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Balder P, Jones C, Coward K, Yeste M. Sperm chromatin: Evaluation, epigenetic signatures and relevance for embryo development and assisted reproductive technology outcomes. Eur J Cell Biol 2024; 103:151429. [PMID: 38905808 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejcb.2024.151429] [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: 02/29/2024] [Revised: 06/07/2024] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Sperm chromatin is distinct from somatic cell chromatin, as a result of extensive remodeling during the final stages of spermatogenesis. In this process, the majority of histones is replaced with protamines. The chromatin is consequently highly condensed and inert, which facilitates protection of the DNA. The sperm epigenomic landscape is shaped by histone retention, histone and protamine modification, DNA methylation, and RNAs. In recent years, sperm chromatin integrity and its epigenetic marks have been increasingly studied, and the constitution of sperm chromatin is steadily being uncovered. This growing body of research prompts assessment of the frequently overlooked involvement of sperm in fertility and embryonic development. Moreover, numerous endogenous and exogenous factors are known to affect sperm chromatin, which may in turn impact the reproductive success. Concerns have been raised about the effects of assisted reproductive technology (ART) on the sperm epigenome, embryonic development and offspring health. This review examines the structure and epigenetic signatures of sperm chromatin in the context of fertility and early embryonic development. Additionally, sperm chromatin evaluation and causes of aberrant integrity are outlined. Building on the knowledge discussed in the current review, future research should aim to elucidate the intricate relationship between all aspects of sperm chromatin and embryo development. This could lead to the uncovering of new targets for treating infertility, as well as the acquisition of much needed insights into the possible reciprocal association between ART and sperm chromatin integrity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pauline Balder
- Nuffield Department of Women's and Reproductive Health, Level 3, Women's Centre, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK; The Ronald O. Perelman and Claudia Cohen Center for Reproductive Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Celine Jones
- Nuffield Department of Women's and Reproductive Health, Level 3, Women's Centre, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Kevin Coward
- Nuffield Department of Women's and Reproductive Health, Level 3, Women's Centre, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Marc Yeste
- Biotechnology of Animal and Human Reproduction (TechnoSperm), Institute of Food and Agricultural Technology, University of Girona, Girona ES-17003, Spain; Unit of Cell Biology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Girona, Girona ES-17003, Spain; Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), Barcelona ES-08010, Spain.
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2
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Schon SB, Moritz L, Rabbani M, Meguid J, Juliano BR, Ruotolo BT, Aston K, Hammoud SS. Proteomic analysis of human sperm reveals changes in protamine 1 phosphorylation in men with infertility. F&S SCIENCE 2024; 5:121-129. [PMID: 38065301 PMCID: PMC11116066 DOI: 10.1016/j.xfss.2023.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To perform a comprehensive assessment of protamine (P) isoforms and modifications in human sperm with the aim of identifying how P modifications and isoforms are altered in men with reduced sperm motility and low sperm count. DESIGN Cross-sectional. SETTING Academic medical center. PATIENTS A total of 18 men with prior reported pregnancy and normozoospermia (normal sperm), 14 men from couples with infertility and asthenozoospermia (reduced sperm motility), and 24 men from couples with infertility and oligoasthenoteratozoospermia (low sperm count and motility and abnormal sperm morphology). INTERVENTION(S) Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) Proteomic assessment using both top-down and bottom-up liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (MS) analysis. RESULTS A total of 13 posttranslational modifications were identified on P1 and P2 using bottom-up MS, including both phosphorylation and methylation. Top-down MS revealed an unmodified and phosphorylated isoform of P1 and the 3 major isoforms of P2, HP2, HP3, and HP4. Protamine 1 phosphorylation was overall higher in men with male factor infertility compared with those with normal semen analysis (40.5% vs. 32.6). There was no difference in P posttranslational modifications or isoforms of P2 in men with normal vs. abnormal fertility. CONCLUSION Human protamines bear a number of posttranslational modifications, with alterations in P1 phosphorylation noted in the setting of male factor infertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha B Schon
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
| | - Lindsay Moritz
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Mashiat Rabbani
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Julia Meguid
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Brock R Juliano
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Brandon T Ruotolo
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Kenneth Aston
- Department of Surgery, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
| | - Saher Sue Hammoud
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan; Department of Urology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
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3
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Moritz L, Schon SB, Rabbani M, Sheng Y, Agrawal R, Glass-Klaiber J, Sultan C, Camarillo JM, Clements J, Baldwin MR, Diehl AG, Boyle AP, O'Brien PJ, Ragunathan K, Hu YC, Kelleher NL, Nandakumar J, Li JZ, Orwig KE, Redding S, Hammoud SS. Sperm chromatin structure and reproductive fitness are altered by substitution of a single amino acid in mouse protamine 1. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2023; 30:1077-1091. [PMID: 37460896 PMCID: PMC10833441 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-023-01033-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023]
Abstract
Conventional dogma presumes that protamine-mediated DNA compaction in sperm is achieved by electrostatic interactions between DNA and the arginine-rich core of protamines. Phylogenetic analysis reveals several non-arginine residues conserved within, but not across species. The significance of these residues and their post-translational modifications are poorly understood. Here, we investigated the role of K49, a rodent-specific lysine residue in protamine 1 (P1) that is acetylated early in spermiogenesis and retained in sperm. In sperm, alanine substitution (P1(K49A)) decreases sperm motility and male fertility-defects that are not rescued by arginine substitution (P1(K49R)). In zygotes, P1(K49A) leads to premature male pronuclear decompaction, altered DNA replication, and embryonic arrest. In vitro, P1(K49A) decreases protamine-DNA binding and alters DNA compaction and decompaction kinetics. Hence, a single amino acid substitution outside the P1 arginine core is sufficient to profoundly alter protein function and developmental outcomes, suggesting that protamine non-arginine residues are essential for reproductive fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay Moritz
- Cellular and Molecular Biology Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Samantha B Schon
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Mashiat Rabbani
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Yi Sheng
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Magee Womens Research Institute, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Ritvija Agrawal
