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Morabbi A, Karimian M. Trace and essential elements as vital components to improve the performance of the male reproductive system: Implications in cell signaling pathways. J Trace Elem Med Biol 2024; 83:127403. [PMID: 38340548 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtemb.2024.127403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
Successful male fertilization requires the main processes such as normal spermatogenesis, sperm capacitation, hyperactivation, and acrosome reaction. The progress of these processes depends on some endogenous and exogenous factors. So, the optimal level of ions and essential and rare elements such as selenium, zinc, copper, iron, manganese, calcium, and so on in various types of cells of the reproductive system could affect conception and male fertility rates. The function of trace elements in the male reproductive system could be exerted through some cellular and molecular processes, such as the management of active oxygen species, involvement in the action of membrane channels, regulation of enzyme activity, regulation of gene expression and hormone levels, and modulation of signaling cascades. In this review, we aim to summarize the available evidence on the role of trace elements in improving male reproductive performance. Also, special attention is paid to the cellular aspects and the involved molecular signaling cascades.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Morabbi
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, University of Mazandaran, Babolsar, Iran
| | - Mohammad Karimian
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, University of Mazandaran, Babolsar, Iran.
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2
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Maniates KA, Zuo Y, Flanagan K, Halim SG, Kane A, Singson A. Identification and sequencing of temperature sensitive alleles of the Anaphase Promoting Complex component mat-3 in C. elegans. MICROPUBLICATION BIOLOGY 2023; 2023:10.17912/micropub.biology.000889. [PMID: 37614776 PMCID: PMC10442702 DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.000889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
The Anaphase Promoting Complex (APC) regulates the transition from metaphase to anaphase during cell division and is important to prevent defects in chromosome segregation. In a recent temperature sensitive genetic screen looking for further genes involved in fertilization, we isolated a new temperature sensitive allele of mat-3 (as49) . We also sequenced a previously identified mat-3 ( or344 ) allele that did not previously have an annotated sequence. We determined that the as49 allele was an Alanine to Threonine (A451T) mutation in the sixth exon and the or344 mutation was a Leucine to Phenylalanine (L474F) mutation in the seventh exon. These locations of the mutant alleles are consistent with other previously annotated alleles that displayed the same metaphase to anaphase transition defect phenotype and further reinforce the importance of the tetratricopeptide repeats to mediate protein interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine A. Maniates
- Waksman Institute of Microbiology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States
- Department of Genetics, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States
| | - Yamei Zuo
- Waksman Institute of Microbiology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States
- Department of Genetics, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States
| | - Kendall Flanagan
- Waksman Institute of Microbiology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States
- Department of Genetics, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States
| | - Shania G. Halim
- Waksman Institute of Microbiology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States
- Department of Genetics, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States
| | - Alexander Kane
- Waksman Institute of Microbiology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States
- Department of Genetics, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States
| | - Andrew Singson
- Waksman Institute of Microbiology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States
- Department of Genetics, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States
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3
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Shimada Y, Kanazawa-Takino N, Nishimura H. Spermiogenesis in Caenorhabditis elegans: An Excellent Model to Explore the Molecular Basis for Sperm Activation. Biomolecules 2023; 13:biom13040657. [PMID: 37189404 DOI: 10.3390/biom13040657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Revised: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
C. elegans spermiogenesis converts non-motile spermatids into motile, fertilization-competent spermatozoa. Two major events include the building of a pseudopod required for motility and fusion of membranous organelles (MOs)-intracellular secretory vesicles-with the spermatid plasma membrane required for the proper distribution of sperm molecules in mature spermatozoa. The mouse sperm acrosome reaction-a sperm activation event occurring during capacitation-is similar to MO fusion in terms of cytological features and biological significance. Moreover, C. elegans fer-1 and mouse Fer1l5, both encoding members of the ferlin family, are indispensable for MO fusion and acrosome reaction, respectively. Genetics-based studies have identified many C. elegans genes involved in spermiogenesis pathways; however, it is unclear whether mouse orthologs of these genes are involved in the acrosome reaction. One significant advantage of using C. elegans for studying sperm activation is the availability of in vitro spermiogenesis, which enables combining pharmacology and genetics for the assay. If certain drugs can activate both C. elegans and mouse spermatozoa, these drugs would be useful probes to explore the mechanism underlying sperm activation in these two species. By analyzing C. elegans mutants whose spermatids are insensitive to the drugs, genes functionally relevant to the drugs' effects can be identified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshihiro Shimada
- Department of Life Science, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Setsunan University, Osaka 572-8508, Japan
| | - Nana Kanazawa-Takino
- Department of Life Science, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Setsunan University, Osaka 572-8508, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Nishimura
- Department of Life Science, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Setsunan University, Osaka 572-8508, Japan
