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Goto S, Takahashi T, Sato T, Toyama F, Takayama-Watanabe E, Watanabe A. A CatSper-Uninvolved Mechanism to Induce Forward Sperm Motility in the Internal Fertilization. Zoolog Sci 2024; 41:302-313. [PMID: 38809869 DOI: 10.2108/zs230046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
Sperm-specific cation channel (CatSper), sperm-specific Na + /H + exchanger (sNHE), and soluble adenylyl cyclase (sAC) are necessary in the signaling pathways to control sperm motility in many animals, whereas some animals have lost some or all of them. In the present study, we examined CatSper-uninvolved signaling for vigorous undulation of the undulating membrane that is attached to the sperm tail and gives thrust for forward motility in the internally fertilizing newt Cynops pyrrhogaster. Reverse-transcription PCR failed to detect sNHE in the newt sperm. However, the pH of sperm cytoplasm was raised under a high extracellular pH equivalent to that of egg jelly, where sperm motility is initiated by sperm motility-initiating substance (SMIS). Carbonic anhydrase XII/ XVI and SLC4A4/8 were suggested to be present in the sperm, and transported bicarbonates raised the intracellular pH. In egg jelly extract that contained SMIS, the anion transporter inhibitor DIDS weakened the undulation of the undulating membrane, while bicarbonates enhanced it. The cyclic AMP concentration was found to increase in sperm cytoplasm in the egg-jelly extract. An inhibitor of sAC (KH7) weakened the undulation of the undulating membrane, and dibutyryl cyclic AMP blocked the inhibitory effect. Inhibitor of transmembrane AC (DDA) limitedly affected the undulation. The undulation was weakened by an inhibitor of protein kinase A (H89), and by an inhibitor of transient receptor potential (TRP) channels (RN1747). Our results support the conclusions that the high pH of the egg jelly triggers a signaling pathway through sAC, PKA, and TRP channels, and coacts with SMIS to induce forward sperm motility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sayuri Goto
- Faculty of Science, Biological Division, Yamagata University, Yamagata 990-8560, Japan
| | - Tomoe Takahashi
- Faculty of Science, Biological Division, Yamagata University, Yamagata 990-8560, Japan
| | - Tae Sato
- Faculty of Science, Biological Division, Yamagata University, Yamagata 990-8560, Japan
| | - Fubito Toyama
- Graduate School of Engineering, Utsunomiya University, Utsunomiya, Tochigi 321-8505, Japan
| | | | - Akihiko Watanabe
- Faculty of Science, Biological Division, Yamagata University, Yamagata 990-8560, Japan,
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Kekäläinen J, Evans JP. Gamete-mediated mate choice: towards a more inclusive view of sexual selection. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 285:20180836. [PMID: 30051836 PMCID: PMC6083266 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.0836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2018] [Accepted: 06/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
'Sperm competition'-where ejaculates from two or more males compete for fertilization-and 'cryptic female choice'-where females bias this contest to suit their reproductive interests-are now part of the everyday lexicon of sexual selection. Yet the physiological processes that underlie these post-ejaculatory episodes of sexual selection remain largely enigmatic. In this review, we focus on a range of post-ejaculatory cellular- and molecular-level processes, known to be fundamental for fertilization across most (if not all) sexually reproducing species, and point to their putative role in facilitating sexual selection at the level of the cells and gametes, called 'gamete-mediated mate choice' (GMMC). In this way, we collate accumulated evidence for GMMC across different mating systems, and emphasize the evolutionary significance of such non-random interactions among gametes. Our overall aim in this review is to build a more inclusive view of sexual selection by showing that mate choice often acts in more nuanced ways than has traditionally been assumed. We also aim to bridge the conceptual divide between proximal mechanisms of reproduction, and adaptive explanations for patterns of non-random sperm-egg interactions that are emerging across an increasingly diverse array of taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jukka Kekäläinen
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu, Finland
| | - Jonathan P Evans
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
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Kon S, Sato T, Endo D, Takahashi T, Takaku A, Nakauchi Y, Toyama F, Meyer-Rochow VB, Takayama-Watanabe E, Watanabe A. Sperm storage influences the potential for spontaneous acrosome reaction of the sperm in the newt Cynops pyrrhogaster. Mol Reprod Dev 2017; 84:1314-1322. [PMID: 29235206 DOI: 10.1002/mrd.22932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2017] [Accepted: 11/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Sperm storage is supposed to influence sperm quality, although the details remain unclear. In the present study, we found that sperm stored in a sperm storage site, the vas deferens of Cynops pyrrhogaster, spontaneously undergo acrosome reaction following incubation in Steinberg's salt solution (ST). Percentages of acrosome-reacted