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Juniper Glass-Klaiber
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Caleb Sultan
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Jeannie M Camarillo
- Departments of Chemistry, Molecular Biosciences, and the National Resource for Translational and Developmental Proteomics, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Jourdan Clements
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Michael R Baldwin
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Adam G Diehl
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Alan P Boyle
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Patrick J O'Brien
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | | | - Yueh-Chiang Hu
- Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Neil L Kelleher
- Departments of Chemistry, Molecular Biosciences, and the National Resource for Translational and Developmental Proteomics, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Jayakrishnan Nandakumar
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Jun Z Li
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Kyle E Orwig
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Magee Womens Research Institute, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Sy Redding
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Saher Sue Hammoud
- Cellular and Molecular Biology Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
- Department of Urology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
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4
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de la Iglesia A, Jodar M, Oliva R, Castillo J. Insights into the sperm chromatin and implications for male infertility from a protein perspective. WIREs Mech Dis 2023; 15:e1588. [PMID: 36181449 DOI: 10.1002/wsbm.1588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Revised: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Male germ cells undergo an extreme but fascinating process of chromatin remodeling that begins in the testis during the last phase of spermatogenesis and continues through epididymal sperm maturation. Most of the histones are replaced by small proteins named protamines, whose high basicity leads to a tight genomic compaction. This process is epigenetically regulated at many levels, not only by posttranslational modifications, but also by readers, writers, and erasers, in a context of a highly coordinated postmeiotic gene expression program. Protamines are key proteins for acquiring this highly specialized chromatin conformation, needed for sperm functionality. Interestingly, and contrary to what could be inferred from its very specific DNA-packaging function across protamine-containing species, human sperm chromatin contains a wide spectrum of protamine proteoforms, including truncated and posttranslationally modified proteoforms. The generation of protamine knock-out models revealed not only chromatin compaction defects, but also collateral sperm alterations contributing to infertile phenotypes, evidencing the importance of sperm chromatin protamination toward the generation of a new individual. The unique features of sperm chromatin have motivated its study, applying from conventional to the most ground-breaking techniques to disentangle its peculiarities and the cellular mechanisms governing its successful conferment, especially relevant from the protein point of view due to the important epigenetic role of sperm nuclear proteins. Gathering and contextualizing the most striking discoveries will provide a global understanding of the importance and complexity of achieving a proper chromatin compaction and exploring its implications on postfertilization events and beyond. This article is categorized under: Reproductive System Diseases > Genetics/Genomics/Epigenetics Reproductive System Diseases > Molecular and Cellular Physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto de la Iglesia
- Molecular Biology of Reproduction and Development Research Group, Fundació Clínic per a la Recerca Biomèdica, Departament de Biomedicina, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Meritxell Jodar
- Molecular Biology of Reproduction and Development Research Group, Fundació Clínic per a la Recerca Biomèdica, Departament de Biomedicina, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain.,Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics Service, Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Rafael Oliva
- Molecular Biology of Reproduction and Development Research Group, Fundació Clínic per a la Recerca Biomèdica, Departament de Biomedicina, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain.,Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics Service, Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Judit Castillo
- Molecular Biology of Reproduction and Development Research Group, Fundació Clínic per a la Recerca Biomèdica, Departament de Biomedicina, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain
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5
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Arévalo L, Esther Merges G, Schneider S, Schorle H. Protamines: lessons learned from mouse models. Reproduction 2022; 164:R57-R74. [PMID: 35900356 DOI: 10.1530/rep-22-0107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
In brief Protamines package and shield the paternal DNA in the sperm nucleus and have been studied in many mouse models over decades. This review recapitulates and updates our knowledge about protamines and reveals a surprising complexity in protamine function and their interactions with other sperm nuclear proteins. Abstract The packaging and safeguarding of paternal DNA in the sperm cell nucleus is a critical feature of proper sperm function. Histones cannot mediate the necessary hypercondensation and shielding of chromatin required for motility and transit through the reproductive tracts. Paternal chromatin is therefore reorganized and ultimately packaged by protamines. In most mammalian species, one protamine is present in mature sperm (PRM1). In rodents and primates among others, however, mature sperm contain a second protamine (PRM2). Unlike PRM1, PRM2 is cleaved at its N-terminal end. Although protamines have been studied for decades due to their role in chromatin hypercondensation and involvement in male infertility, key aspects of their function are still unclear. This review updates and integrates our knowledge of protamines and their function based on lessons learned from mouse models and starts to answer open questions. The combined insights from recent work reveal that indeed both protamines are crucial for the production of functional sperm and indicate that the two protamines perform distinct functions beyond simple DNA compaction. Loss of one allele of PRM1 leads to subfertility whereas heterozygous loss of PRM2 does not. Unprocessed PRM2 seems to play a distinct role related to the eviction of intermediate DNA-bound proteins and the incorporation of both protamines into chromatin. For PRM1, on the other hand, heterozygous loss leads to strongly reduced sperm motility as the main phenotype, indicating that PRM1 might be important for processes ensuring correct motility, apart from DNA compaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lena Arévalo
- Department of Developmental Pathology, Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Gina Esther Merges
- Department of Developmental Pathology, Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Simon Schneider
- Department of Developmental Pathology, Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany.,Bonn Technology Campus, Core Facility 'Gene-Editing', University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Hubert Schorle
- Department of Developmental Pathology, Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
