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Su Y, Shea J, DeStephanis D, Su Z. Transcriptomic Analysis of the Spatiotemporal Axis of Oogenesis and Fertilization in C. elegans. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.03.597235. [PMID: 38895354 PMCID: PMC11185608 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.03.597235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
The oocyte germline of the C. elegans hermaphrodite presents a unique model to study the formation of oocytes. However, the size of the model animal and difficulties in retrieval of specific stages of the germline have obviated closer systematic studies of this process throughout the years. Here, we present a transcriptomic level analysis into the oogenesis of C. elegans hermaphrodites. We dissected a hermaphrodite gonad into seven sections corresponding to the mitotic distal region, the pachytene, the diplotene, the early diakinesis region and the 3 most proximal oocytes, and deeply sequenced the transcriptome of each of them along with that of the fertilized egg using a single-cell RNA-seq protocol. We identified specific gene expression events as well as gene splicing events in finer detail along the oocyte germline and provided novel insights into underlying mechanisms of the oogenesis process. Furthermore, through careful review of relevant research literature coupled with patterns observed in our analysis, we attempt to delineate transcripts that may serve functions in the interaction between the germline and cells of the somatic gonad. These results expand our knowledge of the transcriptomic space of the C. elegans germline and lay a foundation on which future studies of the germline can be based upon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yangqi Su
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genomics, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC 28223, USA
| | - Jonathan Shea
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genomics, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC 28223, USA
| | - Darla DeStephanis
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genomics, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC 28223, USA
| | - Zhengchang Su
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genomics, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC 28223, USA
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2
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Chen X, Li Y, Xu J, Cui Y, Wu Q, Yin H, Li Y, Gao C, Jiang L, Wang H, Wen Z, Yao Z, Wu Z. Styxl2 regulates de novo sarcomere assembly by binding to non-muscle myosin IIs and promoting their degradation. eLife 2024; 12:RP87434. [PMID: 38829202 PMCID: PMC11147509 DOI: 10.7554/elife.87434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Styxl2, a poorly characterized pseudophosphatase, was identified as a transcriptional target of the Jak1-Stat1 pathway during myoblast differentiation in culture. Styxl2 is specifically expressed in vertebrate striated muscles. By gene knockdown in zebrafish or genetic knockout in mice, we found that Styxl2 plays an essential role in maintaining sarcomere integrity in developing muscles. To further reveal the functions of Styxl2 in adult muscles, we generated two inducible knockout mouse models: one with Styxl2 being deleted in mature myofibers to assess its role in sarcomere maintenance, and the other in adult muscle satellite cells (MuSCs) to assess its role in de novo sarcomere assembly. We find that Styxl2 is not required for sarcomere maintenance but functions in de novo sarcomere assembly during injury-induced muscle regeneration. Mechanistically, Styxl2 interacts with non-muscle myosin IIs, enhances their ubiquitination, and targets them for autophagy-dependent degradation. Without Styxl2, the degradation of non-muscle myosin IIs is delayed, which leads to defective sarcomere assembly and force generation. Thus, Styxl2 promotes de novo sarcomere assembly by interacting with non-muscle myosin IIs and facilitating their autophagic degradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianwei Chen
- Division of Life Science, Hong Kong University of Science & TechnologyHong KongChina
| | - Yanfeng Li
- Division of Life Science, Hong Kong University of Science & TechnologyHong KongChina
| | - Jin Xu
- Division of Life Science, Hong Kong University of Science & TechnologyHong KongChina
| | - Yong Cui
- School of Life Sciences, Chinese University of Hong KongHong KongChina
| | - Qian Wu
- Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityHong KongChina
| | - Haidi Yin
- Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityHong KongChina
| | - Yuying Li
- Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, Chinese University of Hong KongHong KongChina
| | - Chuan Gao
- Division of Life Science, Hong Kong University of Science & TechnologyHong KongChina
| | - Liwen Jiang
- School of Life Sciences, Chinese University of Hong KongHong KongChina
| | - Huating Wang
- Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, Chinese University of Hong KongHong KongChina
| | - Zilong Wen
- Division of Life Science, Hong Kong University of Science & TechnologyHong KongChina
| | - Zhongping Yao
- Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityHong KongChina
| | - Zhenguo Wu
- Division of Life Science, Hong Kong University of Science & TechnologyHong KongChina
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3
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Kawasaki I, Sugiura K, Sasaki T, Matsuda N, Sato M, Sato K. MARC-3, a membrane-associated ubiquitin ligase, is required for fast polyspermy block in Caenorhabditis elegans. Nat Commun 2024; 15:792. [PMID: 38278786 PMCID: PMC10817901 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-44928-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 01/28/2024] Open
Abstract
In many sexually reproducing organisms, oocytes are fundamentally fertilized with one sperm. In Caenorhabditis elegans, chitin layer formation after fertilization by the EGG complex is one of the mechanisms of polyspermy block, but other mechanisms remain unknown. Here, we demonstrate that MARC-3, a membrane-associated RING-CH-type ubiquitin ligase that localizes to the plasma membrane and cortical puncta in oocytes, is involved in fast polyspermy block. During polyspermy, the second sperm entry occurs within approximately 10 s after fertilization in MARC-3-deficient zygotes, whereas it occurs approximately 200 s after fertilization in egg-3 mutant zygotes defective in the chitin layer formation. MARC-3 also functions in the selective degradation of maternal plasma membrane proteins and the transient accumulation of endosomal lysine 63-linked polyubiquitin after fertilization. The RING-finger domain of MARC-3 is required for its in vitro ubiquitination activity and polyspermy block, suggesting that a ubiquitination-mediated mechanism sequentially regulates fast polyspermy block and maternal membrane protein degradation during the oocyte-to-embryo transition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ichiro Kawasaki
- Laboratory of Molecular Traffic, Institute for Molecular and Cellular Regulation, Gunma University, Maebashi, Gunma, 371-8512, Japan
| | - Kenta Sugiura
- Laboratory of Molecular Traffic, Institute for Molecular and Cellular Regulation, Gunma University, Maebashi, Gunma, 371-8512, Japan
| | - Taeko Sasaki
- Laboratory of Molecular Membrane Biology, Institute for Molecular and Cellular Regulation, Gunma University, Maebashi, Gunma, 371-8512, Japan
| | - Noriyuki Matsuda
- Department of Biomolecular Pathogenesis, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, 113-8510, Japan
| | - Miyuki Sato
- Laboratory of Molecular Membrane Biology, Institute for Molecular and Cellular Regulation, Gunma University, Maebashi, Gunma, 371-8512, Japan.
| | - Ken Sato
- Laboratory of Molecular Traffic, Institute for Molecular and Cellular Regulation, Gunma University, Maebashi, Gunma, 371-8512, Japan.