sperm increased time-dependently to about 60% in 24 hr. The concentration of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) was elevated after incubating sperm in ST, while dibutylyl cAMP induced an acrosome reaction. Chelating of extracellular Ca2+ suppressed the dibutylyl cAMP-induced acrosome reaction as well as spontaneous acrosome reaction in ST. These results suggest that cAMP elevation driven by Ca2+ influx can be a cue for spontaneous acrosome reaction. Relatively low Ca2+ concentration and pH in the vas deferens were sufficient to suppress spontaneous acrosome reaction within 1 hr. In addition, the cysteine rich secretory protein 2 gene was expressed in the vas deferens, indicating that it may be involved in the continuous suppression of spontaneous acrosome reaction. Sperm that underwent spontaneous acrosome reaction in ST was significantly increased when stored in the vas deferens for longer periods, or by males experiencing temperatures in excess of 12°C during hibernation conditions. Percentages of the spontaneously acrosome-reacted sperm were found to differ among males even though they were of identical genetic background. Taken together, C. pyrrhogaster sperm possess the potential for spontaneous acrosome reaction that does not become obvious in the vas deferens, unless promoted in correlation with sperm storage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shinnosuke Kon
- Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Yamagata University, Kojirakawa, Yamagata, Japan
| | - Tae Sato
- Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Yamagata University, Kojirakawa, Yamagata, Japan
| | - Daisuke Endo
- Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Yamagata University, Kojirakawa, Yamagata, Japan
| | - Tomoe Takahashi
- Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Yamagata University, Kojirakawa, Yamagata, Japan
| | - Akio Takaku
- Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Yamagata University, Kojirakawa, Yamagata, Japan
| | - Yuni Nakauchi
- Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Yamagata University, Kojirakawa, Yamagata, Japan
| | - Fubito Toyama
- Graduate School of Engineering, Utsunomiya University, Utsunomiya, Tochigi, Japan
| | - Victor B Meyer-Rochow
- Department of Biology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.,Research Institute of Luminous Organisms, Hachijojima, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Akihiko Watanabe
- Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Yamagata University, Kojirakawa, Yamagata, Japan
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Kekäläinen J, Evans JP. Female-induced remote regulation of sperm physiology may provide opportunities for gamete-level mate choice. Evolution 2016; 71:238-248. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.13141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2016] [Revised: 11/10/2016] [Accepted: 11/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jukka Kekäläinen
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Animal Biology; University of Western Australia; Crawley WA 6009 Australia
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences; University of Eastern Finland; Joensuu Finland
| | - Jonathan P. Evans
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Animal Biology; University of Western Australia; Crawley WA 6009 Australia
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Kekäläinen J, Larma I, Linden M, Evans JP. Lectin staining and flow cytometry reveals female-induced sperm acrosome reaction and surface carbohydrate reorganization. Sci Rep 2015; 5:15321. [PMID: 26470849 PMCID: PMC4607886 DOI: 10.1038/srep15321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2015] [Accepted: 09/21/2015] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
All cells are covered by glycans, an individually unique layer of oligo- and polysaccharides that are critical moderators of self-recognition and other cellular-level interactions (e.g. fertilization). The functional similarity between these processes suggests that gamete surface glycans may also have an important, but currently overlooked, role in sexual selection. Here we develop a user-friendly methodological approach designed to facilitate future tests of this possibility. Our proposed method is based on flow cytometric quantification of female-induced sperm acrosome reaction and sperm surface glycan modifications in the Mediterranean mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis. In this species, as with many other taxa, eggs release water-soluble factors that attract conspecific sperm (chemoattraction) and promote potentially measurable changes in sperm behavior and physiology. We demonstrate that flow cytometry is able to identify sperm from other seawater particles as well as accurately measure both acrosome reaction and structural modifications in sperm glycans. This methodological approach can increase our understanding of chemically-moderated gamete-level interactions and individual-specific gamete recognition in Mytilus sp. and other taxa with similar, easily identifiable acrosome structure. Our approach is also likely to be applicable to several other species, since carbohydrate-mediated cellular-level interactions between gametes are universal among externally and internally fertilizing species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jukka Kekäläinen