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6
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Moritz L, Hammoud SS. The Art of Packaging the Sperm Genome: Molecular and Structural Basis of the Histone-To-Protamine Exchange. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:895502. [PMID: 35813619 PMCID: PMC9258737 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.895502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Male fertility throughout life hinges on the successful production of motile sperm, a developmental process that involves three coordinated transitions: mitosis, meiosis, and spermiogenesis. Germ cells undergo both mitosis and meiosis to generate haploid round spermatids, in which histones bound to the male genome are replaced with small nuclear proteins known as protamines. During this transformation, the chromatin undergoes extensive remodeling to become highly compacted in the sperm head. Despite its central role in spermiogenesis and fertility, we lack a comprehensive understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the remodeling process, including which remodelers/chaperones are involved, and whether intermediate chromatin proteins function as discrete steps, or unite simultaneously to drive successful exchange. Furthermore, it remains largely unknown whether more nuanced interactions instructed by protamine post-translational modifications affect chromatin dynamics or gene expression in the early embryo. Here, we bring together past and more recent work to explore these topics and suggest future studies that will elevate our understanding of the molecular basis of the histone-to-protamine exchange and the underlying etiology of idiopathic male infertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay Moritz
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
- *Correspondence: Lindsay Moritz, ; Saher Sue Hammoud,
| | - Saher Sue Hammoud
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
- Department of Urology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
- *Correspondence: Lindsay Moritz, ; Saher Sue Hammoud,
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7
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Protamine Characterization by Top-Down Proteomics: Boosting Proteoform Identification with DBSCAN. Proteomes 2021; 9:proteomes9020021. [PMID: 33946530 PMCID: PMC8162566 DOI: 10.3390/proteomes9020021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2021] [Revised: 04/25/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Protamines replace histones as the main nuclear protein in the sperm cells of many species and play a crucial role in compacting the paternal genome. Human spermatozoa contain protamine 1 (P1) and the family of protamine 2 (P2) proteins. Alterations in protamine PTMs or the P1/P2 ratio may be associated with male infertility. Top-down proteomics enables large-scale analysis of intact proteoforms derived from alternative splicing, missense or nonsense genetic variants or PTMs. In contrast to current gold standard techniques, top-down proteomics permits a more in-depth analysis of protamine PTMs and proteoforms, thereby opening up new perspectives to unravel their impact on male fertility. We report on the analysis of two normozoospermic semen samples by top-down proteomics. We discuss the difficulties encountered with the data analysis and propose solutions as this step is one of the current bottlenecks in top-down proteomics with the bioinformatics tools currently available. Our strategy for the data analysis combines two software packages, ProSight PD (PS) and TopPIC suite (TP), with a clustering algorithm to decipher protamine proteoforms. We identified up to 32 protamine proteoforms at different levels of characterization. This in-depth analysis of the protamine proteoform landscape of normozoospermic individuals represents the first step towards the future study of sperm pathological conditions opening up the potential personalized diagnosis of male infertility.
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8
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Gou LT, Lim DH, Ma W, Aubol BE, Hao Y, Wang X, Zhao J, Liang Z, Shao C, Zhang X, Meng F, Li H, Zhang X, Xu R, Li D, Rosenfeld MG, Mellon PL, Adams JA, Liu MF, Fu XD. Initiation of Parental Genome Reprogramming in Fertilized Oocyte by Splicing Kinase SRPK1-Catalyzed Protamine Phosphorylation. Cell 2020; 180:1212-1227.e14. [PMID: 32169215 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2020.02.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2019] [Revised: 12/04/2019] [Accepted: 02/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
The paternal genome undergoes a massive exchange of histone with protamine for compaction into sperm during spermiogenesis. Upon fertilization, this process is potently reversed, which is essential for parental genome reprogramming and subsequent activation; however, it remains poorly understood how this fundamental process is initiated and regulated. Here, we report that the previously characterized splicing kinase SRPK1 initiates this life-beginning event by catalyzing site-specific phosphorylation of protamine, thereby triggering protamine-to-histone exchange in the fertilized oocyte. Interestingly, protamine undergoes a DNA-dependent phase transition to gel-like condensates and SRPK1-mediated phosphorylation likely helps open up such structures to enhance protamine dismissal by nucleoplasmin (NPM2) and enable the recruitment of HIRA for H3.3 deposition. Remarkably, genome-wide assay for transposase-accessible chromatin sequencing (ATAC-seq) analysis reveals that selective chromatin accessibility in both sperm and MII oocytes is largely erased in early pronuclei in a protamine phosphorylation-dependent manner, suggesting that SRPK1-catalyzed phosphorylation initiates a highly synchronized reorganization program in both parental genomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lan-Tao Gou
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Institute of Genomic Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Do-Hwan Lim
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Institute of Genomic Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Wubin Ma
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Brandon E Aubol
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Yajing Hao
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Institute of Genomic Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Xin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Andrology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences-University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Jun Zhao
- Transgenic and Knockout Mouse Core, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Zhengyu Liang
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Institute of Genomic Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Changwei Shao
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Institute of Genomic Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Xuan Zhang
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Institute of Genomic Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Fan Meng
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Institute of Genomic Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Hairi Li
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Institute of Genomic Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Xiaorong Zhang
- Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Ruiming Xu
- Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Dangsheng Li
- Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Michael G Rosenfeld
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Pamela L Mellon
- Transgenic and Knockout Mouse Core, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Joseph A Adams