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Liang Q, Yang H, Zhang Z, Zheng JC, Qin Z. Loss of mammalian glutaminase orthologs impairs sperm function in Caenorhabditis elegans. iScience 2023; 26:106206. [PMID: 36876125 PMCID: PMC9982271 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The decline in sperm function is a major cause of human male infertility. Glutaminase, a mitochondrial enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of glutamine to generate glutamate, takes part in many diverse biological processes such as neurotransmission, metabolism, and cellular senescence. Here we report the role of glutaminase in regulating sperm function. By generating a triple mutant that harbors a loss-of-function allele for each of all three mammalian glutaminase orthologs, we found that glutaminase gene activity is required for optimal Caenorhabditis elegans sperm function. Tissue-specific gene manipulations showed that germline glutaminase activity plays an important role. Moreover, transcriptional profiling and antioxidant treatment suggested that glutaminase promotes sperm function by maintaining cellular redox homeostasis. As maintaining a low level of ROS is crucial to human sperm function, it is very likely that glutaminase plays a similar role in humans and therefore can be a potential target for treating human male infertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qifei Liang
- Center for Translational Neurodegeneration and Regenerative Therapy, Shanghai Tongji Hospital Affiliated to Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200072, China
| | - Haiyan Yang
- Key Laboratory of Spine and Spinal Cord Injury Repair and Regeneration of Ministry of Education, Orthopedic Department of Tongji Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200065, China
| | - Zhifei Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Spine and Spinal Cord Injury Repair and Regeneration of Ministry of Education, Orthopedic Department of Tongji Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200065, China
| | - Jialin C. Zheng
- Center for Translational Neurodegeneration and Regenerative Therapy, Shanghai Tongji Hospital Affiliated to Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200072, China
- Key Laboratory of Spine and Spinal Cord Injury Repair and Regeneration of Ministry of Education, Orthopedic Department of Tongji Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200065, China
- Translational Research Institute of Brain and Brain-Like Intelligence, Shanghai Fourth People’s Hospital Affiliated to Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200081, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Zhao Qin
- Key Laboratory of Spine and Spinal Cord Injury Repair and Regeneration of Ministry of Education, Orthopedic Department of Tongji Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200065, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
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5
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Yang B, Yang Z, Cheng L, Li Y, Zhou T, Han Y, Du H, Xu A. Effects of 10 T static magnetic field on the function of sperms and their offspring in Caenorhabditis elegans. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2022; 240:113671. [PMID: 35653972 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.113671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2022] [Revised: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
With the wide application of static magnetic fields (SMFs), the risk of living organisms exposed to man-made magnetic fields that the intensity is much higher than geomagnetic field has gradually increased. Reproductive system is highly sensitive to environmental stress; however, the influence of high SMFs on reproduction system is still largely unknown. Here we explored the biological responses of SMFs exposure at an intensity of 10 T on the sperms and their offspring in him-5 male mutants of Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). The size of unactivated sperms was deceased by 10 T SMF exposure, instead of the morphology. Exposure to 10 T SMF significantly altered the function of sperms in him-5 worms including the activation of sperms and the non-transferred ratio of sperms. In addition, the brood size assay revealed that 10 T SMF exposure eventually diminished the reproductive capacity of him-5 male worms. The lifespan of outcrossed offspring from exposed him-5 male mutants and unexposed fog-2 female mutants was decreased by 10 T SMF in a time dependent manner. Together, our findings provide novel information regarding the adverse effects of high SMFs on the sperms of C. elegans and their offspring, which can improve our understanding of the fundamental aspects of high SMFs on biological system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baolin Yang
- School of Environmental Science and Optoelectronic Technology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China; Key Laboratory of High Magnetic Field and Ion Beam Physical Biology, CAS, Hefei, Anhui 230031, China; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Pollution Control Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, CAS, Hefei, Anhui 230031, China
| | - Zhen Yang
- Key Laboratory of High Magnetic Field and Ion Beam Physical Biology, CAS, Hefei, Anhui 230031, China; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Pollution Control Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, CAS, Hefei, Anhui 230031, China
| | - Lei Cheng
- School of Environmental Science and Optoelectronic Technology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China; Key Laboratory of High Magnetic Field and Ion Beam Physical Biology, CAS, Hefei, Anhui 230031, China; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Pollution Control Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, CAS, Hefei, Anhui 230031, China
| | - Yang Li
- School of Environmental Science and Optoelectronic Technology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China; Key Laboratory of High Magnetic Field and Ion Beam Physical Biology, CAS, Hefei, Anhui 230031, China; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Pollution Control Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, CAS, Hefei, Anhui 230031, China
| | - Tong Zhou
- Key Laboratory of High Magnetic Field and Ion Beam Physical Biology, CAS, Hefei, Anhui 230031, China; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Pollution Control Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, CAS, Hefei, Anhui 230031, China
| | - Yuyan Han
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Condensed Matter Physics at Extreme Conditions, High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, Anhui, China
| | - Hua Du
- Key Laboratory of High Magnetic Field and Ion Beam Physical Biology, CAS, Hefei, Anhui 230031, China; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Pollution Control Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, CAS, Hefei, Anhui 230031, China.
| | - An Xu
- School of Environmental Science and Optoelectronic Technology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China; Key Laboratory of High Magnetic Field and Ion Beam Physical Biology, CAS, Hefei, Anhui 230031, China; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Pollution Control Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, CAS, Hefei, Anhui 230031, China.