- University of Western Australia, Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Animal Biology (M092), Crawley, Australia
- University of Eastern Finland, Department of Biology, Joensuu, Finland
| | - Irma Larma
- University of Western Australia, Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Centre for Microscopy, Characterization and Analysis, Crawley, Australia
| | - Matthew Linden
- University of Western Australia, Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Centre for Microscopy, Characterization and Analysis, Crawley, Australia
| | - Jonathan P. Evans
- University of Western Australia, Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Animal Biology (M092), Crawley, Australia
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Yokoe M, Sano M, Shibata H, Shibata D, Takayama-Watanabe E, Inaba K, Watanabe A. Sperm proteases that may be involved in the initiation of sperm motility in the newt, Cynops pyrrhogaster. Int J Mol Sci 2014; 15:15210-24. [PMID: 25170808 PMCID: PMC4200841 DOI: 10.3390/ijms150915210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2014] [Revised: 07/28/2014] [Accepted: 08/25/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
A protease of sperm in the newt Cynops pyrrhogaster that is released after the acrosome reaction (AR) is proposed to lyse the sheet structure on the outer surface of egg jelly and release sperm motility-initiating substance (SMIS). Here, we found that protease activity in the sperm head was potent to widely digest substrates beneath the sperm. The protease activity measured by fluorescein thiocarbamoyl-casein digestion was detected in the supernatant of the sperm after the AR and the activity was inhibited by 4-(2-aminoethyl) benzenesulfonyl fluoride (AEBSF), an inhibitor for serine or cysteine protease, suggesting the release of serine and/or cysteine proteases by AR. In an in silico analysis of the testes, acrosins and 20S proteasome were identified as possible candidates of the acrosomal proteases. We also detected another AEBSF-sensitive protease activity on the sperm surface. Fluorescence staining with AlexaFluor 488-labeled AEBSF revealed a cysteine protease in the principal piece; it is localized in the joint region between the axial rod and undulating membrane, which includes an axoneme and produces powerful undulation of the membrane for forward sperm motility. These results indicate that AEBSF-sensitive proteases in the acrosome and principal piece may participate in the initiation of sperm motility on the surface of egg jelly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Misato Yokoe
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Yamagata University, 1-4-12 Kojirakawa, Yamagata 990-8560, Japan.
| | - Makoto Sano
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Yamagata University, 1-4-12 Kojirakawa, Yamagata 990-8560, Japan.
| | - Honami Shibata
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Yamagata University, 1-4-12 Kojirakawa, Yamagata 990-8560, Japan.
| | - Daisuke Shibata
- Shimoda Marine Research Center, University of Tsukuba, 5-10-1 Shimoda, Shizuoka 415-0025, Japan.
| | - Eriko Takayama-Watanabe
- Institute of Arts and Sciences, Yamagata University, 1-4-12 Kojirakawa, Yamagata 990-8560, Japan.
| | - Kazuo Inaba
- Shimoda Marine Research Center, University of Tsukuba, 5-10-1 Shimoda, Shizuoka 415-0025, Japan.
| | - Akihiko Watanabe
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Yamagata University, 1-4-12 Kojirakawa, Yamagata 990-8560, Japan.
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Contribution of different Ca2+ channels to the acrosome reaction-mediated initiation of sperm motility in the newt Cynops pyrrhogaster. ZYGOTE 2013; 23:342-51. [DOI: 10.1017/s0967199413000609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
SummaryInitiation of sperm motility in urodeles, which is induced by a sperm motility-initiating substance (SMIS) in the sequestered granules on the surface of egg jelly, is mediated by the acrosome reaction (AR), which is triggered by an AR-inducing substance (ARIS) on a sheet-like structure. Details of the unique process of the interaction between egg jelly and sperm in these species is still unclear. The current study showed the fine structure of egg jelly in the newt Cynops pyrrhogaster, a urodele species, revealing that its outer surface was covered by a sheet-like structure of approximately 0.29 μm in thickness. Granules of approximately 2 μm in diameter with small particles of approximately 54 nm were attached to its surface and distributed inhomogeneously just beneath the sheet-like structure. Emission spectrometry revealed that the Ca2+ concentration was maintained at a high level compared with that of the blood plasma and the vas deferens fluid, suggesting that egg jelly is a reliable source of Ca2+ for the sperm–egg interaction. Blockers of the T-type voltage-dependent Ca2+ channel (VDCC), but not the L-type VDCC, inhibited both AR and initiation of sperm motility. Conversely, Ni+, which affects the α1 H subunit of T-type VDCC, only inhibited the initiation of sperm motility. These data suggest that, in response to ARIS and SMIS, sequential gating of distinct Ca2+ channels occurs in the AR, followed by the initiation of sperm motility on the surface of the egg jelly in C. pyrrhogaster at fertilization.