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4
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Toperzer KM, Brennan SJ, Carroll DJ, Guisbert EA, Kim Guisbert KS. Visualization of the biphasic calcium wave during fertilization in Caenorhabditis elegans using a genetically encoded calcium indicator. Biol Open 2023; 12:bio059832. [PMID: 37602653 PMCID: PMC10655868 DOI: 10.1242/bio.059832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Fertilization is a critical step in development, yet internal fertilization events are notoriously difficult to visualize. Taking advantage of the calcium response that is a hallmark of sperm-egg fusion, we adapted the genetically encoded calcium indicator jGCaMP7s to visualize the moment of fertilization in Caenorhabditis elegans using fluorescence. We termed this tool the 'CaFE' reporter, for 'calcium during fertilization in C. elegans'. The CaFE reporter produced a robust signal that recapitulated the previously reported, biphasic nature of the calcium wave and had no significant deleterious effects on worm physiology or fecundity. Calcium waves were not observed at the restrictive temperature in the spe-9(hc88) strain, in which sperm can still trigger meiotic maturation but can no longer fuse with the oocyte. Demonstrating the utility of the CaFE reporter, we analyzed polyspermy induced by inhibition of egg-3 via RNAi and observed late calcium waves in the uterus. This finding provides support to the idea that calcium release is not restricted to the first sperm fusion event during polyspermy. Establishment of the CaFE reporter in the genetically tractable and optically transparent worm provides a powerful tool to dissect the oocyte-to-embryo transition inside a living animal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie M. Toperzer
- Florida Institute of Technology, Biomedical Sciences Program, 150 W. University Blvd, Melbourne, FL 32901, USA
| | - Savannah J. Brennan
- Florida Institute of Technology, Biomedical Sciences Program, 150 W. University Blvd, Melbourne, FL 32901, USA
| | - David J. Carroll
- Midwestern University, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, 19555 N 59th Ave, Glendale, AZ 85308, USA
| | - Eric A. Guisbert
- Florida Institute of Technology, Biomedical Sciences Program, 150 W. University Blvd, Melbourne, FL 32901, USA
| | - Karen S. Kim Guisbert
- Florida Institute of Technology, Biomedical Sciences Program, 150 W. University Blvd, Melbourne, FL 32901, USA
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5
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Bond AT, Huffman DG. Nematode eggshells: A new anatomical and terminological framework, with a critical review of relevant literature and suggested guidelines for the interpretation and reporting of eggshell imagery. Parasite 2023; 30:6. [PMID: 36920277 PMCID: PMC10016204 DOI: 10.1051/parasite/2023007] [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: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
A literature review for a recent ultrastructural study of a trichinelloid eggshell revealed consistently occurring errors in the literature on nematode eggshell anatomy. Examples included nematodes of medical, veterinary, and agricultural importance in several orders. Previous researchers had warned of some of these errors decades ago, but a comprehensive solution was not offered until 2012 when a clarifying new anatomical and developmental interpretation of nematode eggshells was proposed by members of the Caenorhabditis elegans Research Community. However, their findings were explained using arcane acronyms and technical jargon intended for an audience of experimental molecular geneticists, and so their papers have rarely been cited outside the C. elegans community. Herein we (1) provide a critical review of nematode eggshell literature in which we correct errors and relabel imagery in important historical reports; (2) describe common reporting errors and their causes using language familiar to researchers having a basic understanding of microscopy and nematode eggs; (3) recommend a new hexalaminar anatomical and terminological framework for nematode eggshells based on the 2012 C. elegans framework; and (4) recommend new unambiguous terms appropriate for the embryonated/larvated eggs regularly encountered by practicing nematodologists to replace ambiguous or ontogenetically restricted terms in the 2012 C. elegans framework. We also (5) propose a resolution to conflicting claims made by the C. elegans team versus classical literature regarding Layer #3, (6) extend the C. elegans hexalaminar framework to include the polar plugs of trichinelloids, and (7) report new findings regarding trichinelloid eggshell structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan Thomas Bond
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia 180 E. Green St. Athens GA 30602 USA
| | - David George Huffman
- Department of Biology (Wildlife Ecology and Aquatic Resources), Freeman Aquatic Biology Bldg., Texas State University San Marcos TX 78666 USA
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6
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Venzon M, Das R, Luciano DJ, Burnett J, Park HS, Devlin JC, Kool ET, Belasco JG, Hubbard EJA, Cadwell K. Microbial byproducts determine reproductive fitness of free-living and parasitic nematodes. Cell Host Microbe 2022; 30:786-797.e8. [PMID: 35413267 PMCID: PMC9187612 DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2022.03.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Revised: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Trichuris nematodes reproduce within the microbiota-rich mammalian intestine and lay thousands of eggs daily, facilitating their sustained presence in the environment and hampering eradication efforts. Here, we show that bacterial byproducts facilitate the reproductive development of nematodes. First, we employed a pipeline using the well-characterized, free-living nematode C. elegans to identify microbial factors with conserved roles in nematode reproduction. A screen for E. coli mutants that impair C. elegans fertility identified genes in fatty acid biosynthesis and ethanolamine utilization pathways, including fabH and eutN. Additionally, Trichuris muris eggs displayed defective hatching in the presence of fabH- or eutN-deficient E. coli due to reduced arginine or elevated aldehydes, respectively. T. muris reared in gnotobiotic mice colonized with these E. coli mutants displayed morphological defects and failed to lay viable eggs. These findings indicate that microbial byproducts mediate evolutionarily conserved transkingdom interactions that impact the reproductive fitness of distantly related nematodes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mericien Venzon
- Vilcek Institute of Graduate Biomedical Sciences, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; Kimmel Center for Biology and Medicine at the Skirball Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Ritika Das
- Kimmel Center for Biology and Medicine at the Skirball Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Daniel J Luciano
- Kimmel Center for Biology and Medicine at the Skirball Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; Department of Microbiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Julia Burnett
- Kimmel Center for Biology and Medicine at the Skirball Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Hyun Shin Park
- Seegene Inc., Ogeum-ro, Songpa-Gu, Seoul 05548, Republic of Korea
| | - Joseph Cooper Devlin
- Department of Microbiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Eric T Kool
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford Cancer Institute, and ChEM-H Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Joel G Belasco
- Kimmel Center for Biology and Medicine at the Skirball Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; Department of Microbiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - E Jane Albert Hubbard
- Kimmel Center for Biology and Medicine at the Skirball Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; Department of Cell Biology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA.
| | - Ken Cadwell
- Kimmel Center for Biology and Medicine at the Skirball Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; Department of Microbiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA.
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7
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Lu T, Smit RB, Soueid H, Mains PE. STRIPAK regulation of katanin microtubule severing in the Caenorhabditis elegans embryo. Genetics 2022; 221:iyac043. [PMID: 35298637 PMCID: PMC9071564 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyac043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Microtubule severing plays important role in cell structure and cell division. The microtubule severing protein katanin, composed of the MEI-1/MEI-2 subunits in Caenorhabditis elegans, is required for oocyte meiotic spindle formation; however, it must be inactivated for mitosis to proceed as continued katanin expression is lethal. Katanin activity is regulated by 2 ubiquitin-based protein degradation pathways. Another ubiquitin ligase, HECD-1, the homolog of human HECTD1/HECT domain E3 ubiquitin protein ligase 1, regulates katanin activity without affecting katanin levels. In other organisms, HECD-1 is a component of the striatin-interacting kinase phosphatase complex, which affects cell proliferation and a variety of signaling pathways. Here we conducted a systematic screen of how mutations in striatin-interacting kinase phosphatase components affect katanin function in C. elegans. Striatin-interacting kinase phosphatase core components (FARL-11, CASH-1, LET-92, and GCK-1) were katanin inhibitors in mitosis and activators in meiosis, much like HECD-1. By contrast, variable components (SLMP-1, OTUB-2) functioned as activators of katanin activity in mitosis, indicating they may function to alter striatin-interacting kinase phosphatase core function. The core component CCM-3 acted as an inhibitor at both divisions, while other components (MOB-4, C49H3.6) showed weak interactions with katanin mutants. Additional experiments indicate that katanin may be involved with the centralspindlin complex and a tubulin chaperone. HECD-1 shows ubiquitous expression in the cytoplasm throughout meiosis and early development. The differing functions of the different subunits could contribute to the diverse functions of the striatin-interacting kinase phosphatase complex in C. elegans and other organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tammy Lu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AL T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Ryan B Smit
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AL T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Hanifa Soueid
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AL T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Paul E Mains
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AL T2N 4N1, Canada
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8
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Kim AJ, Griffin EE. PLK-1 Regulation of Asymmetric Cell Division in the Early C. elegans Embryo. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 8:632253. [PMID: 33553173 PMCID: PMC7859328 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.632253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
PLK1 is a conserved mitotic kinase that is essential for the entry into and progression through mitosis. In addition to its canonical mitotic functions, recent studies have characterized a critical role for PLK-1 in regulating the polarization and asymmetric division of the one-cell C. elegans embryo. Prior to cell division, PLK-1 regulates both the polarization of the PAR proteins at the cell cortex and the segregation of cell fate determinants in the cytoplasm. Following cell division, PLK-1 is preferentially inherited to one daughter cell where it acts to regulate the timing of centrosome separation and cell division. PLK1 also regulates cell polarity in asymmetrically dividing Drosophila neuroblasts and during mammalian planar cell polarity, suggesting it may act broadly to connect cell polarity and cell cycle mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amelia J Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, United States
| | - Erik E Griffin
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, United States
