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Novero AG, Rodríguez PT, De la Vega Beltrán JL, Schiavi-Ehrenhaus LJ, Luque GM, Carruba M, Stival C, Gentile I, Ritagliati C, Santi CM, Nishigaki T, Krapf D, Buffone MG, Darszon A, Treviño CL, Krapf D. The sodium-proton exchangers sNHE and NHE1 control plasma membrane hyperpolarization in mouse sperm. bioRxiv 2024:2024.03.04.583310. [PMID: 38496535 PMCID: PMC10942401 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.04.583310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
Sperm capacitation, crucial for fertilization, occurs in the female reproductive tract and can be replicated in vitro using a medium rich in bicarbonate, calcium, and albumin. These components trigger the cAMP-PKA signaling cascade, proposed to promote hyperpolarization of the mouse sperm plasma membrane through activation of SLO3 K+ channel. Hyperpolarization is a hallmark of capacitation: proper membrane hyperpolarization renders higher in vitro fertilizing ability, while Slo3 KO mice are infertile. However, the precise regulation of SLO3 opening remains elusive. Our study challenges the involvement of PKA in this event and reveals the role of Na+/H+ exchangers. During capacitation, calcium increase through CatSper channels activates NHE1, while cAMP directly stimulates the sperm-specific NHE, collectively promoting the alkalinization threshold needed for SLO3 opening. Hyperpolarization then feeds back Na+/H+ activity. Our work is supported by pharmacology, and a plethora of KO mouse models, and proposes a novel pathway leading to hyperpolarization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Analia G Novero
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario, CONICET-UNR, and Laboratorio de Medicina Reproductiva, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, UNR, Rosario SF2000, Argentina
| | | | | | - Liz J Schiavi-Ehrenhaus
- Instituto de Bíologia y Medicina Experimental (IBYME-CONICET), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Guillermina M Luque
- Instituto de Bíologia y Medicina Experimental (IBYME-CONICET), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Micaela Carruba
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario, CONICET-UNR, and Laboratorio de Medicina Reproductiva, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, UNR, Rosario SF2000, Argentina
| | - Cintia Stival
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario, CONICET-UNR, and Laboratorio de Medicina Reproductiva, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, UNR, Rosario SF2000, Argentina
| | - Iñaki Gentile
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario, CONICET-UNR, and Laboratorio de Medicina Reproductiva, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, UNR, Rosario SF2000, Argentina
| | - Carla Ritagliati
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario, CONICET-UNR, and Laboratorio de Medicina Reproductiva, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, UNR, Rosario SF2000, Argentina
| | - Celia M Santi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis Missouri 63110, USA
| | | | - Diego Krapf
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80526, USA
| | - Mariano G Buffone
- Instituto de Bíologia y Medicina Experimental (IBYME-CONICET), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | | | | | - Dario Krapf
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario, CONICET-UNR, and Laboratorio de Medicina Reproductiva, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, UNR, Rosario SF2000, Argentina
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Jabloñski M, Luque GM, Gómez-Elías MD, Sanchez-Cardenas C, Xu X, de la Vega-Beltran JL, Corkidi G, Linares A, Abonza Amaro VX, Krapf D, Krapf D, Darszon A, Guerrero A, Buffone MG. Reorganization of the Flagellum Scaffolding Induces a Sperm Standstill During Fertilization. bioRxiv 2023:2023.06.22.546073. [PMID: 37904966 PMCID: PMC10614747 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.22.546073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
Mammalian sperm delve into the female reproductive tract to fertilize the female gamete. The available information about how sperm regulate their motility during the final journey to the fertilization site is extremely limited. In this work, we investigated the structural and functional changes in the sperm flagellum after acrosomal exocytosis and during the interaction with the eggs. The evidence demonstrates that the double helix actin network surrounding the mitochondrial sheath of the midpiece undergoes structural changes prior to the motility cessation. This structural modification is accompanied by a decrease in diameter of the midpiece and is driven by intracellular calcium changes that occur concomitant with a reorganization of the actin helicoidal cortex. Although midpiece contraction may occur in a subset of cells that undergo acrosomal exocytosis, live-cell imaging during in vitro fertilization showed that the midpiece contraction is required for motility cessation after fusion is initiated. These findings provide the first evidence of the F-actin network's role in regulating sperm motility, adapting its function to meet specific cellular requirements during fertilization, and highlighting the broader significance of understanding sperm motility. Significant statement In this work, we demonstrate that the helical structure of polymerized actin in the flagellum undergoes a rearrangement at the time of sperm-egg fusion. This process is driven by intracellular calcium and promotes a decrease in the sperm midpiece diameter as well as the arrest in motility, which is observed after the fusion process is initiated.
