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Gao Q, Liu G, Huang L, Zhang Y, Zhang X, Song X, Xing X. WDR38, a novel equatorial segment protein, interacts with the GTPase protein RAB19 and Golgi protein GM130 to play roles in acrosome biogenesis. Acta Biochim Biophys Sin (Shanghai) 2023; 55:1561-1570. [PMID: 37635409 PMCID: PMC10579810 DOI: 10.3724/abbs.2023126] [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: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The WD40-repeat containing (WDR) proteins are enriched in the testis and play important roles in spermatogenesis. In the present study, we investigate the expression profile of WDR38, a novel member of the WDR protein family, in humans and mice. RT-qPCR (reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction) results demonstrate that WDR38 mRNA is abundantly expressed in both the human and mouse testis. The expression of mouse Wdr38 is strictly regulated during development. Further immunofluorescence staining results show that WDR38 is located in the equatorial segment of the acrosome in human and mouse mature spermatozoa and is involved in acrosome biogenesis. Subcellular localization analysis reveals that the mouse Wdr38 protein is distributed in the perinuclear cytoplasm of transfected cells and colocalizes with the GTPase protein Rab19 and Golgi protein GM130. Coimmunoprecipitation (co-IP) assays demonstrate that Wdr38, Rab19 and GM130 interact with each other in the mouse testis and in HEK293T cells. In acrosome biogenesis, Wdr38, Rab19 and GM130 aggregate at the nuclear membrane to form large vesicles, and GM130 then detaches and moves towards the caudal region of the nucleus, whereas the Wdr38/Rab19 complex spreads along the dorsal nuclear edge and finally docks to the equatorial segment. These results indicate that WDR38 is a novel equatorial segment protein that interacts with the GTPase protein RAB19 and Golgi protein GM130 to play roles in acrosome biogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiujie Gao
- Center for Experimental MedicineThird Xiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangsha410013China
- Department of Laboratory MedicineThird Xiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangsha410013China
| | - Gang Liu
- The Institute of Reproduction and Stem Cell EngineeringSchool of Basic Medical SciencesCentral South UniversityChangsha410078China
| | - Lihua Huang
- Center for Experimental MedicineThird Xiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangsha410013China
| | - Yunfei Zhang
- Center for Experimental MedicineThird Xiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangsha410013China
- Department of Laboratory MedicineThird Xiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangsha410013China
| | - Xinxing Zhang
- Center for Experimental MedicineThird Xiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangsha410013China
- Department of Laboratory MedicineThird Xiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangsha410013China
| | - Xiaoyue Song
- Center for Experimental MedicineThird Xiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangsha410013China
- Department of Laboratory MedicineThird Xiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangsha410013China
| | - Xiaowei Xing
- Center for Experimental MedicineThird Xiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangsha410013China
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Fontana CM, Terrin F, Facchinello N, Meneghetti G, Dinarello A, Gambarotto L, Zuccarotto A, Caichiolo M, Brocca G, Verin R, Nazio F, Carnevali O, Cecconi F, Bonaldo P, Dalla Valle L. Zebrafish ambra1b knockout reveals a novel role for Ambra1 in primordial germ cells survival, sex differentiation and reproduction. Biol Res 2023; 56:19. [PMID: 37106439 PMCID: PMC10142490 DOI: 10.1186/s40659-023-00430-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AMBRA1 is an intrinsically disordered protein, working as a scaffold molecule to coordinate, by protein-protein interaction, many cellular processes, including autophagy, mitophagy, apoptosis and cell cycle progression. The zebrafish genome contains two ambra1 paralogous genes (a and b), both involved in development and expressed at high levels in the gonads. Characterization of the zebrafish paralogous genes mutant lines generated by CRISPR/Cas9 approach showed that ambra1b knockout leads to an all-male population. RESULTS We demonstrated that the silencing of the ambra1b gene determines a reduction of primordial germ cells (PGCs), a condition that, in the zebrafish, leads to the development of all-male progeny. PGC reduction was confirmed by knockdown experiments and rescued by injection of ambra1b and human AMBRA1 mRNAs, but not ambra1a mRNA. Moreover, PGC loss was not rescued by injection with human AMBRA1 mRNA mutated in the CUL4-DDB1 binding region, thus suggesting that interaction with this complex is involved in PGC protection from loss. Results from zebrafish embryos injected with murine Stat3 mRNA and stat3 morpholino suggest that Ambra1b could indirectly regulate this protein through CUL4-DDB1 interaction. According to this, Ambra1+/- mice showed a reduced Stat3 expression in the ovary together with a low number of antral follicles and an increase of atretic follicles, indicating a function of Ambra1 in the ovary of mammals as well. Moreover, in agreement with the high expression of these genes in the testis and ovary, we found significant impairment of the reproductive process and pathological alterations, including tumors, mainly limited to the gonads. CONCLUSIONS By exploiting ambra1a and ambra1b knockout zebrafish lines, we prove the sub-functionalization between the two paralogous zebrafish genes and uncover a novel function of Ambra1 in the protection from excessive PGC loss, which seems to require binding with the CUL4-DDB1 complex. Both genes seem to play a role in the regulation of reproductive physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camilla Maria Fontana
- Department of Biology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