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Mo-Fang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Andrology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences-University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Xiang-Dong Fu
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Institute of Genomic Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
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Soler-Ventura A, Gay M, Jodar M, Vilanova M, Castillo J, Arauz-Garofalo G, Villarreal L, Ballescà JL, Vilaseca M, Oliva R. Characterization of Human Sperm Protamine Proteoforms through a Combination of Top-Down and Bottom-Up Mass Spectrometry Approaches. J Proteome Res 2019; 19:221-237. [PMID: 31703166 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.9b00499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Protamine 1 (P1) and protamine 2 (P2) family are extremely basic, sperm-specific proteins, packing 85-95% of the paternal DNA. P1 is synthesized as a mature form, whereas P2 components (HP2, HP3, and HP4) arise from the proteolysis of the precursor (pre-P2). Due to the particular protamine physical-chemical properties, their identification by standardized bottom-up mass spectrometry (MS) strategies is not straightforward. Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify the sperm protamine proteoforms profile, including their post-translational modifications, in normozoospermic individuals using two complementary strategies, a top-down MS approach and a proteinase-K-digestion-based bottom-up MS approach. By top-down MS, described and novel truncated P1 and pre-P2 proteoforms were identified. Intact P1, pre-P2, and P2 mature proteoforms and their phosphorylation pattern were also detected. Additionally, a +61 Da modification in different proteoforms was observed. By the bottom-up MS approach, phosphorylated residues for pre-P2, as well as the new P2 isoform 2, which is not annotated in the UniProtKB database, were revealed. Implementing these strategies in comparative studies of different infertile phenotypes, together with the evaluation of P1/P2 and pre-P2/P2 MS-derived ratios, would permit determining specific alterations in the protamine proteoforms and elucidate the role of phosphorylation/dephosphorylation dynamics in male fertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ada Soler-Ventura
- EUGIN-UB Research Excellence Program, Molecular Biology of Reproduction and Development Research Group, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Fundació Clínic per a la Recerca Biomèdica (FCRB), Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences , University of Barcelona , 08036 Barcelona , Spain
| | - Marina Gay
- EUGIN-UB Research Excellence Program, Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) , The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology , Baldiri Reixac, 10 , 08028 Barcelona , Spain
| | - Meritxell Jodar
- EUGIN-UB Research Excellence Program, Molecular Biology of Reproduction and Development Research Group, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Fundació Clínic per a la Recerca Biomèdica (FCRB), Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences , University of Barcelona , 08036 Barcelona , Spain
| | - Mar Vilanova
- EUGIN-UB Research Excellence Program, Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) , The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology , Baldiri Reixac, 10 , 08028 Barcelona , Spain
| | - Judit Castillo
- EUGIN-UB Research Excellence Program, Molecular Biology of Reproduction and Development Research Group, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Fundació Clínic per a la Recerca Biomèdica (FCRB), Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences , University of Barcelona , 08036 Barcelona , Spain
| | - Gianluca Arauz-Garofalo
- EUGIN-UB Research Excellence Program, Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) , The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology , Baldiri Reixac, 10 , 08028 Barcelona , Spain
| | - Laura Villarreal
- EUGIN-UB Research Excellence Program, Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) , The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology , Baldiri Reixac, 10 , 08028 Barcelona , Spain
| | | | - Marta Vilaseca
- EUGIN-UB Research Excellence Program, Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) , The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology , Baldiri Reixac, 10 , 08028 Barcelona , Spain
| | - Rafael Oliva
- EUGIN-UB Research Excellence Program, Molecular Biology of Reproduction and Development Research Group, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Fundació Clínic per a la Recerca Biomèdica (FCRB), Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences , University of Barcelona , 08036 Barcelona , Spain
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10
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Itoh K, Kondoh G, Miyachi H, Sugai M, Kaneko Y, Kitano S, Watanabe H, Maeda R, Imura A, Liu Y, Ito C, Itohara S, Toshimori K, Fujita J. Dephosphorylation of protamine 2 at serine 56 is crucial for murine sperm maturation in vivo. Sci Signal 2019; 12:12/574/eaao7232. [PMID: 30914484 DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.aao7232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
The posttranslational modification of histones is crucial in spermatogenesis, as in other tissues; however, during spermiogenesis, histones are replaced with protamines, which are critical for the tight packaging of the DNA in sperm cells. Protamines are also posttranslationally modified by phosphorylation and dephosphorylation, which prompted our investigation of the underlying mechanisms and biological consequences of their regulation. On the basis of a screen that implicated the heat shock protein Hspa4l in spermatogenesis, we generated mice deficient in Hspa4l (Hspa4l-null mice), which showed male infertility and the malformation of sperm heads. These phenotypes are similar to those of Ppp1cc-deficient mice, and we found that the amount of a testis- and sperm-specific isoform of the Ppp1cc phosphatase (Ppp1cc2) in the chromatin-binding fraction was substantially less in Hspa4l-null spermatozoa than that in those of wild-type mice. We further showed that Ppp1cc2 was a substrate of the chaperones Hsc70 and Hsp70 and that Hspa4l enhanced the release of Ppp1cc2 from these complexes, enabling the freed Ppp1cc2 to localize to chromatin. Pull-down and in vitro phosphatase assays suggested the dephosphorylation of protamine 2 at serine 56 (Prm2 Ser56) by Ppp1cc2. To confirm the biological importance of Prm2 Ser56 dephosphorylation, we mutated Ser56 to alanine in Prm2 (Prm2 S56A). Introduction of this mutation to Hspa4l-null mice (Hspa4l -/-; Prm2 S56A/S56A) restored the malformation of sperm heads and the infertility of Hspa4l -/- mice. The dephosphorylation signal to eliminate phosphate was crucial, and these results unveiled the mechanism and biological relevance of the dephosphorylation of Prm2 for sperm maturation in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katsuhiko Itoh
- Department of Clinical Molecular Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan. .,Division of Medical Equipment Management, Department of Patient Safety, Kyoto University Hospital, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Gen Kondoh
- Institute for Frontier Life and Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Miyachi
- Institute for Frontier Life and Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Manabu Sugai
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Unit of Biochemistry and Bioinformative Sciences, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Fukui, 23-3 Matsuoka Shimoaizuki, Eiheiji-cho, Yoshida-gun, Fukui 910-1193, Japan.,Life Science Innovation Center, University of Fukui, 23-3 Matsuoka Shimoaizuki, Eiheiji-cho, Yoshida-gun, Fukui 910-1193, Japan
| | - Yoshiyuki Kaneko