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Luque GM, Schiavi-Ehrenhaus LJ, Jabloñski M, Balestrini PA, Novero AG, Torres NI, Osycka-Salut CE, Darszon A, Krapf D, Buffone MG. High-throughput screening method for discovering CatSper inhibitors using membrane depolarization caused by external calcium chelation and fluorescent cell barcoding. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1010306. [PMID: 36743410 PMCID: PMC9892719 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1010306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The exclusive expression of CatSper in sperm and its critical role in sperm function makes this channel an attractive target for contraception. The strategy of blocking CatSper as a male, non-hormonal contraceptive has not been fully explored due to the lack of robust screening methods to discover novel and specific inhibitors. The reason for this lack of appropriate methodology is the structural and functional complexity of this channel. We have developed a high-throughput method to screen drugs with the capacity to block CatSper in mammalian sperm. The assay is based on removing external free divalent cations by chelation, inducing CatSper to efficiently conduct monovalent cations. Since Na+ is highly concentrated in the extracellular milieu, a sudden influx depolarizes the cell. Using CatSper1 KO sperm we demonstrated that this depolarization depends on CatSper function. A membrane potential (Em) assay was combined with fluorescent cell barcoding (FCB), enabling higher throughput flow cytometry based on unique fluorescent signatures of different sperm samples. These differentially labeled samples incubated in distinct experimental conditions can be combined into one tube for simultaneous acquisition. In this way, acquisition times are highly reduced, which is essential to perform larger screening experiments for drug discovery using live cells. Altogether, a simple strategy for assessing CatSper was validated, and this assay was used to develop a high-throughput drug screening for new CatSper blockers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillermina M. Luque
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina,*Correspondence: Guillermina M. Luque, ; Mariano G. Buffone,
| | | | - Martina Jabloñski
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Paula A. Balestrini
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Analia G. Novero
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (CONICET-UNR), Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Nicolás I. Torres
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Claudia E. Osycka-Salut
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas, Universidad Nacional de San Martín (UNSAM-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | | | - Dario Krapf
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (CONICET-UNR), Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Mariano G. Buffone
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina,*Correspondence: Guillermina M. Luque, ; Mariano G. Buffone,
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Schiavi-Ehrenhaus LJ, Romarowski A, Jabloñski M, Krapf D, Luque GM, Buffone MG. The early molecular events leading to COFILIN phosphorylation during mouse sperm capacitation are essential for acrosomal exocytosis. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:101988. [PMID: 35487245 PMCID: PMC9142561 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.101988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Revised: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The actin cytoskeleton reorganization during sperm capacitation is essential for the occurrence of acrosomal exocytosis (AR) in several mammalian species. Here, we demonstrate that in mouse sperm, within the first minutes of exposure upon capacitating conditions, the activity of RHOA/C and RAC1 is essential for LIMK1 and COFILIN phosphorylation. However, we observed that the signaling pathway involving RAC1 and PAK4 is the main player in controlling actin polymerization in the sperm head necessary for the occurrence of AR. Moreover, we show that the transient phosphorylation of COFILIN is also influenced by the Slingshot family of protein phosphatases (SSH1). The activity of SSH1 is regulated by the dual action of two pathways. On one hand, RHOA/C and RAC1 activity promotes SSH1 phosphorylation (inactivation). On the other hand, the activating dephosphorylation is driven by okadaic acid-sensitive phosphatases. This regulatory mechanism is independent of the commonly observed activating mechanisms involving PP2B and emerges as a new finely tuned modulation that is, so far, exclusively observed in mouse sperm. However, persistent phosphorylation of COFILIN by SSH1 inhibition or okadaic acid did not altered actin polymerization and the AR. Altogether, our results highlight the role of small GTPases in modulating actin dynamics required for AR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liza J Schiavi-Ehrenhaus
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (IBYME-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Ana Romarowski
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Science, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Martina Jabloñski
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (IBYME-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Darío Krapf
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Universidad Nacional de Rosario (UNR), Rosario, Argentina
| | - Guillermina M Luque
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (IBYME-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Mariano G Buffone
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (IBYME-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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Marín-Briggiler CI, Luque GM, Gervasi MG, Oscoz-Susino N, Sierra JM, Mondillo C, Salicioni AM, Krapf D, Visconti PE, Buffone MG. Human Sperm Remain Motile After a Temporary Energy Restriction but do Not Undergo Capacitation-Related Events. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:777086. [PMID: 34869380 PMCID: PMC8633110 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.777086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
To acquire fertilization competence, mammalian sperm must undergo several biochemical and physiological modifications known as capacitation. Despite its relevance, the metabolic pathways that regulate the capacitation-related events, including the development of hyperactivated motility, are still poorly described. Previous studies from our group have shown that temporary energy restriction in mouse sperm enhanced hyperactivation, in vitro fertilization, early embryo development and pregnancy rates after embryo transfer, and it improved intracytoplasmic sperm injection results in the bovine model. However, the effects of starvation and energy recovery protocols on human sperm function have not yet been established. In the present work, human sperm were incubated for different periods of time in medium containing glucose, pyruvate and lactate (NUTR) or devoid of nutrients for the starving condition (STRV). Sperm maintained in STRV displayed reduced percentages of motility and kinematic parameters compared to cells incubated in NUTR medium. Moreover, they did not undergo hyperactivation and showed reduced levels of ATP, cAMP and protein tyrosine phosphorylation. Similar to our results with mouse sperm, starvation induced increased intracellular Ca2+ concentrations. Starved human sperm were capable to continue moving for more than 27 h, but the incubation with a mitochondrial uncoupler or inhibitors of oxidative phosphorylation led to a complete motility loss. When exogenous nutrients were added back (sperm energy recovery (SER) treatment), hyperactivated motility was rescued and there was a rise in sperm ATP and cAMP levels in 1 min, with a decrease in intracellular Ca2+ concentration and no changes in sperm protein tyrosine phosphorylation. The finding that human sperm can remain motile for several hours under starvation due to mitochondrial use of endogenous metabolites implies that other metabolic pathways may play a role in sperm energy production. In addition, full recovery of motility and other capacitation parameters of human sperm after SER suggests that this treatment might be used to modulate human sperm fertilizing ability in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Guillermina M. Luque
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - María G. Gervasi
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Science, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, United States
| | - Natalia Oscoz-Susino
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Jessica M. Sierra
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Carolina Mondillo
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Ana M. Salicioni
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Science, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, United States
| | - Darío Krapf
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (CONICET-UNR), Rosario, Argentina
| | - Pablo E. Visconti
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Science, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, United States
| | - Mariano G. Buffone
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
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6