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9
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Mei X, Singson AW. The molecular underpinnings of fertility: Genetic approaches in Caenorhabditis elegans. ADVANCED GENETICS (HOBOKEN, N.J.) 2020; 2:e10034. [PMID: 34322672 PMCID: PMC8315475 DOI: 10.1002/ggn2.10034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The study of mutations that impact fertility has a catch-22. Fertility mutants are often lost since they cannot simply be propagated and maintained. This has hindered progress in understanding the genetics of fertility. In mice, several molecules are found to be required for the interactions between the sperm and egg, with JUNO and IZUMO1 being the only known receptor pair on the egg and sperm surface, respectively. In Caenorhabditis elegans, a total of 12 proteins on the sperm or oocyte have been identified to mediate gamete interactions. Majority of these genes were identified through mutants isolated from genetic screens. In this review, we summarize the several key screening strategies that led to the identification of fertility mutants in C. elegans and provide a perspective about future research using genetic approaches. Recently, advancements in new technologies such as high-throughput sequencing and Crispr-based genome editing tools have accelerated the molecular, cell biological, and mechanistic analysis of fertility genes. We review how these valuable tools advance our understanding of the molecular underpinnings of fertilization. We draw parallels of the molecular mechanisms of fertilization between worms and mammals and argue that our work in C. elegans complements fertility research in humans and other species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Mei
- Department of GeneticsWaksman Institute, Rutgers, The State University of New JerseyPiscatawayNew JerseyUSA
| | - Andrew W. Singson
- Department of GeneticsWaksman Institute, Rutgers, The State University of New JerseyPiscatawayNew JerseyUSA
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10
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Kelley CA, Triplett O, Mallick S, Burkewitz K, Mair WB, Cram EJ. FLN-1/filamin is required to anchor the actomyosin cytoskeleton and for global organization of sub-cellular organelles in a contractile tissue. Cytoskeleton (Hoboken) 2020; 77:379-398. [PMID: 32969593 DOI: 10.1002/cm.21633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Revised: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Actomyosin networks are organized in space, direction, size, and connectivity to produce coordinated contractions across cells. We use the C. elegans spermatheca, a tube composed of contractile myoepithelial cells, to study how actomyosin structures are organized. FLN-1/filamin is required for the formation and stabilization of a regular array of parallel, contractile, actomyosin fibers in this tissue. Loss of fln-1 results in the detachment of actin fibers from the basal surface, which then accumulate along the cell junctions and are stabilized by spectrin. In addition, actin and myosin are captured at the nucleus by the linker of nucleoskeleton and cytoskeleton complex (LINC) complex, where they form large foci. Nuclear positioning and morphology, distribution of the endoplasmic reticulum and the mitochondrial network are also disrupted. These results demonstrate that filamin is required to prevent large actin bundle formation and detachment, to prevent excess nuclear localization of actin and myosin, and to ensure correct positioning of organelles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte A Kelley
- Department of Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Olivia Triplett
- Department of Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Samyukta Mallick
- Department of Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Kristopher Burkewitz
- Department of Genetics and Complex Diseases, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - William B Mair
- Department of Genetics and Complex Diseases, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Erin J Cram
- Department of Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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11
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Castaneda PG, Cecchetelli AD, Pettit HN, Cram EJ. Gα/GSA-1 works upstream of PKA/KIN-1 to regulate calcium signaling and contractility in the Caenorhabditis elegans spermatheca. PLoS Genet 2020; 16:e1008644. [PMID: 32776941 PMCID: PMC7444582 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2020] [Revised: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Correct regulation of cell contractility is critical for the function of many biological systems. The reproductive system of the hermaphroditic nematode C. elegans contains a contractile tube of myoepithelial cells known as the spermatheca, which stores sperm and is the site of oocyte fertilization. Regulated contraction of the spermatheca pushes the embryo into the uterus. Cell contractility in the spermatheca is dependent on actin and myosin and is regulated, in part, by Ca2+ signaling through the phospholipase PLC-1, which mediates Ca2+ release from the endoplasmic reticulum. Here, we describe a novel role for GSA-1/Gαs, and protein kinase A, composed of the catalytic subunit KIN-1/PKA-C and the regulatory subunit KIN-2/PKA-R, in the regulation of Ca2+ release and contractility in the C. elegans spermatheca. Without GSA-1/Gαs or KIN-1/PKA-C, Ca2+ is not released, and oocytes become trapped in the spermatheca. Conversely, when PKA is activated through either a gain of function allele in GSA-1 (GSA-1(GF)) or by depletion of KIN-2/PKA-R, the transit times and total numbers, although not frequencies, of Ca2+ pulses are increased, and Ca2+ propagates across the spermatheca even in the absence of oocyte entry. In the spermathecal-uterine valve, loss of GSA-1/Gαs or KIN-1/PKA-C results in sustained, high levels of Ca2+ and a loss of coordination between the spermathecal bag and sp-ut valve. Additionally, we show that depleting phosphodiesterase PDE-6 levels alters contractility and Ca2+ dynamics in the spermatheca, and that the GPB-1 and GPB-2 Gβ subunits play a central role in regulating spermathecal contractility and Ca2+ signaling. This work identifies a signaling network in which Ca2+ and cAMP pathways work together to coordinate spermathecal contractions for successful ovulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Perla G. Castaneda
- Department of Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | | | - Hannah N. Pettit
- Department of Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Erin J. Cram
- Department of Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
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12
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Parker DM, Winkenbach LP, Boyson S, Saxton MN, Daidone C, Al-Mazaydeh ZA, Nishimura MT, Mueller F, Osborne Nishimura E. mRNA localization is linked to translation regulation in the Caenorhabditis elegans germ lineage. Development 2020; 147:dev186817. [PMID: 32541012 PMCID: PMC7358130 DOI: 10.1242/dev.186817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2019] [Accepted: 05/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Caenorhabditis elegans early embryos generate cell-specific transcriptomes despite lacking active transcription, thereby presenting an opportunity to study mechanisms of post-transcriptional regulatory control. We observed that some cell-specific mRNAs accumulate non-homogenously within cells, localizing to membranes, P granules (associated with progenitor germ cells in the P lineage) and P-bodies (associated with RNA processing). The subcellular distribution of transcripts differed in their dependence on 3'UTRs and RNA binding proteins, suggesting diverse regulatory mechanisms. Notably, we found strong but imperfect correlations between low translational status and P granule localization within the progenitor germ lineage. By uncoupling translation from mRNA localization, we untangled a long-standing question: Are mRNAs directed to P granules to be translationally repressed, or do they accumulate there as a consequence of this repression? We found that translational repression preceded P granule localization and could occur independently of it. Further, disruption of translation was sufficient to send homogenously distributed mRNAs to P granules. These results implicate transcriptional repression as a means to deliver essential maternal transcripts to the progenitor germ lineage for later translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dylan M Parker
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Lindsay P Winkenbach
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Sam Boyson
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Matthew N Saxton
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Camryn Daidone
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Zainab A Al-Mazaydeh
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Hashemite University, Zarqa, 13115, Jordan
| | - Marc T Nishimura
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Florian Mueller
- Département Biologie Cellulaire et Infections, Unité Imagerie et Modélisation, Institut Pasteur and CNRS UMR 3691, 28 rue du Docteur Roux, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Erin Osborne Nishimura
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
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13
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Kelley CA, De Henau S, Bell L, Dansen TB, Cram EJ. Redox signaling modulates Rho activity and tissue contractility in the Caenorhabditis elegans spermatheca. Mol Biol Cell 2020; 31:1486-1497. [PMID: 32374641 PMCID: PMC7359568 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e20-04-0236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Actomyosin-based contractility in smooth muscle and nonmuscle cells is regulated by signaling through the small GTPase Rho and by calcium-activated pathways. We use the myoepithelial cells of the Caenorhabditis elegans spermatheca to study the mechanisms of coordinated myosin activation in vivo. Here, we show that redox signaling modulates RHO-1/Rho activity in this contractile tissue. Exogenously added as well as endogenously generated hydrogen peroxide decreases spermathecal contractility by inhibition of RHO-1, which depends on a conserved cysteine in its nucleotide binding site (C20). Further, we identify an endogenous gradient of H2O2 across the spermathecal tissue, which depends on the activity of cytosolic superoxide dismutase, SOD-1. Collectively, we show that SOD-1-mediated H2O2 production regulates the redox environment and fine tunes Rho activity across the spermatheca through oxidation of RHO-1 C20.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sasha De Henau
- Center for Molecular Medicine, Molecular Cancer Research Section, University Medical Center Utrecht, Universiteitsweg 100, 3584 CG Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Liam Bell
- Department of Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Tobias B Dansen
- Center for Molecular Medicine, Molecular Cancer Research Section, University Medical Center Utrecht, Universiteitsweg 100, 3584 CG Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Erin J Cram
- Department of Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115
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14
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Sala AJ, Bott LC, Brielmann RM, Morimoto RI. Embryo integrity regulates maternal proteostasis and stress resilience. Genes Dev 2020; 34:678-687. [PMID: 32217667 PMCID: PMC7197353 DOI: 10.1101/gad.335422.119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2019] [Accepted: 03/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The proteostasis network is regulated by transcellular communication to promote health and fitness in metazoans. In Caenorhabditis elegans, signals from the germline initiate the decline of proteostasis and repression of cell stress responses at reproductive maturity, indicating that commitment to reproduction is detrimental to somatic health. Here we show that proteostasis and stress resilience are also regulated by embryo-to-mother communication in reproductive adults. To identify genes that act directly in the reproductive system to regulate somatic proteostasis, we performed a tissue targeted genetic screen for germline modifiers of polyglutamine aggregation in muscle cells. We found that inhibiting the formation of the extracellular vitelline layer of the fertilized embryo inside the uterus suppresses aggregation, improves stress resilience in an HSF-1-dependent manner, and restores the heat-shock response in the somatic tissues of the parent. This pathway relies on DAF-16/FOXO activation in vulval tissues to maintain stress resilience in the mother, suggesting that the integrity of the embryo is monitored by the vulva to detect damage and initiate an organismal protective response. Our findings reveal a previously undescribed transcellular pathway that links the integrity of the developing progeny to proteostasis regulation in the parent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ambre J Sala