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6
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Banerjee RP, Srayko M. Sperm-specific glycogen synthase kinase 3 is required for sperm motility and the post-fertilization signal for female meiosis II in Caenorhabditis elegans. Development 2022; 149:275553. [DOI: 10.1242/dev.200229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT
In most sexually reproducing animals, sperm entry provides the signal to initiate the final stages of female meiosis. In Caenorhabditis elegans, this signal is required for completion of female anaphase I and entry into meiosis II (MII). memi-1/2/3 (meiosis-to-mitosis) encode maternal components that facilitate this process; memi-1/2/3(RNAi) results in a skipped-MII phenotype. Previously, we used a gain-of-function mutation, memi-1(sb41), to identify genetic suppressors that represent candidates for the sperm-delivered signal. Herein, we characterize two suppressors of memi-1(sb41): gskl-1 and gskl-2. Both genes encode functionally redundant sperm glycogen synthase kinase, type 3 (GSK3) protein kinases. Loss of both genes causes defects in male spermatogenesis, sperm pseudopod treadmilling and paternal-effect embryonic lethality. The two kinases locate within the pseudopod of activated sperm, suggesting that they directly or indirectly regulate the sperm cytoskeletal polymer major sperm protein (MSP). The GSK3 genes genetically interact with another memi-1(sb41) suppressor, gsp-4, which encodes a sperm-specific PP1 phosphatase, previously proposed to regulate MSP dynamics. Moreover, gskl-2 gsp-4; gskl-1 triple mutants often skip female MII, similar to memi-1/2/3(RNAi). The GSK3 kinases and PP1 phosphatases perform similar sperm-related functions and work together for post-fertilization functions in the oocyte that involve MEMI.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Martin Srayko
- University of Alberta Department of Biological Sciences , , Edmonton, AB T6G 2E9 , Canada
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7
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Tan CH, Kornfeld K. Zinc is an intracellular signal during sperm activation in Caenorhabditis elegans. Development 2021; 148:273336. [PMID: 34739028 DOI: 10.1242/dev.199836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Sperm activation is a rapid and dramatic cell differentiation event that does not involve changes in transcription, and the signaling cascades that mediate this process have not been fully defined. zipt-7.1 encodes a zinc transporter, and zipt-7.1(lf) mutants display sperm-activation defects, leading to the hypothesis that zinc signaling mediates sperm activation in Caenorhabditis elegans. Here, we describe the development of a method for dynamic imaging of labile zinc during sperm activation using the zinc-specific fluorescence probe FluoZin-3 AM and time-lapse confocal imaging. Two phases of dynamic changes in labile zinc levels were observed during sperm activation. Forced zinc entry using the zinc ionophore pyrithione activated sperm in vitro, and it suppressed the defects of zipt-7.1(lf) mutants, indicating that high levels of cytosolic zinc are sufficient for sperm activation. We compared activation by zinc pyrithione to activation by extracellular zinc, the Na+/H+ antiporter monensin and the protease cocktail pronase in multiple mutant backgrounds. These results indicate that the protease pathway does not require zinc signaling, suggesting that zinc signaling is sufficient to activate sperm but is not always necessary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chieh-Hsiang Tan
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Kerry Kornfeld
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
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8
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Peterson JJ, Tocheny CE, Prajapati G, LaMunyon CW, Shakes DC. Subcellular patterns of SPE-6 localization reveal unexpected complexities in Caenorhabditis elegans sperm activation and sperm function. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2021; 11:jkab288. [PMID: 34849789 PMCID: PMC8527485 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkab288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
To acquire and maintain directed cell motility, Caenorhabditis elegans sperm must undergo extensive, regulated cellular remodeling, in the absence of new transcription or translation. To regulate sperm function, nematode sperm employ large numbers of protein kinases and phosphatases, including SPE-6, a member of C. elegans' highly expanded casein kinase 1 superfamily. SPE-6 functions during multiple steps of spermatogenesis, including functioning as a "brake" to prevent premature sperm activation in the absence of normal extracellular signals. Here, we describe the subcellular localization patterns of SPE-6 during wild-type C. elegans sperm development and in various sperm activation mutants. While other members of the sperm activation pathway associate with the plasma membrane or localize to the sperm's membranous organelles, SPE-6 surrounds the chromatin mass of unactivated sperm. During sperm activation by either of two semiautonomous signaling pathways, SPE-6 redistributes to the front, central region of the sperm's pseudopod. When disrupted by reduction-of-function alleles, SPE-6 protein is either diminished in a temperature-sensitive manner (hc187) or is mislocalized in a stage-specific manner (hc163). During the multistep process of sperm activation, SPE-6 is released from its perinuclear location after the spike stage in a process that does not require the fusion of membranous organelles with the plasma membrane. After activation, spermatozoa exhibit variable proportions of perinuclear and pseudopod-localized SPE-6, depending on their location within the female reproductive tract. These findings provide new insights regarding SPE-6's role in sperm activation and suggest that extracellular signals during sperm migration may further modulate SPE-6 localization and function.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Claire E Tocheny
- Department of Biology, William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA 23187, USA
| | - Gaurav Prajapati
- Department of Biological Science, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, CA 91768, USA
| | - Craig W LaMunyon
- Department of Biological Science, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, CA 91768, USA
| | - Diane C Shakes
- Department of Biology, William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA 23187, USA
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Rödelsperger C, Ebbing A, Sharma DR, Okumura M, Sommer RJ, Korswagen HC. Spatial Transcriptomics of Nematodes Identifies Sperm Cells as a Source of Genomic Novelty and Rapid Evolution. Mol Biol Evol 2021; 38:229-243. [PMID: 32785688 PMCID: PMC8480184 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msaa207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Divergence of gene function and expression during development can give rise to phenotypic differences at the level of cells, tissues, organs, and ultimately whole organisms. To gain insights into the evolution of gene expression and novel genes at spatial resolution, we compared the spatially resolved transcriptomes of two distantly related nematodes, Caenorhabditis elegans and Pristionchus pacificus, that diverged 60–90 Ma. The spatial transcriptomes of adult worms show little evidence for strong conservation at the level of single genes. Instead, regional expression is largely driven by recent duplication and emergence of novel genes. Estimation of gene ages across anatomical structures revealed an enrichment of novel genes in sperm-related regions. This provides first evidence in nematodes for the “out of testis” hypothesis that has been previously postulated based on studies in Drosophila and mammals. “Out of testis” genes represent a mix of products of pervasive transcription as well as fast evolving members of ancient gene families. Strikingly, numerous novel genes have known functions during meiosis in Caenorhabditis elegans indicating that even universal processes such as meiosis may be targets of rapid evolution. Our study highlights the importance of novel genes in generating phenotypic diversity and explicitly characterizes gene origination in sperm-related regions. Furthermore, it proposes new functions for previously uncharacterized genes and establishes the spatial transcriptome of Pristionchus pacificus as a catalog for future studies on the evolution of gene expression and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Rödelsperger
- Department for Integrative Evolutionary Biology, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Annabel Ebbing
- Hubrecht Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences and University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Devansh Raj Sharma
- Department for Integrative Evolutionary Biology, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Misako Okumura
- Program of Biomedical Science, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Ralf J Sommer