- Department of Clinical Molecular Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Satsuki Kitano
- Institute for Frontier Life and Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Hitomi Watanabe
- Institute for Frontier Life and Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Ryota Maeda
- Department of Hematology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Akihiro Imura
- Department of Hematology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Yu Liu
- Department of Clinical Molecular Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan.,Department of Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan
| | - Chizuru Ito
- Department of Functional Anatomy, Reproductive Biology and Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba 260-8670, Japan
| | - Shigeyoshi Itohara
- Laboratory for Behavioral Genetics, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako 351-0198, Japan
| | - Kiyotaka Toshimori
- Department of Functional Anatomy, Reproductive Biology and Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba 260-8670, Japan.,Future Medical Research Center, Chiba University, Chiba 260-8670, Japan
| | - Jun Fujita
- Department of Clinical Molecular Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan.,Department of Radiation Genetics, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
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11
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DNA Damage and Repair in Human Reproductive Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 20:ijms20010031. [PMID: 30577615 PMCID: PMC6337641 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20010031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2018] [Revised: 12/17/2018] [Accepted: 12/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The fundamental underlying paradigm of sexual reproduction is the production of male and female gametes of sufficient genetic difference and quality that, following syngamy, they result in embryos with genomic potential to allow for future adaptive change and the ability to respond to selective pressure. The fusion of dissimilar gametes resulting in the formation of a normal and viable embryo is known as anisogamy, and is concomitant with precise structural, physiological, and molecular control of gamete function for species survival. However, along the reproductive life cycle of all organisms, both male and female gametes can be exposed to an array of “stressors” that may adversely affect the composition and biological integrity of their proteins, lipids and nucleic acids, that may consequently compromise their capacity to produce normal embryos. The aim of this review is to highlight gamete genome organization, differences in the chronology of gamete production between the male and female, the inherent DNA protective mechanisms in these reproductive cells, the aetiology of DNA damage in germ cells, and the remarkable DNA repair mechanisms, pre- and post-syngamy, that function to maintain genome integrity.
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12
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Samanta L, Swain N, Ayaz A, Venugopal V, Agarwal A. Post-Translational Modifications in sperm Proteome: The Chemistry of Proteome diversifications in the Pathophysiology of male factor infertility. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2016; 1860:1450-65. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2016.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2015] [Revised: 03/26/2016] [Accepted: 04/04/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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13
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Castillo J, Estanyol JM, Ballescá JL, Oliva R. Human sperm chromatin epigenetic potential: genomics, proteomics, and male infertility. Asian J Androl 2016; 17:601-9. [PMID: 25926607 PMCID: PMC4492051 DOI: 10.4103/1008-682x.153302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The classical idea about the function of the mammalian sperm chromatin is that it serves to transmit a highly protected and transcriptionally inactive paternal genome, largely condensed by protamines, to the next generation. In addition, recent sperm chromatin genome-wide dissection studies indicate the presence of a differential distribution of the genes and repetitive sequences in the protamine-condensed and histone-condensed sperm chromatin domains, which could be potentially involved in regulatory roles after fertilization. Interestingly, recent proteomic studies have shown that sperm chromatin contains many additional proteins, in addition to the abundant histones and protamines, with specific modifications and chromatin affinity features which are also delivered to the oocyte. Both gene and protein signatures seem to be altered in infertile patients and, as such, are consistent with the potential involvement of the sperm chromatin landscape in early embryo development. This present work reviews the available information on the composition of the human sperm chromatin and its epigenetic potential, with a particular focus on recent results derived from high-throughput genomic and proteomic studies. As a complement, we provide experimental evidence for the detection of phosphorylations and acetylations in human protamine 1 using a mass spectrometry approach. The available data indicate that the sperm chromatin is much more complex than what it was previously thought, raising the possibility that it could also serve to transmit crucial paternal epigenetic information to the embryo.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Rafael Oliva
- Human Genetics Research Group, IDIBAPS, Faculty of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Casanova 143; Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics Service, Biomedical Diagnostic Centre, Hospital Clinic, Villarroel 170, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
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14
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Oskolkov N, Bar-Shir A, Chan KW, Song X, van Zijl PC, Bulte JW, Gilad AA, McMahon MT. Biophysical Characterization of Human Protamine-1 as a Responsive CEST MR Contrast Agent. ACS Macro Lett 2015; 4:34-38. [PMID: 25642384 PMCID: PMC4307908 DOI: 10.1021/mz500681y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2014] [Accepted: 12/15/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
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The protamines are a low-molecular-weight,
arginine-rich family
of nuclear proteins that protect chromosomal DNA in germ cells by
packing it densely using electrostatic interactions. Human protamine-1
(hPRM1) has been developed as a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) chemical
exchange saturation transfer (CEST) reporter gene, based on a sequence
that is approximately 50% arginine, which has a side chain with rapidly
exchanging protons. In this study, we have synthesized hPRM1 and determined
how its CEST MRI contrast varies as a function of pH, phosphorylation
state, and upon noncovalent interaction with nucleic acids and heparin
(as antagonist). CEST contrast was found to be highly sensitive to
phosphorylation on serine residues, intra- and intermolecular disulfide
bridge formation, and the binding of negatively charged nucleotides
and heparin. In addition, the nucleotide binding constants (Keq) for the protamines were determined through
plotting the molar concentration of heparin versus CEST contrast and
compared between hPRM1 and salmon protamine. Taken together, these
findings are important for explaining the CEST contrast of existing
arginine-rich probes as well as serving as a guideline for designing
new genetic or synthetic probes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikita Oskolkov
- Russell
H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland United States
- F.M.
Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland United States
| | - Amnon Bar-Shir
- Russell
H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland United States
- Cellular
Imaging Section and Vascular Biology Program, Institute for Cell Engineering, Baltimore, Maryland United States
| | - Kannie W.Y. Chan
- Russell
H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland United States
- F.M.
Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland United States
- Cellular
Imaging Section and Vascular Biology Program, Institute for Cell Engineering, Baltimore, Maryland United States
| | - Xiaolei Song
- Russell
H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland United States
- F.M.
Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland United States
| | - Peter C.M. van Zijl
- Russell
H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland United States
- F.M.
Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland United States
| | - Jeff W.M. Bulte
- Russell
H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland United States
- F.M.
Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland United States
- Cellular
Imaging Section and Vascular Biology Program, Institute for Cell Engineering, Baltimore, Maryland United States
| | - Assaf A. Gilad
- Russell
H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland United States
- F.M.
Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland United States
- Cellular
Imaging Section and Vascular Biology Program, Institute for Cell Engineering, Baltimore, Maryland United States
| | - Michael T. McMahon
- Russell
H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland United States
- F.M.
Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland United States
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15
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Brunner AM, Nanni P, Mansuy IM. Epigenetic marking of sperm by post-translational modification of histones and protamines. Epigenetics Chromatin 2014; 7:2. [PMID: 24443974 PMCID: PMC3904194 DOI: 10.1186/1756-8935-7-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2013] [Accepted: 12/20/2013] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The concept that individual traits can be acquired and transmitted by the germline through epigenetic mechanisms has gained recognition in the past years. However, epigenetic marks in sperm have not been are not well identified. RESULTS Using a novel proteomic approach that combines peptide-based bottom-up and intact protein top-down tandem mass spectrometry, we report the identification of epigenetic marks on histones and protamines in adult mouse sperm. We identified a total of 26 post-translational modifications (PTMs) on specific residues of the core histones H2B, H3 and H4, and the linker histone H1, four of which had not been described previously in any tissue or cell line. We also detected 11 novel PTMs on the protamines PRM1 and PRM2 and observed that they are present in specific combinations on individual protamines. CONCLUSIONS Both histones and protamines carry multiple PTMs in the adult mouse sperm. On protamines, specific PTM combinations might form a 'protamine code' similar to the 'histone code'. These findings suggest a potential role for PTMs on sperm histones and protamines in epigenetic signatures underlying transgenerational inheritance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea M Brunner
- Department of Health Science and Technology of ETH Zürich, Neuroscience Centre Zürich, Brain Research Institute, Medical Faculty of the University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zürich CH-8057, Switzerland
- Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Paolo Nanni
- Functional Genomics Centre Zürich, University of Zürich and ETH Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zürich CH-8057, Switzerland
| | - Isabelle M Mansuy
- Department of Health Science and Technology of ETH Zürich, Neuroscience Centre Zürich, Brain Research Institute, Medical Faculty of the University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zürich CH-8057, Switzerland
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16
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Jodar M, Oliva R. Protamine Alterations in Human Spermatozoa. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2014; 791:83-102. [DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4614-7783-9_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
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17
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Giannakouros T, Nikolakaki E, Mylonis I, Georgatsou E. Serine-arginine protein kinases: a small protein kinase family with a large cellular presence. FEBS J 2011; 278:570-86. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1742-4658.2010.07987.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
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18
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Abstract
The profound architectural changes that transform spermatids into spermatozoa result in a high degree of DNA packaging within the sperm head. However, the mature sperm chromatin that harbors imprinted genes exhibits a dual nucleoprotamine/nucleohistone structure with DNase-sensitive regions, which could be implicated in the establishment of efficient epigenetic information in the developing embryo. Despite its apparent transcriptionally inert state, the sperm nucleus contains diverse RNA populations, mRNAs, antisense and miRNAs, that have been transcribed throughout spermatogenesis. There is also an endogenous reverse transcriptase that may be activated under certain circumstances. It is now commonly accepted that sperm can deliver some RNAs to the ovocyte at fertilization. This review presents potential links between male-specific genomic imprinting, chromatin organization, and the presence of diverse RNA populations within the sperm nucleus and discusses the functional significance of these RNAs in the spermatozoon itself and in the early embryo following fertilization. Some recent data are provided, supporting the view that analyzing the profile of spermatozoal RNAs could be useful for assessment of male fertility.