- Department of Animal and Aquatic Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | | | | | | | - Alberto Dinarello
- Department of Biology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
- Department of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus, University of Colorado, Denver, USA
| | - Lisa Gambarotto
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Annalisa Zuccarotto
- Department of Biology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Zoological Station Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy
| | | | - Ginevra Brocca
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science (BCA), University of Padova, Legnaro, PD, Italy
- Aquatic Diagnostic Services, Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada
| | - Ranieri Verin
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science (BCA), University of Padova, Legnaro, PD, Italy
| | - Francesca Nazio
- Department of Pediatric Hemato-Oncology and Cell and Gene Therapy, IRCCS Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, Rome, Italy
- Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Oliana Carnevali
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Francesco Cecconi
- Cell Stress and Survival Unit, Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Paolo Bonaldo
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
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Liao HQ, Guo ZY, Huang LH, Liu G, Lu JF, Zhang YF, Xing XW. WDR87 interacts with CFAP47 protein in the middle piece of spermatozoa flagella to participate in sperm tail assembly. Mol Hum Reprod 2022; 29:6960929. [PMID: 36571501 DOI: 10.1093/molehr/gaac042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Spermatogenesis is a complex process that includes spermatogonia self-renewal, spermatocyte meiosis and spermatozoa assembly. Recent studies have revealed that WD40-repeat domain-containing (WDR) proteins play important roles in spermatocyte division, spermatozoa flagella assembly and head shaping. In this study, we investigated the expression pattern of WDR87 and found that it was highly expressed in the testis of both humans and mice. Immunofluorescence staining revealed that mouse WDR87 was distributed in the perinuclear cytoplasm of primary spermatocytes, secondary spermatocytes and round spermatids. In the spermiogenesis stage, with extension of the nucleus, WDR87 migrated to the manchette and finally localized to the middle piece of the spermatozoa tail. Furthermore, we identified a cilia- and flagella-associated protein, CFAP47, which interacted with WDR87 in the flagellar midpiece of the spermatozoa, suggesting that WDR87 may be associated with multiple morphological abnormalities of the flagella (MMAF). Subsequently, we screened gene mutations in seven MMAF individuals and found two novel mutations in CFAP47 (c.706G>A, Val236Met; c.1337C>T, Thr446Met) in one case. Immunoblotting and immunofluorescence revealed that CFAP47 was dramatically reduced in spermatozoa from the CFAP47-mutated man. Meanwhile, the expression of WDR87 was also significantly decreased, and weak signals were detected adjacent to the spermatozoa nuclei, indicating that CFAP47 was necessary for WDR87 transportation during spermatozoa flagella biogenesis. These data indicate that WDR87 is located in the middle piece of the sperm tail and interacts with CFAP47 to form a complex which is involved in spermatozoa tail assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong-Qing Liao
- The Second Affiliated Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, China.,Hengyang Nanhua-Xinghui Reproductive Health Hospital, Hengyang, China
| | - Zi-Yi Guo
- The Second Affiliated Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, China.,Hengyang Nanhua-Xinghui Reproductive Health Hospital, Hengyang, China
| | - Li-Hua Huang
- Center for Experimental Medicine, Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Gang Liu
- The Institute of Reproduction and Stem Cell Engineering, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Jin-Feng Lu
- Hengyang Nanhua-Xinghui Reproductive Health Hospital, Hengyang, China
| | - Yun-Fei Zhang
- Center for Experimental Medicine, Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Xiao-Wei Xing
- Center for Experimental Medicine, Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
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Kiyozumi D, Ikawa M. Proteolysis in Reproduction: Lessons From Gene-Modified Organism Studies. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:876370. [PMID: 35600599 PMCID: PMC9114714 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.876370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The physiological roles of proteolysis are not limited to degrading unnecessary proteins. Proteolysis plays pivotal roles in various biological processes through cleaving peptide bonds to activate and inactivate proteins including enzymes, transcription factors, and receptors. As a wide range of cellular processes is regulated by proteolysis, abnormalities or dysregulation of such proteolytic processes therefore often cause diseases. Recent genetic studies have clarified the inclusion of proteases and protease inhibitors in various reproductive processes such as development of gonads, generation and activation of gametes, and physical interaction between gametes in various species including yeast, animals, and plants. Such studies not only clarify proteolysis-related factors but the biological processes regulated by proteolysis for successful reproduction. Here the physiological roles of proteases and proteolysis in reproduction will be reviewed based on findings using gene-modified organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daiji Kiyozumi
- Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
- PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Kawaguchi, Japan
| | - Masahito Ikawa
- Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
- The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Kawaguchi, Japan
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