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Balough JL, Hahn C, Luque GM, Buffone MG, Flaws JA, Duncan FE. MATERNAL AND PATERNAL AGE CONTRIBUTIONS TO FERTILITY OUTCOMES IN THE MOUSE. Fertil Steril 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2021.07.1132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Balestrini PA, Sanchez-Cardenas C, Luque GM, Baro Graf C, Sierra JM, Hernández-Cruz A, Visconti PE, Krapf D, Darszon A, Buffone MG. Membrane hyperpolarization abolishes calcium oscillations that prevent induced acrosomal exocytosis in human sperm. FASEB J 2021; 35:e21478. [PMID: 33991146 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202002333rr] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Revised: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Sperm capacitation is essential to gain fertilizing capacity. During this process, a series of biochemical and physiological modifications occur that allow sperm to undergo acrosomal exocytosis (AE). At the molecular level, hyperpolarization of the sperm membrane potential (Em) takes place during capacitation. This study shows that human sperm incubated under conditions that do not support capacitation (NC) can become ready for an agonist stimulated AE by pharmacologically inducing Em hyperpolarization with Valinomycin or Amiloride. To investigate how Em hyperpolarization promotes human sperm's ability to undergo AE, live single-cell imaging experiments were performed to simultaneously monitor changes in [Ca2+ ]i and the occurrence of AE. Em hyperpolarization turned [Ca2+ ]i dynamics in NC sperm from spontaneously oscillating into a sustained slow [Ca2+ ]i increase. The addition of progesterone (P4) or K+ to Valinomycin-treated sperm promoted that a significant number of cells displayed a transitory rise in [Ca2+ ]i which then underwent AE. Altogether, our results demonstrate that Em hyperpolarization is necessary and sufficient to prepare human sperm for the AE. Furthermore, this Em change decreased Ca2+ oscillations that block the occurrence of AE, providing strong experimental evidence of the molecular mechanism that drives the acquisition of acrosomal responsiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula A Balestrini
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Claudia Sanchez-Cardenas
- Departamento de Genética del Desarrollo y Fisiología Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Cuernavaca, México
| | - Guillermina M Luque
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Carolina Baro Graf
- Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) Ciudad Universitaria, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Jessica M Sierra
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Arturo Hernández-Cruz
- Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) Ciudad Universitaria, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Pablo E Visconti
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Science, Paige Labs, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Dario Krapf
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (CONICET-UNR), Rosario, Argentina
| | - Alberto Darszon
- Departamento de Genética del Desarrollo y Fisiología Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Cuernavaca, México
| | - Mariano G Buffone
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
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8
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Luque GM, Xu X, Romarowski A, Gervasi MG, Orta G, De la Vega-Beltrán JL, Stival C, Gilio N, Dalotto-Moreno T, Krapf D, Visconti PE, Krapf D, Darszon A, Buffone MG. Cdc42 localized in the CatSper signaling complex regulates cAMP-dependent pathways in mouse sperm. FASEB J 2021; 35:e21723. [PMID: 34224609 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202002773rr] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Revised: 05/19/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Sperm acquire the ability to fertilize in a process called capacitation and undergo hyperactivation, a change in the motility pattern, which depends on Ca2+ transport by CatSper channels. CatSper is essential for fertilization and it is subjected to a complex regulation that is not fully understood. Here, we report that similar to CatSper, Cdc42 distribution in the principal piece is confined to four linear domains and this localization is disrupted in CatSper1-null sperm. Cdc42 inhibition impaired CatSper activity and other Ca2+ -dependent downstream events resulting in a severe compromise of the sperm fertilizing potential. We also demonstrate that Cdc42 is essential for CatSper function by modulating cAMP production by soluble adenylate cyclase (sAC), providing a new regulatory mechanism for the stimulation of CatSper by the cAMP-dependent pathway. These results reveal a broad mechanistic insight into the regulation of Ca2+ in mammalian sperm, a matter of critical importance in male infertility as well as in contraception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillermina M Luque
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME-CONICET), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Xinran Xu
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Ana Romarowski
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME-CONICET), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Department of Veterinary and Animal Science, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - María G Gervasi
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Science, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Gerardo Orta
- Instituto de Biotecnología, UNAM, Cuernavaca, México
| | | | - Cintia Stival
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (CONICET-UNR), Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Nicolás Gilio
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME-CONICET), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Tomás Dalotto-Moreno
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME-CONICET), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Dario Krapf
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (CONICET-UNR), Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Pablo E Visconti
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Science, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Diego Krapf
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | | | - Mariano G Buffone
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME-CONICET), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Baro Graf C, Ritagliati C, Stival C, Luque GM, Gentile I, Buffone MG, Krapf D. Everything you ever wanted to know about PKA regulation and its involvement in mammalian sperm capacitation. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2020; 518:110992. [PMID: 32853743 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2020.110992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2020] [Revised: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 08/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The 3', 5'-cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) dependent protein kinase (PKA) is a tetrameric holoenzyme comprising a set of two regulatory subunits (PKA-R) and two catalytic (PKA-C) subunits. The PKA-R subunits act as sensors of cAMP and allow PKA-C activity. One of the first signaling events observed during mammalian sperm capacitation is PKA activation. Thus, understanding how PKA activity is restricted in space and time is crucial to decipher the critical steps of sperm capacitation. It is widely accepted that PKA specificity depends on several levels of regulation. Anchoring proteins play a pivotal role in achieving proper localization signaling, subcellular targeting and cAMP microdomains. These multi-factorial regulation steps are necessary for a precise spatio-temporal activation of PKA. Here we discuss recent understanding of regulatory mechanisms of PKA in mammalian sperm, such as post-translational modifications, in the context of its role as the master orchestrator of molecular events conducive to capacitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Baro Graf
- Laboratory of Cell Signal Transduction Networks, Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR), CONICET-UNR, Rosario, Argentina; Laboratorio de Medicina Reproductiva (LMR), Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Carla Ritagliati
- Laboratory of Cell Signal Transduction Networks, Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR), CONICET-UNR, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Cintia Stival
- Laboratory of Cell Signal Transduction Networks, Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR), CONICET-UNR, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Guillermina M Luque
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Reproductive Biology, Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Iñaki Gentile
- Laboratory of Cell Signal Transduction Networks, Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR), CONICET-UNR, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Mariano G Buffone
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Reproductive Biology, Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Dario Krapf
- Laboratory of Cell Signal Transduction Networks, Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR), CONICET-UNR, Rosario, Argentina; Laboratorio de Medicina Reproductiva (LMR), Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina.