- Department for Integrative Evolutionary Biology, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Hendrik C Korswagen
- Hubrecht Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences and University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Developmental Biology, Department of Biology, Institute of Biodynamics and Biocomplexity, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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10
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The Role of Zinc in Male Fertility. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21207796. [PMID: 33096823 PMCID: PMC7589359 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21207796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Revised: 10/14/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Several studies proposed the importance of zinc ion in male fertility. Here, we describe the properties, roles and cellular mechanisms of action of Zn2+ in spermatozoa, focusing on its involvement in sperm motility, capacitation and acrosomal exocytosis, three functions that are crucial for successful fertilization. The impact of zinc supplementation on assisted fertilization techniques is also described. The impact of zinc on sperm motility has been investigated in many vertebrate and invertebrate species. It has been reported that Zn2+ in human seminal plasma decreases sperm motility and that Zn2+ removal enhances motility. Reduction in the intracellular concentration of Zn2+ during epididymal transit allows the development of progressive motility and the subsequent hyper activated motility during sperm capacitation. Extracellular Zn2+ affects intracellular signaling pathways through its interaction with the Zn2+ sensing receptor (ZnR), also named GPR39. This receptor was found in the sperm tail and the acrosome, suggesting the possible involvement of Zn2+ in sperm motility and acrosomal exocytosis. Our studies showed that Zn2+ stimulates bovine sperm acrosomal exocytosis, as well as human sperm hyper-activated motility, were both mediated by GPR39. Zn2+ binds and activates GPR39, which activates the trans-membrane-adenylyl-cyclase (tmAC) to catalyze cAMP production. The NHE (Na+/H+-exchanger) is activated by cAMP, leading in increased pHi and activation of the sperm-specific Ca2+ channel CatSper, resulting in an increase in [Ca2+]i, which, together with HCO3−, activates the soluble adenylyl-cyclase (sAC). The increase in [cAMP]i activates protein kinase A (PKA), followed by activation of the Src-epidermal growth factor receptor-Pphospholipase C (Src-EGFR-PLC) cascade, resulting in inositol-triphosphate (IP3) production, which mobilizes Ca2+ from the acrosome, causing a further increase in [Ca2+]i and the development of hyper-activated motility. PKA also activates phospholipase D1 (PLD1), leading to F-actin formation during capacitation. Prior to the acrosomal exocytosis, PLC induces phosphadidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) hydrolysis, leading to the release of the actin-severing protein gelsolin to the cytosol, which is activated by Ca2+, resulting in F-actin breakdown and the occurrence of acrosomal exocytosis.
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11
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Tajima T, Ogawa F, Nakamura S, Hashimoto M, Omote M, Nishimura H. Proteinase K is an activator for the male-dependent spermiogenesis pathway in Caenorhabditis elegans: Its application to pharmacological dissection of spermiogenesis. Genes Cells 2019; 24:244-258. [PMID: 30656805 DOI: 10.1111/gtc.12670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2018] [Revised: 12/22/2018] [Accepted: 01/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Caenorhabditis elegans spermiogenesis involves spermatid activation into spermatozoa. Activation occurs through either SPE-8 class-dependent or class-independent pathways. Pronase (Pron) activates the SPE-8 class-dependent pathway, whereas no in vitro tools are available to stimulate the SPE-8 class-independent pathway. Thus, whether there is a functional relationship between these two pathways is currently unclear. In this study, we found that proteinase K (ProK) can activate the SPE-8 class-independent pathway. In vitro spermiogenesis assays using Pron and ProK suggested that SPE-8 class proteins act in the hermaphrodite- and male-dependent spermiogenesis pathways and that some spermatid proteins presumably working downstream of spermiogenesis pathways, including MAP kinases, are preferentially involved in the SPE-8 class-dependent pathway. We screened a library of chemicals, and a compound that we named DDI-1 inhibited both Pron- and ProK-induced spermiogenesis. To our surprise, several DDI-1 analogues that are structurally similar to DDI-1 blocked Pron, but not ProK, induced spermiogenesis. Although the mechanism by which DDI-1 blocks spermiogenesis is yet unknown, we have begun to address this issue by selecting two DDI-1-resistant mutants. Collectively, our data support a model in which C. elegans male and hermaphrodite spermiogenesis each has its own distinct, parallel pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatsuya Tajima
- Department of Life Science, Setsunan University, Neyagawa, Osaka, Japan
| | - Futa Ogawa
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Setsunan University, Hirakata, Osaka, Japan
| | - Shogo Nakamura
- Department of Life Science, Setsunan University, Neyagawa, Osaka, Japan
| | - Masaharu Hashimoto
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Setsunan University, Hirakata, Osaka, Japan
| | - Masaaki Omote
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Setsunan University, Hirakata, Osaka, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Nishimura
- Department of Life Science, Setsunan University, Neyagawa, Osaka, Japan
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12
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Abstract
Zinc is an essential mineral, but our understanding of its uses in the body is limited. Capitalizing on approaches available in the model system Caenorhabditis elegans, Zhao and colleagues show that zinc transduces a signal that induces sperm to become motile. This is an enigmatic process because sperm in all sexually-reproducing animals are transcriptionally inactive. Zinc levels inside sperm are regulated by an evolutionarily conserved zinc transporter called Zrt- and Irt-like Protein Transporter 7.1 (ZIPT-7.1). This zinc transporter localizes to intracellular organelles, suggesting that it primarily controls zinc levels by releasing zinc into the cytoplasm from internal stores rather than importing it from the external environment. The zinc released within cells acts as a messenger in a signaling pathway to promote mobility acquisition. These studies reveal an important role for zinc as an intracellular second messenger that generates physiological changes vital for sperm motility and fertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana S. Chu
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, California, United States of America
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13
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Krauchunas AR, Mendez E, Ni JZ, Druzhinina M, Mulia A, Parry J, Gu SG, Stanfield GM, Singson A. spe-43 is required for sperm activation in C. elegans. Dev Biol 2018; 436:75-83. [PMID: 29477340 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2018.02.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2017] [Revised: 01/23/2018] [Accepted: 02/21/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Successful fertilization requires that sperm are activated prior to contacting an oocyte. In C. elegans, this activation process, called spermiogenesis, transforms round immobile spermatids into motile, fertilization-competent spermatozoa. We describe the phenotypic and genetic characterization of spe-43, a new component of the spe-8 pathway, which is required for spermiogenesis in hermaphrodites; spe-43 hermaphrodites are self-sterile, while spe-43 males show wild-type fertility. When exposed to Pronase to activate sperm in vitro, spe-43 spermatids form long rigid spikes radiating outward from the cell periphery instead of forming a motile pseudopod, indicating that spermiogenesis initiates but is not completed. Using a combination of recombinant and deletion mapping and whole genome sequencing, we identified F09E8.1 as spe-43. SPE-43 is predicted to exist in two isoforms; one isoform appears to be a single-pass transmembrane protein while the other is predicted to be a secreted protein. SPE-43 can bind to other known sperm proteins, including SPE-4 and SPE-29, which are known to impact spermiogenesis. In summary, we have identified a membrane protein that is present in C. elegans sperm and is required for sperm activation via the hermaphrodite activation signal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amber R Krauchunas
- Waksman Institute of Microbiology and Department of Genetics, 190 Frelinghuysen Road, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA.