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Rice Institute for Biomedical Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA
| | - Laura C Bott
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Rice Institute for Biomedical Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA
| | - Renee M Brielmann
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Rice Institute for Biomedical Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA
| | - Richard I Morimoto
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Rice Institute for Biomedical Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA
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15
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Bye-A-Jee H, Zaru R, Magrane M, Orchard S. Caenorhabditis elegans phosphatase complexes in UniProtKB and Complex Portal. FEBS J 2020; 287:2664-2684. [PMID: 31944606 DOI: 10.1111/febs.15213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2019] [Revised: 11/25/2019] [Accepted: 01/13/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Phosphatases play an essential role in the regulation of protein phosphorylation. Less abundant than kinases, many phosphatases are components of one or more macromolecular complexes with different substrate specificities and specific functionalities. The expert scientific curation of phosphatase complexes for the UniProt and Complex Portal databases supports the whole scientific community by collating and organising small- and large-scale experimental data from the scientific literature into context-specific central resources, where the data can be freely accessed and used to further academic and translational research. In this review, we discuss how the diverse biological functions of phosphatase complexes are presented in UniProt and the Complex Portal, and how understanding the biological significance of phosphatase complexes in Caenorhabditis elegans offers insight into the mechanisms of substrate diversity in a variety of cellular and molecular processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hema Bye-A-Jee
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), Cambridge, UK
| | - Rossana Zaru
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), Cambridge, UK
| | - Michele Magrane
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), Cambridge, UK
| | - Sandra Orchard
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), Cambridge, UK
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- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), Cambridge, UK.,SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Centre Medical Universitaire, Geneva 4, Switzerland.,Protein Information Resource, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA.,Protein Information Resource, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
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16
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Yoshida S, Yoshida K. Multiple functions of DYRK2 in cancer and tissue development. FEBS Lett 2019; 593:2953-2965. [PMID: 31505048 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.13601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2019] [Revised: 08/27/2019] [Accepted: 09/02/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Dual-specificity tyrosine-regulated kinases (DYRKs) are evolutionarily conserved from yeast to mammals. Accumulating studies have revealed that DYRKs have important roles in regulation of the cell cycle and survival. DYRK2, a member of the class II DYRK family protein, is a key regulator of p53, and phosphorylates it at Ser46 to induce apoptosis in response to DNA damage. Moreover, recent studies have uncovered that DYRK2 regulates G1/S transition, epithelial-mesenchymal-transition, and stemness in human cancer cells. DYRK2 also appears to have roles in tissue development in lower eukaryotes. Thus, the elucidation of mechanisms for DYRK2 during mammalian tissue development will promote the understanding of cell differentiation, tissue homeostasis, and congenital diseases as well as cancer. In this review, we discuss the roles of DYRK2 in tumor cells. Moreover, we focus on DYRK2-dependent developmental mechanisms in several species including fly (Drosophila), worm (Caenorhabditis elegans), zebrafish (Danio rerio), and mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saishu Yoshida
- Department of Biochemistry, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kiyotsugu Yoshida
- Department of Biochemistry, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
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17
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Melesse M, Bembenek JN. Cracking the eggshell: A novel link to intracellular signaling. Dev Biol 2019; 453:107-109. [PMID: 31181194 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2019.05.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2019] [Accepted: 05/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Michael Melesse
- Department of Biochemistry and Cellular and Molecular Biology, UT Knoxville, 414 Mossman Building, 1311 Cumberland Ave, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA
| | - Joshua N Bembenek
- Department of Biochemistry and Cellular and Molecular Biology, UT Knoxville, 414 Mossman Building, 1311 Cumberland Ave, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA.
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18
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Kanaki N, Matsuda A, Dejima K, Murata D, Nomura KH, Ohkura T, Gengyo-Ando K, Yoshina S, Mitani S, Nomura K. UDP-N-acetylglucosamine-dolichyl-phosphate N-acetylglucosaminephosphotransferase is indispensable for oogenesis, oocyte-to-embryo transition, and larval development of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Glycobiology 2019; 29:163-178. [PMID: 30445613 DOI: 10.1093/glycob/cwy104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2018] [Accepted: 11/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
N-linked glycosylation of proteins is the most common post-translational modification of proteins. The enzyme UDP-N-acetylglucosamine-dolichyl-phosphate N-acetylglucosaminephosphotransferase (DPAGT1) catalyses the first step of N-glycosylation, and DPAGT1 knockout is embryonic lethal in mice. In this study, we identified the sole orthologue (algn-7) of the human DPAGT1 in the nematode C. elegans. The gene activity was disrupted by RNAi and deletion mutagenesis, which resulted in larval lethality, defects in oogenesis and oocyte-to-embryo transition. Endomitotic oocytes, abnormal fusion of pronuclei, abnormal AB cell rotation, disruption of permeation barriers of eggs, and abnormal expression of chitin and chitin synthase in oocytes and eggs were the typical phenotypes observed. The results indicate that N-glycosylation is indispensable for these processes. We further screened an N-glycosylated protein database of C. elegans, and identified 456 germline-expressed genes coding N-glycosylated proteins. By examining RNAi phenotypes, we identified five germline-expressed genes showing similar phenotypes to the algn-7 (RNAi) animals. They were ribo-1, stt-3, ptc-1, ptc-2, and vha-19. We identified known congenital disorders of glycosylation (CDG) genes (ribo-1 and stt-3) and a recently found CDG gene (vha-19). The results show that phenotype analyses using the nematode could be a powerful tool to detect new CDG candidate genes and their associated gene networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nanako Kanaki
- Department of Systems Life Sciences, Kyushu University Graduate School, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Ayako Matsuda
- Department of Systems Life Sciences, Kyushu University Graduate School, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Katsufumi Dejima
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.,Department of Physiology, Tokyo Women's Medical University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Daisuke Murata
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Kazuko H Nomura
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Takashi Ohkura
- Department of Reproductive Biology, National Research Institute for Child Health and Development, 2-10-1 Okura, Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Keiko Gengyo-Ando
- Department of Physiology, Tokyo Women's Medical University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Sawako Yoshina
- Department of Physiology, Tokyo Women's Medical University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shohei Mitani
- Department of Physiology, Tokyo Women's Medical University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazuya Nomura
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
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19
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Developmental Control of the Cell Cycle: Insights from Caenorhabditis elegans. Genetics 2019; 211:797-829. [PMID: 30846544 PMCID: PMC6404260 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.118.301643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2018] [Accepted: 10/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
During animal development, a single fertilized egg forms a complete organism with tens to trillions of cells that encompass a large variety of cell types. Cell cycle regulation is therefore at the center of development and needs to be carried out in close coordination with cell differentiation, migration, and death, as well as tissue formation, morphogenesis, and homeostasis. The timing and frequency of cell divisions are controlled by complex combinations of external and cell-intrinsic signals that vary throughout development. Insight into how such controls determine in vivo cell division patterns has come from studies in various genetic model systems. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has only about 1000 somatic cells and approximately twice as many germ cells in the adult hermaphrodite. Despite the relatively small number of cells, C. elegans has diverse tissues, including intestine, nerves, striated and smooth muscle, and skin. C. elegans is unique as a model organism for studies of the cell cycle because the somatic cell lineage is invariant. Somatic cells divide at set times during development to produce daughter cells that adopt reproducible developmental fates. Studies in C. elegans have allowed the identification of conserved cell cycle regulators and provided insights into how cell cycle regulation varies between tissues. In this review, we focus on the regulation of the cell cycle in the context of C. elegans development, with reference to other systems, with the goal of better understanding how cell cycle regulation is linked to animal development in general.
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20
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Regulation of Actin Dynamics in the C. elegans Somatic Gonad. J Dev Biol 2019; 7:jdb7010006. [PMID: 30897735 PMCID: PMC6473838 DOI: 10.3390/jdb7010006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2019] [Revised: 03/13/2019] [Accepted: 03/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The reproductive system of the hermaphroditic nematode C. elegans consists of a series of contractile cell types—including the gonadal sheath cells, the spermathecal cells and the spermatheca–uterine valve—that contract in a coordinated manner to regulate oocyte entry and exit of the fertilized embryo into the uterus. Contraction is driven by acto-myosin contraction and relies on the development and maintenance of specialized acto-myosin networks in each cell type. Study of this system has revealed insights into the regulation of acto-myosin network assembly and contractility in vivo.
