Cadherins expression during gamete maturation and fertilization in the rat

Epithelial and Neural Cadherin in Mammalian Fertilization: Studies in the Mouse Model

Successful mammalian fertilization requires a well-orchestrated sequence of molecular events leading to gamete fusion. Since this interaction involves Ca²⁺-dependent adhesion events, the participation of the Ca⁺²-dependent cell-cell adhesion proteins Epithelial (E-cad) and Neural (N-cad) cadherin is envisaged. We have previously reported the expression of E-cad and N-cad in human gametes and showed evidence of their involvement in sperm-oocyte adhesion events leading to fertilization. To overcome ethical limitations associated with the use of human gametes in fertilization-related studies, the mouse has been selected worldwide as the experimental model for over 4 decades. Herein, we report a detailed study aimed at characterizing the expression of E-cad and N-cad in murine gametes and their involvement in murine fertilization using specific antibodies and blocking peptides towards both adhesion proteins. E-cad and N-cad protein forms, as well as other members of the adhesion complex, specifically β-catenin and actin, were identified in spermatozoa, cumulus cells and oocytes protein extracts by means of Western immunoblotting. In addition, subcellular localization of these proteins was determined in whole cells using optical fluorescent microscopy. Gamete pre-incubation with anti-E-cad (ECCD-1) or N-cad (H-63) antibodies resulted in decreased (p < 0.05) In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) rates, when using both cumulus-oocytes complexes and cumulus-free oocytes. Moreover, IVF assays done with denuded oocytes and either antibodies or blocking peptides against E-cad and N-cad led to lower (p < 0.05) fertilization rates. When assessing each step, penetration of the cumulus mass was lower (p < 0.05) when spermatozoa were pre-incubated with ECCD-1 or blocking peptides towards E-cad or towards both E- and N-cad. Moreover, sperm-oolemma binding was impaired (p < 0.0005) after sperm pre-incubation with E-cad antibody or blocking peptide towards E-cad, N-cad or both proteins. Finally, sperm-oocyte fusion was lower (p < 0.05) after sperm pre-incubation with either antibody or blocking peptide against E-cad or N-cad. Our studies demonstrate the expression of members of the adherent complex in the murine model, and the use of antibodies and specific peptides revealed E-cad and N-cad participation in mammalian fertilization.

AMPK: a master energy regulator for gonadal function

From C. elegans to mammals (including humans), nutrition and energy metabolism significantly influence reproduction. At the cellular level, some detectors of energy status indicate whether energy reserves are abundant (obesity), or poor (diet restriction). One of these detectors is AMPK (5′ AMP-activated protein kinase), a protein kinase activated by ATP deficiency but also by several natural substances such as polyphenols or synthetic molecules like metformin, used in the treatment of insulin resistance. AMPK is expressed in muscle and liver, but also in the ovary and testis. This review focuses on the main effects of AMPK identified in gonadal cells. We describe the role of AMPK in gonadal steroidogenesis, in proliferation and survival of somatic gonadal cells and in the maturation of oocytes or spermatozoa. We discuss also the role of AMPK in germ and somatic cell interactions within the cumulus-oocyte complex and in the blood testis barrier. Finally, the interface in the gonad between AMPK and modification of metabolism is reported and discussion about the role of AMPK on fertility, in regards to the treatment of infertility associated with insulin resistance (male obesity, polycystic ovary syndrome).

Specific deletion of AMP-activated protein kinase (α1AMPK) in murine oocytes alters junctional protein expression and mitochondrial physiology