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Takahashi T, Kutsuzawa M, Shiba K, Takayama-Watanabe E, Inaba K, Watanabe A. Distinct Ca2+channels maintain a high motility state of the sperm that may be needed for penetration of egg jelly of the newt,Cynops pyrrhogaster. Dev Growth Differ 2013; 55:657-67. [DOI: 10.1111/dgd.12073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2013] [Revised: 07/18/2013] [Accepted: 07/18/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tomoe Takahashi
- Department of Biology; Faculty of Science; Yamagata University; 1-4-12 Kojirakawa; Yamagata; 990-8560; Japan
| | - Megumi Kutsuzawa
- Department of Biology; Faculty of Science; Yamagata University; 1-4-12 Kojirakawa; Yamagata; 990-8560; Japan
| | - Kogiku Shiba
- Shimoda Marine Research Center; University of Tsukuba; 5-10-1 Shimoda; Shizuoka; 415-0025; Japan
| | - Eriko Takayama-Watanabe
- Institute of Arts and Sciences; Yamagata University; 1-4-12 Kojirakawa; Yamagata; 990-8560; Japan
| | - Kazuo Inaba
- Shimoda Marine Research Center; University of Tsukuba; 5-10-1 Shimoda; Shizuoka; 415-0025; Japan
| | - Akihiko Watanabe
- Department of Biology; Faculty of Science; Yamagata University; 1-4-12 Kojirakawa; Yamagata; 990-8560; Japan
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Sperm motility initiation by egg jelly of the anuran, Discoglossus pictus may be mediated by sperm motility-initiating substance of the internally-fertilizing newt, Cynops pyrrhogaster. ZYGOTE 2012; 20:417-22. [DOI: 10.1017/s0967199412000226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
SummaryThe egg jelly of Discoglossus pictus contains sperm motility-activating activity, the molecular basis of which has not been studied. Discoglossus pictus sperm initiated motility immediately after immersion in egg-jelly extract, as well as after immersion in hyposmotic solution, which initiates sperm motility in the external fertilization of anuran amphibians. Sequential treatment of the D. pictus sperm with these two solutions revealed the predominant effect of hyposmolality in initiation of motility. The motility initiation induced by jelly extract was suppressed by a monoclonal antibody (mAb) that is specific for the 34 kDa sperm motility-initiating substance (SMIS) in the egg jelly of the newt, Cynops pyrrhogaster. Immunoblotting using the anti-SMIS mAb revealed several antigenic proteins that included major ones with sizes of 18- and 34-kDa in D. pictus jelly extract. Scanning electron microscopic observation revealed that granules of jelly matrix, in which SMIS localizes and which have a critical role in the internal fertilization of C. pyrrhogaster, were not observed near the surface of the D. pictus egg jelly. These results suggest that sperm motility-activating activity in egg jelly of D. pictus may be mediated by SMIS homologous proteins that act through a mechanism that is partially different from that of C. pyrrhogaster.
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Watanabe A, Takayama-Watanabe E, Vines CA, Cherr GN. Sperm motility-initiating substance in newt egg-jelly induces differential initiation of sperm motility based on sperm intracellular calcium levels. Dev Growth Differ 2011; 53:9-17. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1440-169x.2010.01216.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Mansour N, Lahnsteiner F, Patzner R. Collection of gametes from live axolotl, Ambystoma mexicanum, and standardization of in vitro fertilization. Theriogenology 2011; 75:354-61. [DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2010.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2010] [Revised: 08/30/2010] [Accepted: 09/09/2010] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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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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