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21
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Choi S, Ambros V. The C. elegans heterochronic gene lin-28 coordinates the timing of hypodermal and somatic gonadal programs for hermaphrodite reproductive system morphogenesis. Development 2019; 146:dev164293. [PMID: 30745431 PMCID: PMC6432661 DOI: 10.1242/dev.164293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2018] [Accepted: 02/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
C. elegans heterochronic genes determine the timing of expression of specific cell fates in particular stages of developing larvae. However, their broader roles in coordinating developmental events across diverse tissues have been less well investigated. Here, we show that loss of lin-28, a central heterochronic regulator of hypodermal development, causes reduced fertility associated with abnormal somatic gonadal morphology. In particular, the abnormal spermatheca-uterine valve morphology of lin-28(lf) hermaphrodites traps embryos in the spermatheca, which disrupts ovulation and causes embryonic lethality. The same genes that act downstream of lin-28 in the regulation of hypodermal developmental timing also act downstream of lin-28 in somatic gonadal morphogenesis and fertility. Importantly, we find that hypodermal expression, but not somatic gonadal expression, of lin-28 is sufficient for restoring normal somatic gonadal morphology in lin-28(lf) mutants. We propose that the abnormal somatic gonadal morphogenesis of lin-28(lf) hermaphrodites results from temporal discoordination between the accelerated hypodermal development and normally timed somatic gonadal development. Thus, our findings exemplify how a cell-intrinsic developmental timing program can also control proper development of other interacting tissues, presumably by cell non-autonomous signal(s). This article has an associated 'The people behind the papers' interview.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sungwook Choi
- Program in Molecular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Victor Ambros
- Program in Molecular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
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22
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González DP, Lamb HV, Partida D, Wilson ZT, Harrison MC, Prieto JA, Moresco JJ, Diedrich JK, Yates JR, Olson SK. CBD-1 organizes two independent complexes required for eggshell vitelline layer formation and egg activation in C. elegans. Dev Biol 2018; 442:288-300. [PMID: 30120927 PMCID: PMC6143425 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2018.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2018] [Revised: 08/04/2018] [Accepted: 08/09/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Metazoan eggs have a specialized coat of extracellular matrix that aids in sperm-egg recognition. The coat is rapidly remodeled after fertilization to prevent polyspermy and establish a more permanent barrier to protect the developing embryo. In nematodes, this coat is called the vitelline layer, which is remodeled into the outermost layer of a rigid and impermeable eggshell. We have identified three key components of the vitelline layer structural scaffold - PERM-2, PERM-4 and CBD-1, the first such proteins to be described in the nematode C. elegans. CBD-1 tethered PERM-2 and PERM-4 to the nascent vitelline layer via two N-terminal chitin-binding domains. After fertilization, all three proteins redistributed from the zygote surface to the outer eggshell. Depletion of PERM-2 and PERM-4 from the scaffold led to a porous vitelline layer that permitted soluble factors to leak through the eggshell and resulted in embryonic death. In addition to its role in vitelline layer assembly, CBD-1 is also known to anchor a protein complex required for fertilization and egg activation (EGG-1-5/CHS-1/MBK-2). We found the PERM complex and EGG complex to be functionally independent, and structurally organized through distinct domains of CBD-1. CBD-1 is thus a multifaceted regulator that promotes distinct aspects of vitelline layer assembly and egg activation. In sum, our findings characterize the first vitelline layer components in nematodes, and provide a foundation through which to explore both conserved and species-specific strategies used by animals to build protective barriers following fertilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Delfina P González
- Department of Biology and Program in Molecular Biology, Pomona College, Claremont, CA 91711, USA
| | - Helen V Lamb
- Department of Biology and Program in Molecular Biology, Pomona College, Claremont, CA 91711, USA
| | - Diana Partida
- Department of Biology and Program in Molecular Biology, Pomona College, Claremont, CA 91711, USA
| | - Zachary T Wilson
- Department of Biology and Program in Molecular Biology, Pomona College, Claremont, CA 91711, USA
| | - Marie-Claire Harrison
- Department of Biology and Program in Molecular Biology, Pomona College, Claremont, CA 91711, USA
| | - Julián A Prieto
- Department of Biology and Program in Molecular Biology, Pomona College, Claremont, CA 91711, USA
| | - James J Moresco
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Jolene K Diedrich
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - John R Yates
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Sara K Olson
- Department of Biology and Program in Molecular Biology, Pomona College, Claremont, CA 91711, USA.
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23
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Abstract
In all animals, oocytes are surrounded by an extracellular matrix upon fertilization. This matrix serves similar purposes in each animal. It functions to mediate sperm binding, to prevent polyspermy, to control the chemical environment of the embryo, and to provide physical protection to the embryo as it developes. The synthesis of the C. elegans matrix, or eggshell, begins when the oocyte enters the spermatheca and is fertilized by a single sperm. The process of eggshell synthesis is thought to take place during the completion of the maternal meiotic divisions such that the multi-layered eggshell is completed by anaphase II. The synthesis of the eggshell occurs in a hierarchical pattern in which the outermost layers are synthesized first in order to capture and retain the innermost layers as they form. Recent studies have revealed that the lipid-rich permeability barrier is distinct from the outer trilaminar eggshell. These new findings alter our previous understanding of the eggshell. This chapter aims to define each of the eggshell layers and the molecules that are known to play significant roles in their formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn K Stein
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Genetics, National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
| | - Andy Golden
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Genetics, National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
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24
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Liu C, Ma Y, Shang Y, Huo R, Li W. Post-translational regulation of the maternal-to-zygotic transition. Cell Mol Life Sci 2018; 75:1707-1722. [PMID: 29427077 PMCID: PMC11105290 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-018-2750-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2017] [Revised: 12/24/2017] [Accepted: 01/08/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The maternal-to-zygotic transition (MZT) is essential for the developmental control handed from maternal products to newly synthesized zygotic genome in the earliest stages of embryogenesis, including maternal component (mRNAs and proteins) degradation and zygotic genome activation (ZGA). Various protein post-translational modifications have been identified during the MZT, such as phosphorylation, methylation and ubiquitination. Precise post-translational regulation mechanisms are essential for the timely transition of early embryonic development. In this review, we summarize recent progress regarding the molecular mechanisms underlying post-translational regulation of maternal component degradation and ZGA during the MZT and discuss some important issues in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, People's Republic of China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, People's Republic of China
| | - Yanjie Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, People's Republic of China
- Department of Animal Science and Technology, Northeast Agricultural University, Haerbin, 150030, People's Republic of China
| | - Yongliang Shang
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, People's Republic of China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, People's Republic of China
| | - Ran Huo
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Department of Histology and Embryology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, People's Republic of China.
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Department of Histology and Embryology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, People's Republic of China.
| | - Wei Li
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, People's Republic of China.
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, People's Republic of China.
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25
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Regulation of the MEI-1/MEI-2 Microtubule-Severing Katanin Complex in Early Caenorhabditis elegans Development. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2016; 6:3257-3268. [PMID: 27527792 PMCID: PMC5068946 DOI: 10.1534/g3.116.031666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
After fertilization, rapid changes of the Caenorhabditis elegans cytoskeleton occur in the transition from meiosis to mitosis, requiring precise regulation. The MEI-1/MEI-2 katanin microtubule-severing complex is essential for meiotic spindle formation but must be quickly inactivated to allow for proper formation of the mitotic spindle. MEI-1/MEI-2 inactivation is dependent on multiple redundant pathways. The primary pathway employs the MEL-26 substrate adaptor for the CUL-3/cullin-based E3 ubiquitin ligase, which targets MEI-1 for proteosomal degradation. Here, we used quantitative antibody staining to measure MEI-1 levels to determine how other genes implicated in MEI-1 regulation act relative to CUL-3/MEL-26. The anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome, APC/C, the DYRK (Dual-specificity tyrosine-regulated kinase), MBK-2, and the CUL-2-based E3 ubiquitin ligase act together to degrade MEI-1, in parallel to MEL-26/CUL-3. CUL-2 is known to keep MEL-26 low during meiosis, so CUL-2 apparently changes its target from MEL-26 in meiosis to MEI-1 in mitosis. RFL-1, an activator of cullin E3 ubiquitin ligases, activates CUL-2 but not CUL-3 for MEI-1 elimination. HECD-1 (HECT/Homologous to the E6AP carboxyl terminus domain) E3 ligase acts as a MEI-1 activator in meiosis but functions as an inhibitor during mitosis, without affecting levels of MEI-1 or MEI-2. Our results highlight the multiple layers of MEI-1 regulation that are required during the switch from the meiotic to mitotic modes of cell division.
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26
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Maternal MEMI Promotes Female Meiosis II in Response to Fertilization in Caenorhabditis elegans. Genetics 2016; 204:1461-1477. [PMID: 27729423 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.116.192997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2016] [Accepted: 09/30/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In most animals, female meiosis completes only after fertilization. Sperm entry has been implicated in providing a signal for the initiation of the final meiotic processes; however, a maternal component required for this process has not been previously identified. We report the characterization of a novel family of three highly similar paralogs (memi-1, memi-2, memi-3) that encode oocyte-specific proteins. A hyper-morphic mutation memi-1(sb41) results in failure to exit female meiosis II properly; however, loss of all three paralogs results in a "skipped meiosis II" phenotype. Mutations that prevent fertilization, such as fer-1(hc1), also cause a skipped meiosis II phenotype, suggesting that the MEMI proteins represent a maternal component of a postfertilization signal that specifies the meiosis II program. MEMI proteins are degraded before mitosis and sensitive to ZYG-11, a substrate-specific adapter for cullin-based ubiquitin ligase activity, and the memi-1(sb41) mutation results in inappropriate persistence of the MEMI-1 protein into mitosis. Using an RNAi screen for suppressors of memi-1(sb41), we identified a sperm-specific PP1 phosphatase, GSP-3/4, as a putative sperm component of the MEMI pathway. We also found that MEMI and GSP-3/4 proteins can physically interact via co-immunoprecipitation. These results suggest that sperm-specific PP1 and maternal MEMI proteins act in the same pathway after fertilization to facilitate proper meiosis II and the transition into embryonic mitosis.