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10
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Navarrete FA, Aguila L, Martin-Hidalgo D, Tourzani DA, Luque GM, Ardestani G, Garcia-Vazquez FA, Levin LR, Buck J, Darszon A, Buffone MG, Mager J, Fissore RA, Salicioni AM, Gervasi MG, Visconti PE. Transient Sperm Starvation Improves the Outcome of Assisted Reproductive Technologies. Front Cell Dev Biol 2019; 7:262. [PMID: 31750304 PMCID: PMC6848031 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2019.00262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2019] [Accepted: 10/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
To become fertile, mammalian sperm must undergo a series of biochemical and physiological changes known as capacitation. These changes involve crosstalk between metabolic and signaling pathways and can be recapitulated in vitro. In this work, sperm were incubated in the absence of exogenous nutrients (starved) until they were no longer able to move. Once immotile, energy substrates were added back to the media and sperm motility was rescued. Following rescue, a significantly higher percentage of starved sperm attained hyperactivated motility and displayed increased ability to fertilize in vitro when compared with sperm persistently incubated in standard capacitation media. Remarkably, the effects of this treatment continue beyond fertilization as starved and rescued sperm promoted higher rates of embryo development, and once transferred to pseudo-pregnant females, blastocysts derived from treated sperm produced significantly more pups. In addition, the starvation and rescue protocol increased fertilization and embryo development rates in sperm from a severely sub-fertile mouse model, and when combined with temporal increase in Ca2+ ion levels, this methodology significantly improved fertilization and embryo development rates in sperm of sterile CatSper1 KO mice model. Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) does not work in the agriculturally relevant bovine system. Here, we show that transient nutrient starvation of bovine sperm significantly enhanced ICSI success in this species. These data reveal that the conditions under which sperm are treated impact post-fertilization development and suggest that this “starvation and rescue method” can be used to improve assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) in other mammalian species, including humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felipe A Navarrete
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Integrated Sciences Building, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, United States
| | - Luis Aguila
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Integrated Sciences Building, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, United States
| | - David Martin-Hidalgo
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Integrated Sciences Building, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, United States.,Research Group of Intracellular Signaling and Technology of Reproduction, Institute of Biotechnology in Agriculture and Livestock (INBIO G + C), University of Extremadura, Cáceres, Spain
| | - Darya A Tourzani
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Integrated Sciences Building, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, United States
| | - Guillermina M Luque
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Goli Ardestani
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Integrated Sciences Building, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, United States
| | - Francisco A Garcia-Vazquez
- Department of Physiology, Veterinary School, International Excellence Campus for Higher Education and Research, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain.,Institute for Biomedical Research of Murcia, IMIB-Arrixaca, Murcia, Spain
| | - Lonny R Levin
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Jochen Buck
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Alberto Darszon
- Departamento de Genética del Desarrollo y Fisiología Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Mexico
| | - Mariano G Buffone
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Jesse Mager
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Integrated Sciences Building, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, United States
| | - Rafael A Fissore
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Integrated Sciences Building, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, United States
| | - Ana M Salicioni
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Integrated Sciences Building, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, United States
| | - María G Gervasi
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Integrated Sciences Building, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, United States
| | - Pablo E Visconti
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Integrated Sciences Building, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, United States
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11
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Alonso CAI, Lottero-Leconte R, Luque GM, Vernaz ZJ, Di Siervi N, Gervasi MG, Buffone MG, Davio C, Perez-Martinez S. MRP4-mediated cAMP efflux is essential for mouse spermatozoa capacitation. J Cell Sci 2019; 132:jcs.230565. [PMID: 31253671 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.230565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2019] [Accepted: 06/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Mammalian spermatozoa must undergo biochemical and structural changes to acquire the capacity for fertilization, in a process known as capacitation. Activation of PKA enzymes is essential for capacitation, and thus cAMP levels are tightly regulated during this process. Previously, we demonstrated that during capacitation, bovine spermatozoa extrude cAMP through multidrug resistance-associated protein 4 (MRP4, also known as ABCC4), which regulates intracellular levels of the nucleotide and provides cAMP to the extracellular space. Here, we report the presence of functional MRP4 in murine spermatozoa, since its pharmacological inhibition with MK571 decreased levels of extracellular cAMP. This also produced a sudden increase in PKA activity, with decreased tyrosine phosphorylation at the end of capacitation. Blockade of MRP4 inhibited induction of acrosome reaction, hyperactivation and in vitro fertilization. Moreover, MRP4 inhibition generated an increase in Ca2+ levels mediated by PKA, and depletion of Ca2+ salts from the medium prevented the loss of motility and phosphotyrosine inhibition produced by MK571. These results were supported using spermatozoa from CatSper Ca2+ channel knockout mice. Taken together, these results suggest that cAMP efflux via MRP4 plays an essential role in mouse sperm capacitation.This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.