| | - Ernesto Mendez
- Waksman Institute of Microbiology and Department of Genetics, 190 Frelinghuysen Road, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Julie Zhouli Ni
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Marina Druzhinina
- Waksman Institute of Microbiology and Department of Genetics, 190 Frelinghuysen Road, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Amanda Mulia
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Jean Parry
- Waksman Institute of Microbiology and Department of Genetics, 190 Frelinghuysen Road, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Sam Guoping Gu
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | | | - Andrew Singson
- Waksman Institute of Microbiology and Department of Genetics, 190 Frelinghuysen Road, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
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Kong L, Gao X, Zhu J, Zhang T, Xue Y, Tang M. Reproductive toxicity induced by nickel nanoparticles in Caenorhabditis elegans. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY 2017; 32:1530-1538. [PMID: 27748997 DOI: 10.1002/tox.22373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2016] [Revised: 09/24/2016] [Accepted: 09/25/2016] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
To investigate the reproductive toxicity and underlying mechanism of nickel nanoparticles (Ni NPs), Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) were treated with/without 1.0, 2.5, and 5.0 μg cm-2 of Ni NPs or nickel microparticles (Ni MPs). Generation time, fertilized egg numbers, spermatide activation and motility were detected. Results indicated, under the same treatment doses, that Ni NPs induced higher reproductive toxicity to C. elegans than Ni MPs. Reproductive toxicities observed in C. elegans included a decrease in brood size, fertilized egg and spermatide activation, but an increase in generation time and out-of-round spermatids. The reproductive toxicity of Ni NPs on C. elegans may be induced by oxidative stress. The reproductive toxicity in C. elegans induced by Ni NPs is consistent with our previous results in the rats. Therefore, C. elegans can be used as an alternative model to detect the early reproductive toxicity of Ni NPs exposure. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 32: 1530-1538, 2017.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Kong
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, Southeast University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China, 210009
| | - Xiaojie Gao
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, Southeast University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China, 210009
| | - Jiaqian Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, Southeast University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China, 210009
| | - Ting Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, Southeast University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China, 210009
| | - Yuying Xue
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, Southeast University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China, 210009
| | - Meng Tang
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, Southeast University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China, 210009
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15
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Ellis RE. "The persistence of memory"-Hermaphroditism in nematodes. Mol Reprod Dev 2016; 84:144-157. [PMID: 27291983 DOI: 10.1002/mrd.22668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2016] [Accepted: 06/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Self-fertility has evolved many times in nematodes. This transition often produces an androdioecious species, with XX hermaphrodites and XO males. Although these hermaphrodites resemble females in most respects, early germ cells differentiate as sperm, and late ones as oocytes. The sperm then receive an activation signal, populate the spermathecae, and are stored for later use in self-fertilization. These traits are controlled by complex modifications to the sex-determination and sperm activation pathways, which have arisen independently during the evolution of each hermaphroditic species. This transformation in reproductive strategy then promotes other major changes in the development, evolution, and population structure of these animals. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 84: 144-157, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronald E Ellis
- Department of Molecular Biology, Rowan University SOM, Stratford, New Jersey
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16
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LaMunyon CW, Nasri U, Sullivan NG, Shaw MA, Prajapati G, Christensen M, Elmatari D, Clark JN. A New Player in the Spermiogenesis Pathway of Caenorhabditis elegans. Genetics 2015; 201:1103-16. [PMID: 26333688 PMCID: PMC4649638 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.115.181172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2015] [Accepted: 09/01/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Precise timing of sperm activation ensures the greatest likelihood of fertilization. Precision in Caenorhabditis elegans sperm activation is ensured by external signaling, which induces the spherical spermatid to reorganize and extend a pseudopod for motility. Spermatid activation, also called spermiogenesis, is prevented from occurring prematurely by the activity of SPE-6 and perhaps other proteins, termed "the brake model." Here, we identify the spe-47 gene from the hc198 mutation that causes premature spermiogenesis. The mutation was isolated in a suppressor screen of spe-27(it132ts), which normally renders worms sterile, due to defective transduction of the activation signal. In a spe-27(+) background, spe-47(hc198) causes a temperature-sensitive reduction of fertility, and in addition to premature spermiogenesis, many mutant sperm fail to activate altogether. The hc198 mutation is semidominant, inducing a more severe loss of fertility than do null alleles generated by CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) technology. The hc198 mutation affects an major sperm protein (MSP) domain, altering a conserved amino acid residue in a β-strand that mediates MSP-MSP dimerization. Both N- and C-terminal SPE-47 reporters associate with the forming fibrous body (FB)-membranous organelle, a specialized sperm organelle that packages MSP and other components during spermatogenesis. Once the FB is fully formed, the SPE-47 reporters dissociate and disappear. SPE-47 reporter localization is not altered by either the hc198 mutation or a C-terminal truncation deleting the MSP domain. The disappearance of SPE-47 reporters prior to the formation of spermatids requires a reevaluation of the brake model for prevention of premature spermatid activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Craig W LaMunyon
- Department of Biological Science, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, California 91768
| | - Ubaydah Nasri
- Department of Biological Science, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, California 91768
| | - Nicholas G Sullivan
- Department of Biological Science, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, California 91768
| | - Misa A Shaw
- Department of Biological Science, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, California 91768
| | - Gaurav Prajapati
- Department of Biological Science, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, California 91768