Oogenesis and folliculogenesis are dynamic processes that are regulated by endocrine, paracrine and autocrine signals. These signals are exchanged between the oocyte and the somatic cells of the follicle. Here we analyzed the role of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), an important regulator of cellular energy homeostasis, by using transgenic mice deficient in α1AMPK specifically in the oocyte. We found a decrease of 27% in litter size was observed in ZP3-α1AMPK-/- (ZP3-KO) female mice. Following in vitro fertilization, where conditions are stressful for the oocyte and embryo, ZP3-KO oocytes were 68% less likely to pass the 2-cell stage. In vivo and in cumulus-oocyte complexes, several proteins involved in junctional communication, such as connexin37 and N-cadherin were down-regulated in the absence of α1AMPK. While the two signalling pathways (PKA and MAPK) involved in the junctional communication between the cumulus/granulosa cells and the oocyte were stimulated in control oocytes, ZP3-KO oocytes exhibited only low phosphorylation of MAPK or CREB proteins. In addition, MII oocytes deficient in α1AMPK had a 3-fold lower ATP concentration, an increase in abnormal mitochondria, and a decrease in cytochrome C and PGC1α levels, suggesting perturbed energy production by mitochondria. The absence of α1AMPK also induced a reduction in histone deacetylase activity, which was associated with an increase in histone H3 acetylation (K9/K14 residues). Together, the results of the present study suggest that absence of AMPK, modifies oocyte quality through energy processes and oocyte/somatic cell communication. The limited effect observed in vivo could be partly due to a favourable follicle microenvironment where nutrients, growth factors, and adequate cell interaction were present. Whereas in a challenging environment such as that of in vitro culture following IVF, the phenotype is revealed.

Cadherin mutation linked to resistance to Cry1Ac affects male paternity and sperm competition in Helicoverpa armigera

Several lepidopteran pests of cotton have cadherin-based resistance to the Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxin Cry1Ac. Cadherins are transmembrane proteins that mediate cell-cell adhesion and tissue morphogenesis, suggesting that fitness costs associated with cadherin mutations may be present in many aspects of life history. To evaluate whether cadherin-based resistance is associated with fitness costs reducing male paternity in Helicoverpa armigera, we examined the effects of a major cadherin resistance allele on sperm competition within and between male ejaculates. When homozygous resistant and susceptible males competed for fertilization of a homozygous resistant or susceptible female, fertilization success was high in males with a different cadherin genotype than females, and low in males with the same cadherin genotype as females. Single matings between heterozygous males and susceptible females produced offspring within typical Mendelian ratios. Heterozygous males mated to resistant females, however, resulted in a disproportionate number of heterozygous offspring. While these results show that cadherin-based resistance to Cry1Ac has significant impacts on paternity in H. armigera, there was no evidence that costs associated with resistance consistently reduced male paternity. Rather, effects of cadherin-based resistance on paternity depended on interactions between male and female genotypes and differed when males or sperm competed for fertilization of females, which complicates assessment of impacts of cadherin resistance alleles on resistance evolution.

Evolution of genes involved in gamete interaction: evidence for positive selection, duplications and losses in vertebrates

Genes encoding proteins involved in sperm-egg interaction and fertilization exhibit a particularly fast evolution and may participate in prezygotic species isolation [1], [2]. Some of them (ZP3, ADAM1, ADAM2, ACR and CD9) have individually been shown to evolve under positive selection [3], [4], suggesting a role of positive Darwinian selection on sperm-egg interaction. However, the genes involved in this biological function have not been systematically and exhaustively studied with an evolutionary perspective, in particular across vertebrates with internal and external fertilization. Here we show that 33 genes among the 69 that have been experimentally shown to be involved in fertilization in at least one taxon in vertebrates are under positive selection. Moreover, we identified 17 pseudogenes and 39 genes that have at least one duplicate in one species. For 15 genes, we found neither positive selection, nor gene copies or pseudogenes. Genes of teleosts, especially genes involved in sperm-oolemma fusion, appear to be more frequently under positive selection than genes of birds and eutherians. In contrast, pseudogenization, gene loss and gene gain are more frequent in eutherians. Thus, each of the 19 studied vertebrate species exhibits a unique signature characterized by gene gain and loss, as well as position of amino acids under positive selection. Reflecting these clade-specific signatures, teleosts and eutherian mammals are recovered as clades in a parsimony analysis. Interestingly the same analysis places Xenopus apart from teleosts, with which it shares the primitive external fertilization, and locates it along with amniotes (which share internal fertilization), suggesting that external or internal environmental conditions of germ cell interaction may not be the unique factors that drive the evolution of fertilization genes. Our work should improve our understanding of the fertilization process and on the establishment of reproductive barriers, for example by offering new leads for experiments on genes identified as positively selected.