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Affiliation(s)
- C A I Alonso
- Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos (CEFYBO) (UBA-CONICET), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires C1121ABG, Argentina
| | - R Lottero-Leconte
- Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos (CEFYBO) (UBA-CONICET), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires C1121ABG, Argentina
| | - G M Luque
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires C1428ADN, Argentina
| | - Z J Vernaz
- Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos (CEFYBO) (UBA-CONICET), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires C1121ABG, Argentina
| | - N Di Siervi
- Instituto de Investigaciones Farmacológicas (ININFA) (UBA-CONICET), Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires C1113AAD, Argentina
| | - M G Gervasi
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, United States
| | - M G Buffone
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires C1428ADN, Argentina
| | - C Davio
- Instituto de Investigaciones Farmacológicas (ININFA) (UBA-CONICET), Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires C1113AAD, Argentina
| | - S Perez-Martinez
- Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos (CEFYBO) (UBA-CONICET), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires C1121ABG, Argentina
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12
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Romarowski A, Velasco Félix ÁG, Torres Rodríguez P, Gervasi MG, Xu X, Luque GM, Contreras-Jiménez G, Sánchez-Cárdenas C, Ramírez-Gómez HV, Krapf D, Visconti PE, Krapf D, Guerrero A, Darszon A, Buffone MG. Super-resolution imaging of live sperm reveals dynamic changes of the actin cytoskeleton during acrosomal exocytosis. J Cell Sci 2018; 131:jcs.218958. [PMID: 30301778 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.218958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2018] [Accepted: 09/25/2018] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Filamentous actin (F-actin) is a key factor in exocytosis in many cell types. In mammalian sperm, acrosomal exocytosis (denoted the acrosome reaction or AR), a special type of controlled secretion, is regulated by multiple signaling pathways and the actin cytoskeleton. However, the dynamic changes of the actin cytoskeleton in live sperm are largely not understood. Here, we used the powerful properties of SiR-actin to examine actin dynamics in live mouse sperm at the onset of the AR. By using a combination of super-resolution microscopy techniques to image sperm loaded with SiR-actin or sperm from transgenic mice containing Lifeact-EGFP, six regions containing F-actin within the sperm head were revealed. The proportion of sperm possessing these structures changed upon capacitation. By performing live-cell imaging experiments, we report that dynamic changes of F-actin during the AR occur in specific regions of the sperm head. While certain F-actin regions undergo depolymerization prior to the initiation of the AR, others remain unaltered or are lost after exocytosis occurs. Our work emphasizes the utility of live-cell nanoscopy, which will undoubtedly impact the search for mechanisms that underlie basic sperm functions.This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Romarowski
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires C1428ADN, Argentina
| | - Ángel G Velasco Félix
- Laboratorio Nacional de Microscopía Avanzada, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Cuernavaca, Morelos 62210, México
| | - Paulina Torres Rodríguez
- Departamento de Genética del Desarrollo y Fisiología Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Cuernavaca, Morelos 62210, México
| | - María G Gervasi
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Science, Paige Labs, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Xinran Xu
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering, 1301 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Guillermina M Luque
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires C1428ADN, Argentina
| | - Gastón Contreras-Jiménez
- Departamento de Genética del Desarrollo y Fisiología Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Cuernavaca, Morelos 62210, México
| | - Claudia Sánchez-Cárdenas
- Departamento de Genética del Desarrollo y Fisiología Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Cuernavaca, Morelos 62210, México
| | - Héctor V Ramírez-Gómez
- Departamento de Genética del Desarrollo y Fisiología Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Cuernavaca, Morelos 62210, México
| | - Diego Krapf
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering, 1301 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Pablo E Visconti
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Science, Paige Labs, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Dario Krapf
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (CONICET-UNR), Rosario, Santa Fe S2000EZP, Argentina
| | - Adán Guerrero
- Laboratorio Nacional de Microscopía Avanzada, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Cuernavaca, Morelos 62210, México
| | - Alberto Darszon
- Departamento de Genética del Desarrollo y Fisiología Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Cuernavaca, Morelos 62210, México
| | - Mariano G Buffone
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires C1428ADN, Argentina
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13
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Ritagliati C, Luque GM, Stival C, Baro Graf C, Buffone MG, Krapf D. Lysine acetylation modulates mouse sperm capacitation. Sci Rep 2018; 8:13334. [PMID: 30190490 PMCID: PMC6127136 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-31557-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2018] [Accepted: 08/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Mammalian sperm are unable to fertilize the egg immediately after ejaculation. To gain fertilization competence, they need to undergo a series of modifications inside the female reproductive tract, known as capacitation. Capacitation involves several molecular events such as phosphorylation cascades, hyperpolarization of the plasma membrane and intracellular Ca2+ changes, which prepare the sperm to develop two essential features for fertilization competence: hyperactivation and acrosome reaction. Since sperm cells lack new protein biosynthesis, post-translational modification of existing proteins plays a crucial role to obtain full functionality. Here, we show the presence of acetylated proteins in murine sperm, which increase during capacitation. Pharmacological hyperacetylation of lysine residues in non-capacitated sperm induces activation of PKA, hyperpolarization of the sperm plasma membrane, CatSper opening and Ca2+ influx, all capacitation-associated molecular events. Furthermore, hyperacetylation of non-capacitated sperm promotes hyperactivation and prepares the sperm to undergo acrosome reaction. Together, these results indicate that acetylation could be involved in the acquisition of fertilization competence of mammalian sperm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Ritagliati
- Laboratory of Cell Signal Transduction Networks, Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR), CONICET-UNR, Rosario, 2000, Argentina
| | - Guillermina M Luque
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Reproductive Biology, Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), CONICET, Buenos Aires, C1428ADN, Argentina
| | - Cintia Stival
- Laboratory of Cell Signal Transduction Networks, Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR), CONICET-UNR, Rosario, 2000, Argentina
| | - Carolina Baro Graf
- Laboratory of Cell Signal Transduction Networks, Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR), CONICET-UNR, Rosario, 2000, Argentina
| | - Mariano G Buffone
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Reproductive Biology, Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), CONICET, Buenos Aires, C1428ADN, Argentina
| | - Dario Krapf
- Laboratory of Cell Signal Transduction Networks, Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR), CONICET-UNR, Rosario, 2000, Argentina.
