule doublets. Expansion microscopy associated with the use of the detergent sarkosyl to solubilize microtubule doublets suggests that the protein may be a microtubule inner protein (MIP). At the subcellular level, the absence of CCDC146 impacted all microtubule-based organelles such as the manchette, the head-tail coupling apparatus (HTCA), and the axoneme. Through this study, a new genetic cause of infertility and a new factor in the formation and/or structure of the sperm axoneme were characterized.

p40(phox) is phosphorylated on threonine 154 and serine 315 during activation of the phagocyte NADPH oxidase. Implication of a protein kinase c-type kinase in the phosphorylation process

The superoxide-generating NADPH oxidase complex of phagocytic cells is a multicomponent system containing a membrane-bound flavocytochrome b and a small G protein Rac as well as cytosolic factors p67(phox) (phagocyte oxidase), p47(phox), and p40(phox), which translocate to the membrane upon activation. In a previous paper, we reported that p40(phox) undergoes phosphorylation on multiple sites upon stimulation of the NADPH oxidase by either phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate or by formyl peptide with a time course that is strongly correlated with that of superoxide production (Fuchs, A., Bouin, A. P., Rabilloud, T., and Vignais, P. V. (1997) Eur. J. Biochem. 249, 531-539). In this study, through phosphoamino acid and tryptic peptide maps of in vivo and in vitro phosphorylated p40(phox), we show that p40(phox) is phosphorylated on serine and threonine residues during activation of the NADPH oxidase in dimethyl sulfoxide-differentiated HL60 promyelocytes as well as in isolated human neutrophils. In vitro phosphorylation studies using casein kinase II and protein kinase C (PKC) as well as the effect of various protein kinase inhibitors on the isoelectric focusing pattern of p40(phox) in whole cell lysates point to a role of a PKC type kinase in the phosphorylation of p40(phox). Directed mutagenesis of all PKC consensus sites enable us to conclude that Thr154 and Ser315 in p40(phox) are phosphorylated during activation of the NADPH oxidase.

The 40-kDa component of the phagocyte NADPH oxidase (p40phox) is phosphorylated during activation in differentiated HL60 cells

The superoxide-generating NADPH oxidase complex of phagocytic cells is a multicomponent system containing a membrane-bound flavocytochrome b and a small G protein Rac as well as cytosolic factors p67phox, p47phox and p40phox which translocate to the membrane upon activation. Known mechanisms underlying the translocation of these proteins include polyphosphorylation of p47phox and specific Src homology 3/polyproline motif interactions. In this study, through two-dimensionnal electrophoresis and immunoprecipitation experiments, we show using dimethylsulfoxide-differentiated HL60 promyelocytes that p40phox is in a basal phosphorylated state in resting cells and undergoes further phosphorylation on multiple sites upon stimulation of the NADPH oxidase by either phorbol myristate acetate or by the formyl peptide fMet-Leu-Phe-Lys. Moreover, the extent of phosphorylation is strongly correlated with the level of superoxide production. Typically, in cells transiently activated by fMet-Leu-Phe-Lys, onset of superoxide production coincides with the appearance of new phosphorylated species of p40phox and, at the end of the respiratory burst, dephosphorylation of p40phox is observed. In vitro assays show that the kinase(s) involved in the phosphorylation of p40phox differ from those which participate in the phosphorylation of p47phox. This suggests that, in the cell, the phosphorylation of p40phox and of p47phox are under the control of two different kinase pathways.

Cloning, sequencing and immunological characterization of Dac g 3, a major allergen from Dactylis glomerata pollen

Preliminary work showed that a 14-kDa allergen with a pI of 9 was recognized by more than 60% of sera from Dactylis glomerata (Dac g) pollen-allergic individuals. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of this Dac g allergen was determined by Edman degradation and compared with that of Lol p 3, a major allergen of Lolium perenne. A sequence identity of 65% was found, suggesting that the Dac g allergen could be the homologue of Lol p 3 and therefore named Dac g 3. We report the cloning and sequence analysis of a cDNA encoding the Dac g 3 pollen allergen. The recombinant allergen (rDac g 3) expressed in plasmid vector pGEX-2T contained IgE-reactive epitopes found in its natural counterpart, and induced histamine release from basophils of Dac g-allergic individuals, confirming that the recombinant protein has biological properties similar to the pollen extracted allergen. Computer analyses showed that, in spite of a high degree of sequence homology, even closely related allergens such as Dac g 3 and Lol p 3 have dissimilar predictive secondary structures and potential different antigenicity. Because it possesses the properties of the native counterpart, rDac g 3 could be a relevant tool for molecular studies in allergy.