β-catenin is a molecular switch that regulates transition of cell-cell adhesion to fusion

When a sperm and an oocyte unite upon fertilization, their cell membranes adhere and fuse, but little is known about the factors regulating sperm-oocyte adhesion. Here we explored the role of β-catenin in sperm-oocyte adhesion. Biochemical analysis revealed that E-cadherin and β-catenin formed a complex in oocytes and also in sperm. Sperm-oocyte adhesion was impaired when β-catenin-deficient oocytes were inseminated with sperm. Furthermore, expression of β-catenin decreased from the sperm head and the site of an oocyte to which a sperm adheres after completion of sperm-oocyte adhesion. UBE1-41, an inhibitor of ubiquitin-activating enzyme 1, inhibited the degradation of β-catenin, and reduced the fusing ability of wild-type (but not β-catenin-deficient) oocytes. These results indicate that β-catenin is not only involved in membrane adhesion, but also in the transition to membrane fusion upon fertilization.

Involvement of E-cadherin in early in vitro development of adult and juvenile sheep embryos

The oocyte-to-embryo transition in mammals depends on maternal proteins and transcripts, which accumulate during oocyte differentiation. The aim of the present study was to examine the role of the junctional proteins β-catenin and E-cadherin during preimplantation in vitro embryo development in sheep, comparing the competence of adult and prepubertal oocytes. We analysed the concentration of β-catenin and E-cadherin in immature and in vitro-matured oocytes. There was a significant increase in E-cadherin concentration after 24 h of in vitro maturation and this was lower in prepubertal oocytes than in adult ones. We therefore studied the expression and distribution of E-cadherin during the major transition from maternal to embryonic genome. E-cadherin distribution and localisation in sheep was age- and developmental-stage dependent and was related to developmental kinetics. In fact, in adults, the majority of embryos showed the proper distribution of E-cadherin just beneath the membrane surfaces of all blastomeres and the percentage of embryos with this distribution increased with the increase in cell number during development. On the contrary, and regardless of their developmental stage, the majority of prepubertal embryos showed an uneven distribution of the protein, often associated with the occurrence of cellular fragmentation. In conclusion, our results suggest that E-cadherin plays a pivotal role during preimplantation embryo growth in sheep and may be one of the possible cytoplasmic factors involved in the reduced developmental competence of prepubertal female gametes.

Cadherin gene expression and effects of Bt resistance on sperm transfer in pink bollworm

Cadherin proteins bind Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxins in lepidopteran midguts but their inherent function remains unclear. In pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella, three recessive mutations in a cadherin gene (BtR) are tightly linked with resistance to Bt toxin Cry1Ac. Here we examined patterns of transcription of this gene and the association between cadherin genotype and sperm transfer in pink bollworm. Cadherin RNA was most abundant in larvae, but was also found in adults and embryos. In fourth instar larvae, cadherin RNA was most abundant in the gut, yet its presence in the testes indicates a potential role in sperm production. Previously, we found reduced first-male paternity in pink bollworm males homozygous for cadherin mutations conferring resistance to Bt, when a resistant and susceptible male competed for access to a female. However, the number of offspring sired by resistant and susceptible males was similar without competition. Male Lepidoptera produce both fertile eupyrene sperm and anucleate, non-fertile apyrene sperm, suggesting that apyrene sperm may contribute to male reproductive success when sperm competition occurs. Accordingly, we hypothesized that cadherin-based resistance to Bt entails fitness costs that reduce apyrene sperm transfer. To test this hypothesis, we compared apyrene and eupyrene sperm transfer in males from four strains of pink bollworm. Transfer of apyrene and eupyrene sperm was lower in homozygous resistant than in susceptible males. Furthermore, homozygous resistant males weighed less than susceptible males, which could have diminished sperm transfer by resistant males directly, or via a positive association between male weight, spermatophore weight and sperm transfer. While data suggest that cadherin mutations induced a recessive fitness cost affecting apyrene sperm transfer, these mutations also generated recessive costs that affected other traits and could have lowered first-male paternity.