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14
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Puga Molina LC, Luque GM, Balestrini PA, Marín-Briggiler CI, Romarowski A, Buffone MG. Molecular Basis of Human Sperm Capacitation. Front Cell Dev Biol 2018; 6:72. [PMID: 30105226 PMCID: PMC6078053 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2018.00072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 130] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2018] [Accepted: 06/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
In the early 1950s, Austin and Chang independently described the changes that are required for the sperm to fertilize oocytes in vivo. These changes were originally grouped under name of “capacitation” and were the first step in the development of in vitro fertilization (IVF) in humans. Following these initial and fundamental findings, a remarkable number of observations led to characterization of the molecular steps behind this process. The discovery of certain sperm-specific molecules and the possibility to record ion currents through patch-clamp approaches helped to integrate the initial biochemical observation with the activity of ion channels. This is of particular importance in the male gamete due to the fact that sperm are transcriptionally inactive. Therefore, sperm must control all these changes that occur during their transit through the male and female reproductive tracts by complex signaling cascades that include post-translational modifications. This review is focused on the principal molecular mechanisms that govern human sperm capacitation with particular emphasis on comparing all the reported pieces of evidence with the mouse model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lis C Puga Molina
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Guillermina M Luque
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Paula A Balestrini
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Clara I Marín-Briggiler
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Ana Romarowski
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Mariano G Buffone
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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15
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Luque GM, Dalotto-Moreno T, Martín-Hidalgo D, Ritagliati C, Puga Molina LC, Romarowski A, Balestrini PA, Schiavi-Ehrenhaus LJ, Gilio N, Krapf D, Visconti PE, Buffone MG. Only a subpopulation of mouse sperm displays a rapid increase in intracellular calcium during capacitation. J Cell Physiol 2018; 233:9685-9700. [PMID: 29953592 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.26883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2017] [Accepted: 05/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Mammalian sperm must undergo a functionally defined process called capacitation to be able to fertilize oocytes. They become capacitated in vivo by interacting with the female reproductive tract or in vitro in a defined capacitation medium that contains bovine serum albumin, calcium (Ca2+ ), and bicarbonate (HCO3 - ). In this work, sperm were double stained with propidium iodide and the Ca2+ dye Fluo-4 AM and analyzed by flow cytometry to determine changes in intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+ ]i ) in individual live sperm. An increase in [Ca2+ ]i was observed in a subpopulation of capacitated live sperm when compared with noncapacitated ones. Sperm exposed to the capacitating medium displayed a rapid increase in [Ca2+ ]i within 1 min of incubation, which remained sustained for 90 min. These rise in [Ca2+ ]i after 90 min of incubation in the capacitating medium was evidenced by an increase in the normalized median fluorescence intensity. This increase was dependent on the presence of extracellular Ca2+ and, at least in part, reflected the contribution of a new subpopulation of sperm with higher [Ca2+ ]i . In addition, it was determined that the capacitation-associated [Ca2+ ]i increase was dependent of CatSper channels, as sperm derived from CatSper knockout (CatSper KO) or incubated in the presence of CatSper inhibitors failed to increase [Ca2+ ]i . Surprisingly, a minimum increase in [Ca2+ ]i was also observed in CatSper KO sperm suggesting the existence of other Ca2+ transport systems. Altogether, these results indicate that a subpopulation of sperm increases [Ca2+ ]i very rapidly during capacitation mainly due to a CatSper-mediated influx of extracellular Ca2+ .