| | - Matthew Christensen
- Department of Biological Science, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, California 91768
| | - Daniel Elmatari
- Department of Biological Science, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, California 91768
| | - Jessica N Clark
- Department of Biological Science, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, California 91768
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Li Y, Zhang M, Chen P, Liu R, Liang G, Yin L, Pu Y. Effects of Microcystin-LR Exposure on Spermiogenesis in Nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Int J Mol Sci 2015; 16:22927-37. [PMID: 26402677 PMCID: PMC4613343 DOI: 10.3390/ijms160922927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2015] [Revised: 08/17/2015] [Accepted: 09/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Little is known about the effect on spermiogenesis induced by microcystin-leucine arginine (MC-LR), even though such data are very important to better elucidate reproductive health. In the current work, with the aid of nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) as an animal model, we investigated the defects on spermiogenesis induced by MC-LR. Our results showed that MC-LR exposure induced sperm morphology abnormality and caused severe defects of sperm activation, trans-activation, sperm behavior and competition. Additionally, the expression levels of spe-15 were significantly decreased in C. elegans exposed to MC-LR lower than 16.0 μg/L, while the expression levels of spe-10 and fer-1 could be significantly lowered in C. elegans even exposed to 1.0 μg/L of MC-LR. Therefore, the present study reveals that MC-LR can induce adverse effects on spermiogenesis, and those defects of sperm functions may be induced by the decreases of spe-10, spe-15 and fer-1 gene expressions in C. elegans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunhui Li
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China.
| | - Minhui Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China.
| | - Pan Chen
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA.
| | - Ran Liu
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China.
| | - Geyu Liang
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China.
| | - Lihong Yin
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China.
| | - Yuepu Pu
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China.
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18
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Caenorhabditis elegans as a useful model to assess the effect of spermiogenesis induced by three teratogens. Mol Cell Toxicol 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s13273-015-0023-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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19
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Fenker KE, Stanfield GM. SNF-10 connects male-derived signals to the onset of sperm motility in C. elegans. WORM 2015; 4:e1003002. [PMID: 26430556 PMCID: PMC4588553 DOI: 10.1080/21624054.2014.1003002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2014] [Revised: 12/09/2014] [Accepted: 12/22/2014] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Sperm from the nematode C. elegans gain motility during a process termed activation, which they initiate in response to specific environmental signals. During this process, a number of subcellular rearrangements occur, culminating in an altered morphology that allows the cell to crawl toward and fertilize oocytes. Both hermaphrodites and males produce sperm, and redundant, sex-biased pathways regulate the sperm's activation. The male-derived signal for sperm activation involves TRY-5, a trypsin-like serine protease in seminal fluid, but until recently it was unknown what factors were active downstream of TRY-5. In our recent paper, we reported the discovery of SNF-10, a solute carrier 6 (SLC6) family protein that is expressed by sperm and connects the activation signal to changes in sperm morphology and, ultimately, the onset of motility. Here, we review our recent results, focusing on potential models for SNF-10's function in C. elegans, and additionally discuss the role SLC6 transporters may play in male reproductive biology from invertebrates to mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristin E Fenker
- Department of Human Genetics; University of Utah; Salt Lake City, UT USA
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20
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Co-option of alternate sperm activation programs in the evolution of self-fertile nematodes. Nat Commun 2014; 5:5888. [PMID: 25523309 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms6888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2014] [Accepted: 11/18/2014] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Self-fertility evolved independently in three species of Caenorhabditis, yet the underlying genetic changes remain unclear. This transition required that XX animals acquire the ability to produce sperm and then signal those sperm to activate and fertilise oocytes. Here, we show that all genes that regulate sperm activation in C. elegans are conserved throughout the genus, even in male/female species. By using gene editing, we show that C. elegans and C. briggsae hermaphrodites use the SPE-8 tyrosine kinase pathway to activate sperm, whereas C. tropicalis hermaphrodites use a TRY-5 serine protease pathway. Finally, our analysis of double mutants shows that these pathways were redundant in ancestral males. Thus, newly evolving hermaphrodites became self-fertile by co-opting either of the two redundant male programs. The existence of these alternatives helps explain the frequent origin of self-fertility in nematode lineages. This work also demonstrates that the new genome-editing techniques allow unprecedented power and precision in evolutionary studies.
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21
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Ellis RE, Lin SY. The evolutionary origins and consequences of self-fertility in nematodes. F1000PRIME REPORTS 2014; 6:62. [PMID: 25165561 PMCID: PMC4126538 DOI: 10.12703/p6-62] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Self-fertile hermaphrodites have evolved from male/female ancestors in many nematode species, and this transition occurred on three independent occasions in the genus Caenorhabditis. Genetic analyses in Caenorhabditis show that the origin of hermaphrodites required two types of changes: alterations to the sex-determination pathway that allowed otherwise female animals to make sperm during larval development, and the production of signals from the gonad that caused these sperm to activate and fertilize oocytes. Comparisons of C. elegans and C. briggsae hermaphrodites show that the ancestral sex-determination pathway has been altered in multiple unique ways. Some of these changes must have precipitated the production of sperm in XX animals, and others were modifying mutations that increased the efficiency of hermaphroditic reproduction. Reverse genetic experiments show that XX animals acquired the ability to activate sperm by co-opting one of the two redundant pathways that normally work in males. Finally, the adoption of a hermaphroditic lifestyle had profound effects on ecological and sexual interactions and genomic organization. Thus, nematode mating systems are ideal for elucidating the origin of novel traits, and studying the influence of developmental processes on evolutionary change.