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27
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Abstract
Egg activation is a universal process that includes a series of events to allow the fertilized egg to complete meiosis and initiate embryonic development. One aspect of egg activation, conserved across all organisms examined, is a change in the intracellular concentration of calcium (Ca(2+)) often termed a 'Ca(2+) wave'. While the speed and number of oscillations of the Ca(2+) wave varies between species, the change in intracellular Ca(2+) is key in bringing about essential events for embryonic development. These changes include resumption of the cell cycle, mRNA regulation, cortical granule exocytosis, and rearrangement of the cytoskeleton. In the mature Drosophila egg, activation occurs in the female oviduct prior to fertilization, initiating a series of Ca(2+)-dependent events. Here we present a protocol for imaging the Ca(2+) wave in Drosophila. This approach provides a manipulable model system to interrogate the mechanism of the Ca(2+) wave and the downstream changes associated with it.
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Chen JX, Cipriani PG, Mecenas D, Polanowska J, Piano F, Gunsalus KC, Selbach M. In Vivo Interaction Proteomics in Caenorhabditis elegans Embryos Provides New Insights into P Granule Dynamics. Mol Cell Proteomics 2016; 15:1642-57. [PMID: 26912668 PMCID: PMC4858945 DOI: 10.1074/mcp.m115.053975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2015] [Revised: 02/24/2016] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Studying protein interactions in whole organisms is fundamental to understanding development. Here, we combine in vivo expressed GFP-tagged proteins with quantitative proteomics to identify protein-protein interactions of selected key proteins involved in early C. elegans embryogenesis. Co-affinity purification of interaction partners for eight bait proteins resulted in a pilot in vivo interaction map of proteins with a focus on early development. Our network reflects known biology and is highly enriched in functionally relevant interactions. To demonstrate the utility of the map, we looked for new regulators of P granule dynamics and found that GEI-12, a novel binding partner of the DYRK family kinase MBK-2, is a key regulator of P granule formation and germline maintenance. Our data corroborate a recently proposed model in which the phosphorylation state of GEI-12 controls P granule dynamics. In addition, we find that GEI-12 also induces granule formation in mammalian cells, suggesting a common regulatory mechanism in worms and humans. Our results show that in vivo interaction proteomics provides unique insights into animal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia-Xuan Chen
- From the ‡Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, D-13092 Berlin, Germany; §Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003
| | - Patricia G Cipriani
- §Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003; ¶New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Desirea Mecenas
- §Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003
| | - Jolanta Polanowska
- §Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003; ‖INSERM, U1104, 13288 Marseille, France
| | - Fabio Piano
- §Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003; ¶New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Kristin C Gunsalus
- §Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003; ¶New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates;
| | - Matthias Selbach
- From the ‡Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, D-13092 Berlin, Germany; **Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany.
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Abstract
Recent research has filled many gaps about Caenorhabditis natural history, simultaneously exposing how much remains to be discovered. This awareness now provides means of connecting ecological and evolutionary theory with diverse biological patterns within and among species in terms of adaptation, sexual selection, breeding systems, speciation, and other phenomena. Moreover, the heralded laboratory tractability of C. elegans, and Caenorhabditis species generally, provides a powerful case study for experimental hypothesis testing about evolutionary and ecological processes to levels of detail unparalleled by most study systems. Here, I synthesize pertinent theory with what we know and suspect about Caenorhabditis natural history for salient features of biodiversity, phenotypes, population dynamics, and interactions within and between species. I identify topics of pressing concern to advance Caenorhabditis biology and to study general evolutionary processes, including the key opportunities to tackle problems in dispersal dynamics, competition, and the dimensionality of niche space.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asher D Cutter
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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31
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Communication between oocytes and somatic cells regulates volatile pheromone production in Caenorhabditis elegans. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2014; 111:17905-10. [PMID: 25453110 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1420439111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Males of the androdioecious species Caenorhabditis elegans are more likely to attempt to mate with and successfully inseminate C. elegans hermaphrodites that do not concurrently harbor sperm. Although a small number of genes have been implicated in this effect, the mechanism by which it arises remains unknown. In the context of the battle of the sexes, it is also unknown whether this effect is to the benefit of the male, the hermaphrodite, or both. We report that successful contact between mature sperm and oocyte in the C. elegans gonad at the start of fertilization causes the oocyte to release a signal that is transmitted to somatic cells in its mother, with the ultimate effect of reducing her attractiveness to males. Changes in hermaphrodite attractiveness are tied to the production of a volatile pheromone, the first such pheromone described in C. elegans.
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An RNAi-based suppressor screen identifies interactors of the Myt1 ortholog of Caenorhabditis elegans. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2014; 4:2329-43. [PMID: 25298536 PMCID: PMC4267929 DOI: 10.1534/g3.114.013649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Oocyte maturation in all species is controlled by a protein complex termed the maturation promoting factor (MPF). MPF comprises a cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) and its partner cyclin, and it is regulated by dueling regulatory phosphorylation events on the CDK. In Caenorhabditis elegans, the Wee1/Myt1 ortholog WEE-1.3 provides the inhibitory phosphorylations on CDK-1 that keep MPF inactive and halt meiosis. Prior work has shown that depletion of WEE-1.3 in C. elegans results in precocious oocyte maturation in vivo and a highly penetrant infertility phenotype. This study sought to further define the precocious maturation phenotype and to identify novel interactors with WEE-1.3. We found that WEE-1.3 is expressed throughout the germline and in developing embryos in a perinuclear pattern, and demonstrated that oocytes in WEE-1.3–depleted germlines have begun to transcribe embryonic genes and exhibit inappropriate expression of proteins normally restricted to fertilized eggs. In addition, we performed an RNAi suppressor screen of the infertile phenotype to identify novel factors that, when co-depleted with WEE-1.3, restore fertility to these animals. We screened ∼1900 essential genes by RNAi feeding and identified 44 (∼2% of the tested genes) that are suppressors of the WEE-1.3 depletion phenotype. The suppressors include many previously unidentified players in the meiotic cell cycle and represent a pool of potential WEE-1.3 interacting proteins that function during C. elegans oocyte maturation and zygotic development.
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Sato M, Konuma R, Sato K, Tomura K, Sato K. Fertilization-induced K63-linked ubiquitylation mediates clearance of maternal membrane proteins. Development 2014; 141:1324-31. [DOI: 10.1242/dev.103044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
In Caenorhabditis elegans, fertilization triggers endocytosis and rapid turnover of maternal surface membrane proteins in lysosomes, although the precise mechanism of this inducible endocytosis is unknown. We found that high levels of K63-linked ubiquitin chains transiently accumulated on endosomes upon fertilization. Endocytosis and the endosomal accumulation of ubiquitin were both regulated downstream of the anaphase-promoting complex, which drives the oocyte’s meiotic cell cycle after fertilization. The clearance of maternal membrane proteins and the accumulation of K63-linked ubiquitin on endosomes depended on UBC-13 and UEV-1, which function as an E2 complex that specifically mediates chain elongation of K63-linked polyubiquitin. CAV-1-GFP, an endocytic cargo protein, was modified with K63-linked polyubiquitin in a UBC-13/UEV-1-dependent manner. In ubc-13 or uev-1 mutants, CAV-1-GFP and other membrane proteins were internalized from the plasma membrane normally after fertilization. However, they were not efficiently targeted to the multivesicular body (MVB) pathway but recycled to the cell surface. Our results suggest that UBC-13-dependent K63-linked ubiquitylation is required for proper MVB sorting rather than for internalization. These results also demonstrate a developmentally controlled function of K63-linked ubiquitylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miyuki Sato
- Laboratory of Molecular Traffic, Institute for Molecular and Cellular Regulation, Gunma University, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8512, Japan
- Laboratory of Molecular Membrane Biology, Institute for Molecular and Cellular Regulation, Gunma University, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8512, Japan
| | - Ryosuke Konuma
- Laboratory of Molecular Traffic, Institute for Molecular and Cellular Regulation, Gunma University, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8512, Japan
| | - Katsuya Sato
- Laboratory of Molecular Traffic, Institute for Molecular and Cellular Regulation, Gunma University, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8512, Japan
| | - Kotone Tomura
- Laboratory of Molecular Traffic, Institute for Molecular and Cellular Regulation, Gunma University, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8512, Japan
| | - Ken Sato
- Laboratory of Molecular Traffic, Institute for Molecular and Cellular Regulation, Gunma University, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8512, Japan
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34
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Kinsey WH. SRC-family tyrosine kinases in oogenesis, oocyte maturation and fertilization: an evolutionary perspective. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2014; 759:33-56. [PMID: 25030759 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-0817-2_3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The oocyte is a highly specialized cell poised to respond to fertilization with a unique set of actions needed to recognize and incorporate a single sperm, complete meiosis, reprogram maternal and paternal genomes and assemble them into a unique zygotic genome, and finally initiate the mitotic cell cycle. Oocytes accomplish this diverse series of events through an array of signal transduction pathway components that include a characteristic collection of protein tyrosine kinases. The src-family protein kinases (SFKs) figure importantly in this signaling array and oocytes characteristically express certain SFKs at high levels to provide for the unique actions that the oocyte must perform. The SFKs typically exhibit a distinct pattern of subcellular localization in oocytes and perform critical functions in different subcellular compartments at different steps during oocyte maturation and fertilization. While many aspects of SFK signaling are conserved among oocytes from different species, significant differences exist in the extent to which src-family-mediated pathways are used by oocytes from species that fertilize externally vs those which are fertilized internally. The observation that several oocyte functions which require SFK signaling appear to represent common points of failure during assisted reproductive techniques in humans, highlights the importance of these signaling pathways for human reproductive health.