Expression of epithelial cadherin in the human male reproductive tract and gametes and evidence of its participation in fertilization

Epithelial cadherin (E-cadherin) has been involved in several calcium-dependent cell-cell adhesion events; however, its participation in gamete interaction has not been fully investigated. Our results have demonstrated expression of E-cadherin mRNA in the human male reproductive tract showing higher levels in the caput, corpus and cauda epididymis than in the testis. The mature 122 kDa E-cadherin was detected in epididymal protein extracts and was localized in the epithelial cells from the three epididymal regions. Moreover, the 86 kDa E-cadherin ectodomain was found in cauda epididymal and seminal plasma. Western immunoblotting of human sperm protein extracts allowed the identification of four E-cadherin forms (122, 105, 97 and 86 kDa). The protein was localized in the acrosomal region of intact spermatozoa, remained associated with the head of acrosome-reacted cells and was also detected on the oocyte surface. A similar localization was determined for other proteins of the adhesion complex (beta-catenin and actin). Spermatozoa incubated with anti-E-cadherin antibodies showed impaired binding to homologous zona pellucida (ZP); in addition, presence of these antibodies inhibited the penetration of human spermatozoa to ZP-free hamster oocytes. The results presented here describe the expression of E-cadherin in the male reproductive tract and gametes and strongly suggest its involvement in adhesion events during human fertilization. The identification of proteins involved in gamete interaction will contribute to the understanding of the molecular basis of fertilization and help in the diagnosis and treatment of infertility.

Effects of cellular phone emissions on sperm motility in rats

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effects of cellular phone emissions on rat sperm cells.

DESIGN

Classic experimental.

SETTING

Animal research laboratory.

SUBJECTS

Sixteen 3-month-old male Sprague-Dawley rats, weighing 250-300 g.

INTERVENTION(S)

Rats in the experimental group were exposed to two 3-hour periods of daily cellular phone emissions for 18 weeks; sperm samples were then collected for evaluation.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S)

Evaluation of sperm motility, sperm cell morphology, total sperm cell number, and mRNA levels for two cell surface adhesion proteins.

RESULT(S)

Rats exposed to 6 hours of daily cellular phone emissions for 18 weeks exhibited a significantly higher incidence of sperm cell death than control group rats through chi-squared analysis. In addition, abnormal clumping of sperm cells was present in rats exposed to cellular phone emissions and was not present in control group rats.

CONCLUSION(S)

These results suggest that carrying cell phones near reproductive organs could negatively affect male fertility.

Cadherin in developing and maturing cysts of Torpedo Marmorata Testis

We investigated the presence of cadherins, Ca++ dependent cell-cell adhesion molecules, during the development and maturation of cysts in the testis of the spotted ray Torpedo marmorata. Using different anti-cadherin antibodies, we provide evidence by means of immunohistochemistry and immunoblotting that cadherins are involved in the interaction between Sertoli and germ cells. During the development and maturation of cysts, in fact, cadherins occur between Sertoli and germ cells when they begin to interact to build a cyst. Later on, the presence of cadherins between Sertoli and germ cells persists; furthermore, during the formation of spermatoblast, it is also evident at the level of indentations, arising from Sertoli cells and encompassing germ cells. Finally, the present findings strongly suggest that cadherins are also involved in the spermiogenesis as germ cells, when male gamete differentiation starts, are intensively stained, while, when spermiation is completed, the spermatozoa appear unlabeled.

Impaired E-cadherin expression in human spermatozoa in a male factor infertility subset signifies E-cadherin-mediated adhesion mechanisms operative in sperm–oolemma interactions

Cadherins comprise a family of calcium-dependent glycoproteins that function in mediating cell-cell adhesion in virtually all solid tissues of multicellular organisms. We have examined the presence of a cadherin on spermatozoon and its possible involvement in sperm-oocyte interaction. Spermatozoa from fertile human subjects showed the presence of E-cadherin on its head domains, detectable only after permeabilization of the surface membranes. On the contrary, spermatozoa from oligozoospermic subjects did not possess E-cadherin on their principal acrosomal and equatorial domains. Immunoprecipitation and Western blot studies also showed the presence of E-cadherin in spermatozoa from fertile males and its absence in oligozoospermic males. Using RT-PCR, we detected E-cadherin message in the round cells of fertile males, which was absent in the cells from oligozoospermic males. The presence of anti-E-cadherin antibody brought about quantitative reduction in the sperm-oocyte binding in vitro. These observations indicate the possibility of the interplay of a cadherin-dependent homophilic and/or heterophilic adhesion interaction between spermatozoa and oocyte during fertilization. The absence of a key adhesion molecule in a human male infertility disorder points towards genetic defects causing failure in gamete interactions.