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22
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Muhlrad PJ, Clark JN, Nasri U, Sullivan NG, LaMunyon CW. SPE-8, a protein-tyrosine kinase, localizes to the spermatid cell membrane through interaction with other members of the SPE-8 group spermatid activation signaling pathway in C. elegans. BMC Genet 2014; 15:83. [PMID: 25022984 PMCID: PMC4105102 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2156-15-83] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2014] [Accepted: 07/03/2014] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The SPE-8 group gene products transduce the signal for spermatid activation initiated by extracellular zinc in C. elegans. Mutations in the spe-8 group genes result in hermaphrodite-derived spermatids that cannot activate to crawling spermatozoa, although spermatids from mutant males activate through a pathway induced by extracellular TRY-5 protease present in male seminal fluid. Results Here, we identify SPE-8 as a member of a large family of sperm-expressed non-receptor-like protein-tyrosine kinases. A rescuing SPE-8::GFP translational fusion reporter localizes to the plasma membrane in all spermatogenic cells from the primary spermatocyte stage through spermatids. Once spermatids become activated to spermatozoa, the reporter moves from the plasma membrane to the cytoplasm. Mutations in the spe-8 group genes spe-12, spe-19, and spe-27 disrupt localization of the reporter to the plasma membrane, while localization appears near normal in a spe-29 mutant background. Conclusions These results suggest that the SPE-8 group proteins form a functional complex localized at the plasma membrane, and that SPE-8 is correctly positioned only when all members of the SPE-8 group are present, with the possible exception of SPE-29. Further, SPE-8 is released from the membrane when the activation signal is transduced into the spermatid.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Craig W LaMunyon
- Department of Biological Science, California State Polytechnic University, 3801 W, Temple Ave, Pomona, CA 91768, USA.
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23
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Ellis RE, Stanfield GM. The regulation of spermatogenesis and sperm function in nematodes. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2014; 29:17-30. [PMID: 24718317 PMCID: PMC4082717 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2014.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2014] [Accepted: 04/01/2014] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
In the nematode C. elegans, both males and self-fertile hermaphrodites produce sperm. As a result, researchers have been able to use a broad range of genetic and genomic techniques to dissect all aspects of sperm development and function. Their results show that the early stages of spermatogenesis are controlled by transcriptional and translational processes, but later stages are dominated by protein kinases and phosphatases. Once spermatids are produced, they participate in many interactions with other cells - signals from the somatic gonad determine when sperm activate and begin to crawl, signals from the female reproductive tissues guide the sperm, and signals from sperm stimulate oocytes to mature and be ovulated. The sperm also show strong competitive interactions with other sperm and oocytes. Some of the molecules that mediate these processes have conserved functions in animal sperm, others are conserved proteins that have been adapted for new roles in nematode sperm, and some are novel proteins that provide insights into evolutionary change. The advent of new techniques should keep this system on the cutting edge of research in cellular and reproductive biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronald E Ellis
- Department of Molecular Biology, Rowan University SOM, B303 Science Center, 2 Medical Center Drive, Stratford, NJ 08084, United States.
| | - Gillian M Stanfield
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, United States
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24
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Role of posttranslational modifications in C. elegans and ascaris spermatogenesis and sperm function. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2014; 759:215-39. [PMID: 25030766 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-0817-2_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Generally, spermatogenesis and sperm function involve widespread posttranslational modification of regulatory proteins in many different species. Nematode spermatogenesis has been studied in detail, mostly by genetic/molecular genetic techniques in the free-living Caenorhabditis elegans and by biochemistry/cell biology in the pig parasite Ascaris suum. Like other nematodes, both of these species produce sperm that use a form of amoeboid motility termed crawling, and many aspects of spermatogenesis are likely to be similar in both species. Consequently, work in these two nematode species has been largely complementary. Work in C. elegans has identified a number of spermatogenesis-defective genes and, so far, 12 encode enzymes that are implicated as catalysts of posttranslational protein modification. Crawling motility involves extension of a single pseudopod and this process is powered by a unique cytoskeleton composed of Major Sperm Protein (MSP) and accessory proteins, instead of the more widely observed actin. In Ascaris, pseudopod extension and crawling motility can be reconstituted in vitro, and biochemical studies have begun to reveal how posttranslational protein modifications, including phosphorylation, dephosphorylation and proteolysis, participate in these processes.