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Affiliation(s)
- William H Kinsey
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Blvd., Kansas City, KS, 66160, USA,
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35
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Kharitidi D, Manteghi S, Pause A. Pseudophosphatases: methods of analysis and physiological functions. Methods 2013; 65:207-18. [PMID: 24064037 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2013.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2013] [Revised: 08/20/2013] [Accepted: 09/11/2013] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) are key enzymes in the regulation of cellular homeostasis and signaling pathways. Strikingly, not all PTPs bear enzymatic activity. A considerable fraction of PTPs are enzymatically inactive and are known as pseudophosphatases. Despite the lack of activity they execute pivotal roles in development, cell biology and human disease. The present review is focused on the methods used to identify pseudophosphatases, their targets, and physiological roles. We present a strategy for detailed enzymatic analysis of inactive PTPs, regulation of inactive PTP domains and identification of binding partners. Furthermore, we provide a detailed overview of human pseudophosphatases and discuss their regulation of cellular processes and functions in human pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dmitri Kharitidi
- Department of Biochemistry and Goodman Cancer Research Centre, McGill University, 3655, Promenade Sir William Osler, Montreal, QC H3G 1Y6, Canada.
| | - Sanaz Manteghi
- Department of Biochemistry and Goodman Cancer Research Centre, McGill University, 3655, Promenade Sir William Osler, Montreal, QC H3G 1Y6, Canada.
| | - Arnim Pause
- Department of Biochemistry and Goodman Cancer Research Centre, McGill University, 3655, Promenade Sir William Osler, Montreal, QC H3G 1Y6, Canada.
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36
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Sato M, Sato K. Dynamic regulation of autophagy and endocytosis for cell remodeling during early development. Traffic 2013; 14:479-86. [PMID: 23356349 DOI: 10.1111/tra.12050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2012] [Revised: 01/22/2013] [Accepted: 01/28/2013] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Fertilization triggers cell remodeling from each gamete to a totipotent zygote. Using Caenorhabditis elegans as a model system, it has been revealed that lysosomal degradation pathways play important roles in cellular remodeling during this developmental transition. Endocytosis and autophagy, two pathways leading to the lysosomes, are highly upregulated during this period. A subset of maternal membrane proteins is selectively endocytosed and degraded in the lysosomes before the first mitotic cell division. Autophagy is also induced shortly after fertilization and executes the degradation of paternally inherited embryonic organelles, e.g. mitochondria and membranous organelles. This mechanism underlies the maternal inheritance of the mitochondrial genome. Autophagy is also required for the removal of extra P-granule (germ granules in C. elegans) components in somatic cells of early embryos and thereby for the specific distribution of P-granules to germ cells. This review focuses on recent advances in the study of the physiological roles and mechanisms of lysosomal pathways during early development in C. elegans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miyuki Sato
- Laboratory of Molecular Traffic, Institute for Molecular and Cellular Regulation, Gunma University, Maebashi, Gunma, 371-8512, Japan
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37
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Abstract
Egg activation is the final transition that an oocyte goes through to become a developmentally competent egg. This transition is usually triggered by a calcium-based signal that is often, but not always, initiated by fertilization. Activation encompasses a number of changes within the egg. These include changes to the egg's membranes and outer coverings to prevent polyspermy and to support the developing embryo, as well as resumption and completion of the meiotic cell cycle, mRNA polyadenylation, translation of new proteins, and the degradation of specific maternal mRNAs and proteins. The transition from an arrested, highly differentiated cell, the oocyte, to a developmentally active, totipotent cell, the activated egg or embryo, represents a complete change in cellular state. This is accomplished by altering ion concentrations and by widespread changes in both the proteome and the suite of mRNAs present in the cell. Here, we review the role of calcium and zinc in the events of egg activation, and the importance of macromolecular changes during this transition. The latter include the degradation and translation of proteins, protein posttranslational regulation through phosphorylation, and the degradation, of maternal mRNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amber R Krauchunas
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
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38
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Robertson S, Lin R. The oocyte-to-embryo transition. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2013; 757:351-72. [PMID: 22872483 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4614-4015-4_12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
The oocyte-to-embryo transition refers to the process whereby a fully grown, relatively quiescent oocyte undergoes maturation, fertilization, and is converted into a developmentally active, mitotically dividing embryo, arguably one of the most dramatic transitions in biology. This transition occurs very rapidly in Caenorhabditis elegans, with fertilization of a new oocyte occurring every 23 min and the first mitotic division occurring 45 min later. Molecular events regulating this transition must be very precisely timed. This chapter reviews our current understanding of the coordinated temporal regulation of different events during this transition. We divide the oocyte-to-embryo transition into a number of component processes, which are coordinated primarily through the MBK-2 kinase, whose activation is intimately tied to completion of meiosis, and the OMA-1/OMA-2 proteins, whose expression and functions span multiple processes during this transition. The oocyte-to-embryo transition occurs in the absence of de novo transcription, and all the factors required for the process, whether mRNA or protein, are already present within the oocyte. Therefore, all regulation of this transition is posttranscriptional. The combination of asymmetric partitioning of maternal factors, protein modification-mediated functional switching, protein degradation, and highly regulated translational repression ensure a smooth oocyte-to-embryo transition. We will highlight protein degradation and translational repression, two posttranscriptional processes which play particularly critical roles in this transition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott Robertson
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390-9148, USA.
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39
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Control of oocyte growth and meiotic maturation in Caenorhabditis elegans. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2013; 757:277-320. [PMID: 22872481 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4614-4015-4_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
In sexually reproducing animals, oocytes arrest at diplotene or diakinesis and resume meiosis (meiotic maturation) in response to hormones. Chromosome segregation errors in female meiosis I are the leading cause of human birth defects, and age-related changes in the hormonal environment of the ovary are a suggested cause. Caenorhabditis elegans is emerging as a genetic paradigm for studying hormonal control of meiotic maturation. The meiotic maturation processes in C. elegans and mammals share a number of biological and molecular similarities. Major sperm protein (MSP) and luteinizing hormone (LH), though unrelated in sequence, both trigger meiotic resumption using somatic Gα(s)-adenylate cyclase pathways and soma-germline gap-junctional communication. At a molecular level, the oocyte responses apparently involve the control of conserved protein kinase pathways and post-transcriptional gene regulation in the oocyte. At a cellular level, the responses include cortical cytoskeletal rearrangement, nuclear envelope breakdown, assembly of the acentriolar meiotic spindle, chromosome segregation, and likely changes important for fertilization and the oocyte-to-embryo transition. This chapter focuses on signaling mechanisms required for oocyte growth and meiotic maturation in C. elegans and discusses how these mechanisms coordinate the completion of meiosis and the oocyte-to-embryo transition.
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40
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Olson SK, Greenan G, Desai A, Müller-Reichert T, Oegema K. Hierarchical assembly of the eggshell and permeability barrier in C. elegans. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012; 198:731-48. [PMID: 22908315 PMCID: PMC3514041 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.201206008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Assembly of the trilaminar eggshell and development of the permeability barrier
after fertilization in C. elegans are distinct in their timing
and mechanism. In metazoans, fertilization triggers the assembly of an extracellular coat that
constitutes the interface between the embryo and its environment. In nematodes,
this coat is the eggshell, which provides mechanical rigidity, prevents
polyspermy, and is impermeable to small molecules. Using immunoelectron
microscopy, we found that the Caenorhabditis elegans eggshell
was composed of an outer vitelline layer, a middle chitin layer, and an inner
layer containing chondroitin proteoglycans. The switch between the chitin and
proteoglycan layers was achieved by internalization of chitin synthase
coincident with exocytosis of proteoglycan-containing cortical granules. Inner
layer assembly did not make the zygote impermeable as previously proposed.
Instead, correlative light and electron microscopy demonstrated that the
permeability barrier was a distinct envelope that formed in a separate step that
required fatty acid synthesis, the sugar-modifying enzyme PERM-1, and the acyl
chain transfer enzyme DGTR-1. These findings delineate the hierarchy of eggshell
assembly and define key molecular mechanisms at each step.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara K Olson
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
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41
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Johnston WL, Dennis JW. The eggshell in the C. elegans oocyte-to-embryo transition. Genesis 2011; 50:333-49. [PMID: 22083685 DOI: 10.1002/dvg.20823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2011] [Revised: 10/28/2011] [Accepted: 10/31/2011] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
In egg-laying animals, embryonic development takes place within the highly specialized environment provided by the eggshell and its underlying extracellular matrix. Far from being simply a passive physical support, the eggshell is a key player in many early developmental events. Herein, we review current understanding of eggshell structure, biosynthesis, and function in zygotic development of the nematode, C. elegans. Beginning at sperm contact or entry, eggshell layers are produced sequentially. The earlier outer layers are required for secretion or organization of inner layers, and layers differ in composition and function. Developmental events that depend on the eggshell include polyspermy barrier generation, high fidelity meiotic chromosome segregation, osmotic barrier synthesis, polar body extrusion, anterior-posterior polarization, and organization of membrane and cortical proteins. The C. elegans eggshell is proving to be an excellent, tractable system to study the molecular cues of the extracellular matrix that instruct cell polarity and early development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wendy L Johnston
- Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5G 1X5.