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillermina M Luque
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Tomas Dalotto-Moreno
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - David Martín-Hidalgo
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Science, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA
| | - Carla Ritagliati
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Universidad Nacional de Rosario (UNR), Rosario, Argentina
| | - Lis C Puga Molina
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Ana Romarowski
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Paula A Balestrini
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Liza J Schiavi-Ehrenhaus
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Nicolas Gilio
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Dario Krapf
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Universidad Nacional de Rosario (UNR), Rosario, Argentina
| | - Pablo E Visconti
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Science, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA
| | - Mariano G Buffone
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
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16
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Puga Molina LC, Pinto NA, Torres NI, González-Cota AL, Luque GM, Balestrini PA, Romarowski A, Krapf D, Santi CM, Treviño CL, Darszon A, Buffone MG. CFTR/ENaC-dependent regulation of membrane potential during human sperm capacitation is initiated by bicarbonate uptake through NBC. J Biol Chem 2018; 293:9924-9936. [PMID: 29743243 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra118.003166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2018] [Revised: 04/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
To fertilize an egg, sperm must reside in the female reproductive tract to undergo several maturational changes that are collectively referred to as capacitation. From a molecular point of view, the HCO3--dependent activation of the atypical soluble adenylyl cyclase (ADCY10) is one of the first events that occurs during capacitation and leads to the subsequent cAMP-dependent activation of protein kinase A (PKA). Capacitation is also accompanied by hyperpolarization of the sperm plasma membrane. We previously reported that PKA activation is necessary for CFTR (cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator channel) activity and for the modulation of membrane potential (Em). However, the main HCO3- transporters involved in the initial transport and the PKA-dependent Em changes are not well known nor characterized. Here, we analyzed how the activity of CFTR regulates Em during capacitation and examined its relationship with an electrogenic Na+/HCO3- cotransporter (NBC) and epithelial Na+ channels (ENaCs). We observed that inhibition of both CFTR and NBC decreased HCO3- influx, resulting in lower PKA activity, and that events downstream of the cAMP activation of PKA are essential for the regulation of Em. Addition of a permeable cAMP analog partially rescued the inhibitory effects caused by these inhibitors. HCO3- also produced a rapid membrane hyperpolarization mediated by ENaC channels, which contribute to the regulation of Em during capacitation. Altogether, we demonstrate for the first time, that NBC cotransporters and ENaC channels are essential in the CFTR-dependent activation of the cAMP/PKA signaling pathway and Em regulation during human sperm capacitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lis C Puga Molina
- From the Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas (CONICET), C1425FQB Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Nicolás A Pinto
- From the Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas (CONICET), C1425FQB Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Nicolás I Torres
- From the Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas (CONICET), C1425FQB Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Ana L González-Cota
- the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110
| | - Guillermina M Luque
- From the Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas (CONICET), C1425FQB Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Paula A Balestrini
- From the Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas (CONICET), C1425FQB Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Ana Romarowski
- From the Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas (CONICET), C1425FQB Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Dario Krapf
- the Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR), CONICET-UNR, Rosario 2000, Argentina, and
| | - Celia M Santi
- the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110
| | - Claudia L Treviño
- the Departamento de Genética del Desarrollo y Fisiología Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Cuernavaca, 62210 Morelos, México
| | - Alberto Darszon
- the Departamento de Genética del Desarrollo y Fisiología Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Cuernavaca, 62210 Morelos, México
| | - Mariano G Buffone
- From the Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas (CONICET), C1425FQB Buenos Aires, Argentina,
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17
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Stival C, Ritagliati C, Xu X, Gervasi MG, Luque GM, Baró Graf C, De la Vega-Beltrán JL, Torres N, Darszon A, Krapf D, Buffone MG, Visconti PE, Krapf D. Disruption of protein kinase A localization induces acrosomal exocytosis in capacitated mouse sperm. J Biol Chem 2018; 293:9435-9447. [PMID: 29700114 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra118.002286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2018] [Revised: 04/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein kinase A (PKA) is a broad-spectrum Ser/Thr kinase involved in the regulation of several cellular activities. Thus, its precise activation relies on being localized at specific subcellular places known as discrete PKA signalosomes. A-Kinase anchoring proteins (AKAPs) form scaffolding assemblies that play a pivotal role in PKA regulation by restricting its activity to specific microdomains. Because one of the first signaling events observed during mammalian sperm capacitation is PKA activation, understanding how PKA activity is restricted in space and time is crucial to decipher the critical steps of sperm capacitation. Here, we demonstrate that the anchoring of PKA to AKAP is not only necessary but also actively regulated during sperm capacitation. However, we find that once capacitated, the release of PKA from AKAP promotes a sudden Ca2+ influx through the sperm-specific Ca2+ channel CatSper, starting a tail-to-head Ca2+ propagation that triggers the acrosome reaction. Three-dimensional super-resolution imaging confirmed a redistribution of PKA within the flagellar structure throughout the capacitation process, which depends on anchoring to AKAP. These results represent a new signaling event that involves CatSper Ca2+ channels in the acrosome reaction, sensitive to PKA stimulation upon release from AKAP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cintia Stival
- From the Laboratoty of Cell Signal Transduction Networks, Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR), CONICET-UNR, Rosario 2000, Argentina
| | - Carla Ritagliati
- From the Laboratoty of Cell Signal Transduction Networks, Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR), CONICET-UNR, Rosario 2000, Argentina
| | - Xinran Xu
- the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523
| | - Maria G Gervasi
- the Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003
| | - Guillermina M Luque
- the Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires C1428ADN, Argentina
| | - Carolina Baró Graf
- From the Laboratoty of Cell Signal Transduction Networks, Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR), CONICET-UNR, Rosario 2000, Argentina
| | - José Luis De la Vega-Beltrán
- the Departamento de Genética del Desarrollo y Fisiología Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología (IBT), Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Cuernavaca, Morelos 62210, México, and
| | - Nicolas Torres
- the Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires C1428ADN, Argentina
| | - Alberto Darszon
- the Departamento de Genética del Desarrollo y Fisiología Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología (IBT), Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Cuernavaca, Morelos 62210, México, and