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19
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Abstract
Protamines are the major nuclear sperm proteins. The human sperm nucleus contains two types of protamine: protamine 1 (P1) encoded by a single-copy gene and the family of protamine 2 (P2) proteins (P2, P3 and P4), all also encoded by a single gene that is transcribed and translated into a precursor protein. The protamines were discovered more than a century ago, but their function is not yet fully understood. In fact, different hypotheses have been proposed: condensation of the sperm nucleus into a compact hydrodynamic shape, protection of the genetic message delivered by the spermatozoa, involvement in the processes maintaining the integrity and repair of DNA during or after the nucleohistone-nucleoprotamine transition and involvement in the epigenetic imprinting of the spermatozoa. Protamines are also one of the most variable proteins found in nature, with data supporting a positive Darwinian selection. Changes in the expression of P1 and P2 protamines have been found to be associated with infertility in man. Mutations in the protamine genes have also been found in some infertile patients. Transgenic mice defective in the expression of protamines also present several structural defects in the sperm nucleus and have variable degrees of infertility. There is also evidence that altered levels of protamines may result in an increased susceptibility to injury in the spermatozoan DNA causing infertility or poor outcomes in assisted reproduction. The present work reviews the articles published to date on the relationship between protamines and infertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Oliva
- Human Genetics Laboratory, Genetics Unit, Department of Ciències Fisiològiques I, Faculty of Medicine, University of Barcelona and Hospital Clínic, IDIBAPS, Casanova 143, 08036 Barcelona, Spain.
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20
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Rousseaux S, Caron C, Govin J, Lestrat C, Faure AK, Khochbin S. Establishment of male-specific epigenetic information. Gene 2005; 345:139-53. [PMID: 15716030 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2004.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 124] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2004] [Revised: 11/11/2004] [Accepted: 12/06/2004] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The setting of male-specific epigenetic information is a complex process, which involves a major global re-organisation, as well as localized changes of the nucleus structure during the pre-meiotic, meiotic and post-meiotic stages of the male germ cell differentiation. Although it has long been known that DNA methylation in targeted regions of the genome is associated with male-specific genomic imprinting, or that most core histones are hyperacetylated and then replaced by sperm-specific proteins during the post-meiotic condensation of the nucleus, many questions remain unanswered. How these changes interact, how they affect the epigenetic information and how the paternal epigenetic marks contribute to the future genome are indeed major issues remaining to be explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Rousseaux
- Unite INSERM U309, Institut Albert Bonniot, Domaine de la Merci, 38706 La Tronche Cedex, France.
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21
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Feng C, Zhang J, Gasana V, Fu W, Liu Y, Zong Z, Yu B. Differential expression of protein kinase C α and δ in testes of mouse at various stages of development. Cell Biochem Funct 2005; 23:415-20. [PMID: 15540248 DOI: 10.1002/cbf.1167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Protein kinase C (PKC) describes a family of serine/threonine protein kinases, and multiple isoforms are expressed in various mammalian tissues. In the present study, we examined the expression of PKC-alpha and PKC-delta at protein and mRNA level in mouse testis by Western blotting and RT-PCR. We also examined the expression of both PKC isoenzymes in the developing mouse testis. In testes of mouse at various developmental stages, both the protein and the mRNA of PKC-alpha were uniformly distributed; but PKC-delta expression occurred in the testes of 3-week-old mice, perhaps even at a relatively late stage in spermatid development. The results suggest that each isoenzyme may have different functional roles in processing and modulating physiological cellular responses of spermatogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Feng
- Department of Biochemistry, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, PRC
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22
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Mylonis I, Drosou V, Brancorsini S, Nikolakaki E, Sassone-Corsi P, Giannakouros T. Temporal association of protamine 1 with the inner nuclear membrane protein lamin B receptor during spermiogenesis. J Biol Chem 2004; 279:11626-31. [PMID: 14701833 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m311949200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
During mammalian spermiogenesis, histones are replaced by transition proteins, which are in turn replaced by protamines P1 and P2. P1 protamine contains a short arginine/serine-rich (RS) domain that is highly phosphorylated before being deposited into sperm chromatin and almost completely dephosphorylated during sperm maturation. We now demonstrate that, in elongating spermatids, this phosphorylation is required for the temporal association of P1 protamine with lamin B receptor (LBR), an inner nuclear membrane protein that also possesses a stretch of RS dipeptides at its nucleoplasmic NH(2)-terminal domain. Previous studies have shown that the cellular protein p32 also binds tightly to the unmodified RS domain of LBR. Extending those findings, we now present evidence that p32 prevents phosphorylation of LBR and furthermore that dissociation of this protein precedes P1 protamine association. Our data suggest that docking of protamine 1 to the nuclear envelope is an important intermediate step in spermiogenesis and reveal a novel role for SR protein kinases and p32.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilias Mylonis
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki 54 124, Greece
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23
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Dadoune JP, Siffroi JP, Alfonsi MF. Transcription in haploid male germ cells. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF CYTOLOGY 2004; 237:1-56. [PMID: 15380665 DOI: 10.1016/s0074-7696(04)37001-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Major modifications in chromatin organization occur in spermatid nuclei, resulting in a high degree of DNA packaging within the spermatozoon head. However, before arrest of transcription during midspermiogenesis, high levels of mRNA are found in round spermatids. Some transcripts are the product of genes expressed ubiquitously, whereas some are generated from male germ cell-specific gene homologs of somatic cell genes. Others are transcript variants derived from genes with expression regulated in a testis-specific fashion. The haploid genome of spermatids also initiates the transcription of testis-specific genes. Various general transcription factors, distinct promoter elements, and specific transcription factors are involved in transcriptional regulation. After meiosis, spermatids are genetically but not phenotypically different, because of transcript and protein sharing through cytoplasmic bridges connecting spermatids of the same generation. Interestingly, different types of mRNAs accumulate in the sperm cell nucleus, raising the question of their origin and of a possible role after fertilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Pierre Dadoune