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42
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Abstract
A crucial step of fertilization is the sperm-egg interaction that allows the two gametes to fuse and create the zygote. In the mouse, CD9 on the egg and IZUMO1 on the sperm stand out as critical players, as Cd9(-/-) and Izumo1(-/-) mice are healthy but infertile or severely subfertile due to defective sperm-egg interaction. Moreover, work on several nonmammalian organisms has identified some of the most intriguing candidates implicated in sperm-egg interaction. Understanding of gamete membrane interactions is advancing through characterization of in vivo and in vitro fertilization phenotypes, including insights from less robust phenotypes that highlight potential supporting (albeit not absolutely essential) players. An emerging theme is that there are varied roles for gamete molecules that participate in sperm-egg interactions. Such roles include not only functioning as fusogens, or as adhesion molecules for the opposite gamete, but also functioning through interactions in cis with other proteins to regulate membrane order and functionality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janice P Evans
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA.
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43
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Singaravelu G, Singson A. New insights into the mechanism of fertilization in nematodes. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2011; 289:211-38. [PMID: 21749902 PMCID: PMC3273857 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-386039-2.00006-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Fertilization results from the fusion of male and female gametes in all sexually reproducing organisms. Much of nematode fertility work was focused on Caenorhabditis elegans and Ascaris suum. The C. elegans hermaphrodite produces a limited number of sperm initially and then commits to the exclusive production of oocytes. The postmeiotic differentiation called spermiogenesis converts sessile spermatids into motile spermatozoa. The motility of spermatozoa depends on dynamic assembly and disassembly of a major sperm protein-based cytoskeleton uniquely found in nematodes. Both self-derived and male-derived spermatozoa are stored in spermatheca, the site of fertilization in hermaphrodites. The oocyte is arrested in meiotic prophase I until a sperm-derived signal relieves the inhibition allowing the meiotic maturation to occur. Oocyte undergoes meiotic maturation, enters into spermatheca, gets fertilized, completes meiosis, and exits into uterus as a zygote. This review focuses on our current understanding of the events around fertilization in nematodes.
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44
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Abstract
Although the general events surrounding fertilization in many species are well described, the molecular underpinnings of fertilization are still poorly understood. Caenorhabditis elegans has emerged as a powerful model system for addressing the molecular and cell biological mechanism of fertilization. A primary advantage is the ability to isolate and propagate mutants that effect gametes and no other cells. This chapter provides conceptual guidelines for the identification, maintenance, and experimental approaches for the study fertility mutants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian D. Geldziler
- Waksman Institute, Rutgers University, Dept. of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics
| | - Matthew R. Marcello
- Waksman Institute, Rutgers University, Dept. of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics
| | | | - Andrew Singson
- Waksman Institute, Rutgers University, Dept. of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics
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45
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Parry JM, Singson A. EGG molecules couple the oocyte-to-embryo transition with cell cycle progression. Results Probl Cell Differ 2011; 53:135-51. [PMID: 21630144 PMCID: PMC3275084 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-19065-0_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
Abstract
The oocyte-to-embryo transition is a precisely coordinated process in which an oocyte becomes fertilized and transitions to an embryonic program of events. The molecules involved in this process have not been well studied. Recently, a group of interacting molecules in C. elegans have been described as coordinating the oocyte-to-embryo transition with the advancement of the cell cycle. Genes egg-3, egg-4, and egg-5 represent a small class of regulatory molecules known as protein-tyrosine phosphase-like proteins, which can bind phosphorylated substrates and act as scaffolding molecules or inhibitors. These genes are responsible for coupling the movements and activities of regulatory kinase mbk-2 with advancement of the cell cycle during the oocyte-to-embryo transition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean M. Parry
- Waksman Institute and Department of Genetics, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854 USA
| | - Andrew Singson
- Waksman Institute and Department of Genetics, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854 USA
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46
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Verlhac MH, Terret ME, Pintard L. Control of the oocyte-to-embryo transition by the ubiquitin–proteolytic system in mouse and C. elegans. Curr Opin Cell Biol 2010; 22:758-63. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ceb.2010.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2010] [Revised: 08/19/2010] [Accepted: 09/16/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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47
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Eggshell chitin and chitin-interacting proteins prevent polyspermy in C. elegans. Curr Biol 2010; 20:1932-7. [PMID: 20971008 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2010.09.059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2009] [Revised: 07/23/2010] [Accepted: 09/23/2010] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Development requires fertilization by a single sperm. In Caenorhabditis elegans, fertilization occurs in a sperm-filled spermatheca, implying the barrier to polyspermy is generated in this compartment. Eggshell chitin synthesis is initiated at fertilization, and chitin is deposited before the zygote exits the spermatheca. Whereas polyspermy is very rare in wild-type, here we report an incidence of 14%-51% in zygotes made chitin deficient by loss of chitin synthase-1 (CHS-1), the CHS-1 substrate UDP-N-acetylglucosamine, the CHS-1-interacting protein EGG-3, or the sperm-provided protein SPE-11. The spe-11(hc90) mutant deposits chitin at the male end but fails to complete a continuous layer. The polyspermy barrier is also compromised by loss of the chitin-binding protein CBD-1 or the GLD-1-regulated LDL receptor-like EGG-1, together with its homolog, EGG-2. Loss of CBD-1 or EGG-1/2 disrupts oocyte cortical distribution of CHS-1, as well as MBK-2 and EGG-3. In CBD-1 or EGG-1/2 deficiency, chitin is synthesized but the eggshell is fractured, suggesting aberrantly clustered CHS-1/MBK-2/EGG-3 may fail to support construction of a continuous eggshell. Together, our results show that eggshell chitin is required to prevent polyspermy in C. elegans, in addition to its previously reported requirement in polar body extrusion and polarization of the zygote.
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Abstract
Fertilization is a complex process comprised of numerous steps. During fertilization, two highly specialized and differentiated cells (sperm and egg) fuse and subsequently trigger the development of an embryo from a quiescent, arrested oocyte. Molecular interactions between the sperm and egg are necessary for regulating the developmental potential of an oocyte, and precise coordination and regulation of gene expression and protein function are critical for proper embryonic development. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has emerged as a valuable model system for identifying genes involved in fertilization and the oocyte-to-embryo transition as well as for understanding the molecular mechanisms that govern these processes. In this review, we will address current knowledge of the molecular underpinnings of gamete interactions during fertilization and the oocyte-to-embryo transition in C. elegans. We will also compare our knowledge of these processes in C. elegans to what is known about similar processes in mammalian, specifically mouse, model systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew R Marcello
- Waksman Institute and Department of Genetics Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA.
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Larson SM, Lee HJ, Hung PH, Matthews LM, Robinson DN, Evans JP. Cortical mechanics and meiosis II completion in mammalian oocytes are mediated by myosin-II and Ezrin-Radixin-Moesin (ERM) proteins. Mol Biol Cell 2010; 21:3182-92. [PMID: 20660156 PMCID: PMC2938384 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e10-01-0066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2010] [Revised: 07/01/2010] [Accepted: 07/12/2010] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell division is inherently mechanical, with cell mechanics being a critical determinant governing the cell shape changes that accompany progression through the cell cycle. The mechanical properties of symmetrically dividing mitotic cells have been well characterized, whereas the contribution of cellular mechanics to the strikingly asymmetric divisions of female meiosis is very poorly understood. Progression of the mammalian oocyte through meiosis involves remodeling of the cortex and proper orientation of the meiotic spindle, and thus we hypothesized that cortical tension and stiffness would change through meiotic maturation and fertilization to facilitate and/or direct cellular remodeling. This work shows that tension in mouse oocytes drops about sixfold during meiotic maturation from prophase I to metaphase II and then increases ∼1.6-fold upon fertilization. The metaphase II egg is polarized, with tension differing ∼2.5-fold between the cortex over the meiotic spindle and the opposite cortex, suggesting that meiotic maturation is accompanied by assembly of a cortical domain with stiffer mechanics as part of the process to achieve asymmetric cytokinesis. We further demonstrate that actin, myosin-II, and the ERM (Ezrin/Radixin/Moesin) family of proteins are enriched in complementary cortical domains and mediate cellular mechanics in mammalian eggs. Manipulation of actin, myosin-II, and ERM function alters tension levels and also is associated with dramatic spindle abnormalities with completion of meiosis II after fertilization. Thus, myosin-II and ERM proteins modulate mechanical properties in oocytes, contributing to cell polarity and to completion of meiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie M. Larson
- *Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, and
| | - Hyo J. Lee
- *Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, and
| | - Pei-hsuan Hung
- *Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, and
| | - Lauren M. Matthews
- *Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, and
| | - Douglas N. Robinson
- Department of Cell Biology, and
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205
| | - Janice P. Evans
- *Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, and
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