| | - Diego Krapf
- the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523.,the School of Biomedical Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523
| | - Mariano G Buffone
- the Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires C1428ADN, Argentina
| | - Pablo E Visconti
- the Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003
| | - Dario Krapf
- From the Laboratoty of Cell Signal Transduction Networks, Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR), CONICET-UNR, Rosario 2000, Argentina,
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Romarowski A, Battistone MA, La Spina FA, Puga Molina LDC, Luque GM, Vitale AM, Cuasnicu PS, Visconti PE, Krapf D, Buffone MG. PKA-dependent phosphorylation of LIMK1 and Cofilin is essential for mouse sperm acrosomal exocytosis. Dev Biol 2015; 405:237-49. [PMID: 26169470 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2015.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2015] [Revised: 07/01/2015] [Accepted: 07/09/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Mammalian sperm must acquire their fertilizing ability after a series of biochemical modifications in the female reproductive tract collectively called capacitation to undergo acrosomal exocytosis, a process that is essential for fertilization. Actin dynamics play a central role in controlling the process of exocytosis in somatic cells as well as in sperm from several mammalian species. In somatic cells, small GTPases of the Rho family are widely known as master regulators of actin dynamics. However, the role of these proteins in sperm has not been studied in detail. In the present work we characterized the participation of small GTPases of the Rho family in the signaling pathway that leads to actin polymerization during mouse sperm capacitation. We observed that most of the proteins of this signaling cascade and their effector proteins are expressed in mouse sperm. The activation of the signaling pathways of cAMP/PKA, RhoA/C and Rac1 is essential for LIMK1 activation by phosphorylation on Threonine 508. Serine 3 of Cofilin is phosphorylated by LIMK1 during capacitation in a transiently manner. Inhibition of LIMK1 by specific inhibitors (BMS-3) resulted in lower levels of actin polymerization during capacitation and a dramatic decrease in the percentage of sperm that undergo acrosomal exocytosis. Thus, we demonstrated for the first time that the master regulators of actin dynamics in somatic cells are present and active in mouse sperm. Combining the results of our present study with other results from the literature, we have proposed a working model regarding how LIMK1 and Cofilin control acrosomal exocytosis in mouse sperm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Romarowski
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - María A Battistone
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Florenza A La Spina
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Lis del C Puga Molina
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Guillermina M Luque
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Alejandra M Vitale
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Patricia S Cuasnicu
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Pablo E Visconti
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Science, Paige Labs, University of Massachusets, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Darío Krapf
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (CONICET-UNR), Rosario 2000 Argentina
| | - Mariano G Buffone
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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Sahores A, Luque GM, Wargon V, May M, Molinolo A, Becu-Villalobos D, Lanari C, Lamb CA. Novel, low cost, highly effective, handmade steroid pellets for experimental studies. PLoS One 2013; 8:e64049. [PMID: 23691144 PMCID: PMC3655057 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0064049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2012] [Accepted: 04/07/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The basic component of Silastic® glue (Dow Corning) used to prepare Silastic® pellets is polydimethylsiloxane. This compound is also present in other commercial adhesives such as FASTIX® (Akapol SA) that are available in any store for that category. In the present study we developed low cost, easy to prepare handmade steroid pellets (HMSP) by mixing 17β-estradiol, progesterone or other synthetic steroids with FASTIX® adhesive. We assessed serum levels of 17β-estradiol, progesterone, prolactin and luteinizing hormone in ovariectomized mice treated for 24 and 48 h or 7, 14 and 28 days with 20 µg or 5 mg of 17β-estradiol or 5 mg progesterone HMSP. We found a time dependent and significant increase in the levels of both natural hormones, and a downregulation of serum luteinizing hormone levels, while both 17β-estradiol doses increased serum prolactin. Uterine weights at sacrifice and histological examination of the uteri and the mammary glands correlated with estrogen or progestin action. Finally, we evaluated the biological effects of HMSP compared to commercial pellets or daily injections in the stimulation or inhibition of hormone dependent mammary tumor growth, and found that HMSP were as effective as the other methods of hormone administration. These data show that HMSP represent a useful, low cost, easily accessible method for administering steroids to mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Sahores
- Institute of Experimental Biology and Medicine (IBYME), CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Guillermina M. Luque
- Institute of Experimental Biology and Medicine (IBYME), CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Victoria Wargon
- Institute of Experimental Biology and Medicine (IBYME), CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - María May
- Institute of Experimental Biology and Medicine (IBYME), CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Alfredo Molinolo
- Oral and Pharyngeal Cancer Branch, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | | | - Claudia Lanari
- Institute of Experimental Biology and Medicine (IBYME), CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Caroline A. Lamb
- Institute of Experimental Biology and Medicine (IBYME), CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- * E-mail:
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Luque GM, Reyes-López J, Fernández-Haeger J. Recovery of ground ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) communities six years after a major environmental disaster. Environ Entomol 2007; 36:337-47. [PMID: 17445368 DOI: 10.1603/0046-225x(2007)36[337:rogahf]2.0.co;2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
The recovery of ant communities at the Guadiamar River bank (southwest Spain) was studied across 5 yr, after an environmental disaster caused by the spill of toxic sludge over the river caused by a mine accident. Three affected and three control sites were sampled from 2000 to 2004 using pitfall traps. The last year of study, a more exhaustive sampling was conducted at the affected area (eight sampling sites). Additionally, four adjacent study sites not affected by the toxic spill were also studied. Ants showed clear responses to the restoration of the area. Mean ant species richness in spillage affected sites showed a significant increase over the 5 yr. Moreover, multivariate analysis showed distinct changes of ant community composition of the affected area over the years that were not observed in control sites. Six years after the disaster, one half of the species recorded in control sites were also present in the affected area, with only one species exclusive to this area, Cardiocondyla mauritanica Forel (tramp species). However, not only habitat specialist species but also some generalist and conspicuous species within the river basin are not present along the affected area, including species of the genera Camponotus, Messor, Cataglyphis, and Aphaenogaster. This study shows an incipient recovery of ant communities 6 yr after a major environmental disturbance, highlighting the absence of any invasive ant species in the restored area.
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Affiliation(s)
- G M Luque
- Area de Ecología, C-4, Campus de Rabanales, Universidad de Córdoba, 14071 Córdoba, Spain.
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