- Laboratoire de Cytologie et Histologie, Centre Universitaire des Saints-Pères, 75270 Paris, France
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24
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Brewer L, Corzett M, Lau EY, Balhorn R. Dynamics of protamine 1 binding to single DNA molecules. J Biol Chem 2003; 278:42403-8. [PMID: 12912999 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m303610200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Protamine molecules bind to and condense DNA in the sperm of most vertebrates, packaging the sperm genome in an inactive state until it can be reactivated following fertilization. By using methods that enable the analysis of protamine binding to individual DNA molecules, we have monitored the kinetics of DNA condensation and decondensation by protamine 1 (P1) and synthetic peptides corresponding to specific segments of the bull P1 DNA binding domain. Our results show that the number of clustered arginine residues present in the DNA binding domain is the most important factor affecting the condensation and stability of the DNA-protamine complex prior to the formation of inter-protamine disulfide cross-links. The high affinity of P1 for DNA is achieved by the coordinated binding of three anchoring domains, which together in bull P1 contain 19 Arg residues. The single DNA molecule experiments show that sequences containing two or more anchoring domains have an off-rate that is at least 3 orders of magnitude slower than those containing a single domain. The use of Arg, rather than Lys residues, and the inclusion of Tyr or Phe residues in the hinge regions between anchoring domains provide additional stability to the complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurence Brewer
- Electronic Engineering Technologies Division, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94550, USA
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25
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Abstract
In animal species, spermiogenesis, the late stage of spermatogenesis, is characterized by a dramatic remodelling of chromatin which involves morphological changes and various modifications in the nature of the nuclear basic proteins. According to the evolution of species, three situations can be observed: a) persistence of somatic histones or appearance of sperm-specific histones; b) direct replacement of histones by generally smaller and more basic proteins called protamines; and c) occurrence of a double nuclear basic protein transition: histones are not directly replaced by protamines but by intermediate basic proteins which are themselves replaced by one or several protamines. However, in some species, two kinds of intermediate basic proteins can be distinguished in spermatid nuclei: transition proteins and protamine precursors. Whereas transition proteins are not structurally related either to histones or to protamines, protamine precursors are further processed at the end of spermiogenesis to give rise to the mature protamine. The molecular characteristics of the protamines as well as number of protamine types present in the spermatozoon vary from species to species. In some cases, protamine-encoding genes, although present, are not expressed to a significant level. The diversity and the precise function of intermediate basic proteins remain open to discussion. Some of them are the precursors of protamines but the mechanism, sequential or not, as well as the enzyme(s) involved in the proteolytic processing, remain to be discovered.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Wouters-Tyrou
- Unité 459 INSERM, Laboratoire de Biologie Cellulaire, Faculté de Médecine, Lille, France
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26
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Yoshinobu K, Kondo T, Takai M, Katagiri C, Tou H, Abe SI, Takamune K. Primary structures of sperm-specific basic nuclear proteins and gene expression in Japanese newt, Cynops pyrrhogaster. Mol Reprod Dev 1997; 46:243-51. [PMID: 9041126 DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1098-2795(199703)46:3<243::aid-mrd2>3.0.co;2-p] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Electrophoretic analyses of acid extracts from mature sperm of newt, Cynops pyrrhogaster, on acid/urea/Triton X-100 polyacrylamide gel showed the exclusive occurrence of sperm-specific nuclear basic proteins (SBPs), which moved faster than somatic histones on the gel. These SBPs were eluted separately by reversed phase-high-performance liquid chromatography as two large peaks and a few small peaks. Of these, only the small peaks disappeared with treatment of the acid extracts with alkaline phosphatase before they were injected into the column, so that there were only two distinct components: NP1 and NP2. Determination of amino acid sequences by the Edman method as well as by sequencing of cDNA for both components indicated that each protein consisted of 43 (NP1) or 48 (NP2) amino acid residues, rich in arginine residues (53.5% in NP1; 47.9% in NP2), forming the clusters. They had molecular masses of 5,386 Da (NP1) and 5,748 Da (NP2), respectively. Northern blot analysis using cDNAs as probes indicated that mRNAs for both NP1 and NP2 occurred not in primary spermatocytes but in round spermatids. In situ hybridization analyses using antisense RNA for NP1 as a probe clearly showed the first appearance of NP1 mRNA at the late stage of round spermatid.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Yoshinobu
- Gene Technology Center, Kumamoto University, Japan
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27
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Abstract
In the last decade, and in particular since the development of in vitro fertilization techniques, the nuclear status of human sperm cells has shown to be a key parameter in the assessment of male fertility. The shape and condensed state of the mature sperm nucleus are determined by structural and functional events that occur during spermiogenesis. This paper reviews essential findings on re-organization of the nucleus during sperm differentiation and maturation, and reports recent data on the architecture, biochemical composition and stability of the nucleus in human ejaculated spermatozoa. Different methods used to evaluate nuclear maturity in relation to male fertility are critically appraised.
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Affiliation(s)
- J P Dadoune
- Groupe d'Etude de la Formation et de la Maturation du Gamète Mâle, (Laboratoire de Cytologie et Histologie), JE MESR 349, U.F.R. Biomédicale des Saints-Pères, Paris, France
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