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25
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Liu Z, Wang B, He R, Zhao Y, Miao L. Calcium signaling and the MAPK cascade are required for sperm activation in Caenorhabditis elegans. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH 2013; 1843:299-308. [PMID: 24239721 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2013.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2013] [Revised: 10/28/2013] [Accepted: 11/05/2013] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
In nematode, sperm activation (or spermiogenesis), a process in which the symmetric and non-motile spermatids transform into polarized and crawling spermatozoa, is critical for sperm cells to acquire fertilizing competence. SPE-8 dependent and SPE-8 independent pathways function redundantly during sperm activation in both males and hermaphrodites of Caenorhabditis elegans. However, the downstream signaling for both pathways remains unclear. Here we show that calcium signaling and the MAPK cascade are required for both SPE-8 dependent and SPE-8 independent sperm activation, implying that both pathways share common downstream signaling components during sperm activation. We demonstrate that activation of the MAPK cascade is sufficient to activate spermatids derived from either wild-type or spe-8 group mutant males and that activation of the MAPK cascade bypasses the requirement of calcium signal to induce sperm activation, indicating that the MAPK cascade functions downstream of or parallel with the calcium signaling during sperm activation. Interestingly, the persistent activation of MAPK in activated spermatozoa inhibits Major Sperm Protein (MSP)-based cytoskeleton dynamics. We demonstrate that MAPK plays dual roles in promoting pseudopod extension during sperm activation but also blocking the MSP-based, amoeboid motility of the spermatozoa. Thus, though nematode sperm are crawling cells, morphologically distinct from flagellated sperm, and the molecular machinery for motility of amoeboid and flagellated sperm is different, both types of sperm might utilize conserved signaling pathways to modulate sperm maturation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiyu Liu
- Laboratory of Noncoding RNA, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Bin Wang
- Laboratory of Noncoding RNA, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Ruijun He
- Laboratory of Noncoding RNA, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Yanmei Zhao
- Laboratory of Noncoding RNA, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Long Miao
- Laboratory of Noncoding RNA, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
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Liau WS, Nasri U, Elmatari D, Rothman J, LaMunyon CW. Premature sperm activation and defective spermatogenesis caused by loss of spe-46 function in Caenorhabditis elegans. PLoS One 2013; 8:e57266. [PMID: 23483899 PMCID: PMC3590197 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0057266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2012] [Accepted: 01/21/2013] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Given limited resources for motility, sperm cell activation must be precisely timed to ensure the greatest likelihood of fertilization. Like those of most species, the sperm of C. elegans become active only after encountering an external signaling molecule. Activation coincides with spermiogenesis, the final step in spermatogenesis, when the spherical spermatid undergoes wholesale reorganization to produce a pseudopod. Here, we describe a gene involved in sperm activation, spe-46. This gene was identified in a suppressor screen of spe-27(it132ts), a sperm-expressed gene whose product functions in the transduction of the spermatid activation signal. While spe-27(it132ts) worms are sterile at 25°C, the spe-46(hc197)I; spe-27(it132ts)IV double mutants regain partial fertility. Single nucleotide polymorphism mapping, whole genome sequencing, and transformation rescue were employed to identify the spe-46 coding sequence. It encodes a protein with seven predicted transmembrane domains but with no other predicted functional domains or homology outside of nematodes. Expression is limited to spermatogenic tissue, and a transcriptional GFP fusion shows expression corresponds with the onset of the pachytene stage of meiosis. The spe-46(hc197) mutation bypasses the need for the activation signal; mutant sperm activate prematurely without an activation signal in males, and mutant males are sterile. In an otherwise wild-type genome, the spe-46(hc197) mutation induces a sperm defective phenotype. In addition to premature activation, spe-46(hc197) sperm exhibit numerous defects including aneuploidy, vacuolization, protruding spikes, and precocious fusion of membranous organelles. Hemizygous worms [spe-46(hc197)/mnDf111] are effectively sterile. Thus, spe-46 appears to be involved in the regulation of spermatid activation during spermiogenesis, with the null phenotype being an absence of functional sperm and hypomorphic phenotypes being premature spermatid activation and numerous sperm cell defects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei-Siang Liau
- Department of Biological Science, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, California, United States of America
| | - Ubaydah Nasri
- Department of Biological Science, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, California, United States of America
| | - Daniel Elmatari
- Department of Biological Science, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, California, United States of America
| | - Jason Rothman
- Department of Biological Science, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, California, United States of America
| | - Craig W. LaMunyon
- Department of Biological Science, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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28
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Ma X, Zhao Y, Sun W, Shimabukuro K, Miao L. Transformation: how do nematode sperm become activated and crawl? Protein Cell 2012; 3:755-61. [PMID: 22903434 PMCID: PMC4875351 DOI: 10.1007/s13238-012-2936-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2012] [Accepted: 05/09/2012] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Nematode sperm undergo a drastic physiological change during spermiogenesis (sperm activation). Unlike mammalian flagellated sperm, nematode sperm are amoeboid cells and their motility is driven by the dynamics of a cytoskeleton composed of major sperm protein (MSP) rather than actin found in other crawling cells. This review focuses on sperm from Caenorhabditis elegans and Ascaris suum to address the roles of external and internal factors that trigger sperm activation and power sperm motility. Nematode sperm can be activated in vitro by several factors, including Pronase and ionophores, and in vivo through the TRY-5 and SPE-8 pathways. Moreover, protease and protease inhibitors are crucial regulators of sperm maturation. MSP-based sperm motility involves a coupled process of protrusion and retraction, both of which have been reconstituted in vitro. Sperm motility is mediated by phosphorylation signals, as illustrated by identification of several key components (MPOP, MFPs and MPAK) in Ascaris and the characterization of GSP-3/4 in C. elegans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuan Ma
- Laboratory of Noncoding RNA, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101 China
| | - Yanmei Zhao
- Laboratory of Noncoding RNA, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101 China
| | - Wei Sun
- Laboratory of Noncoding RNA, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101 China
- Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049 China
| | - Katsuya Shimabukuro
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Ube National College of Technology, Ube, Yamaguchi, 755-8555 Japan
| | - Long Miao
- Laboratory of Noncoding RNA, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101 China
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Fraire-Zamora JJ, Tran T, Cardullo RA. Cholesterol-enriched microdomains regulate pseudopod extension in the MSP-based cytoskeleton of amoeboid sperm. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2012; 427:478-84. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2012.09.071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2012] [Accepted: 09/12/2012] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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Smith JR, Stanfield GM. A seminal fluid protease activates sperm motility in C. elegans males. WORM 2012; 1:151-4. [PMID: 24058840 PMCID: PMC3670406 DOI: 10.4161/worm.19502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2012] [Accepted: 01/26/2012] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Seminal fluid factors have been shown to play a significant role in fertility in many animals. However, little is known about the contributions of seminal fluid to male fertility in C. elegans. In this commentary, we summarize our recent finding of a seminal fluid sperm activator, the serine protease TRY-5. TRY-5 is required for males to activate sperm, yet surprisingly it is not required for male fertility, likely due to redundancy with an activator present in hermaphrodites. TRY-5 is transferred to hermaphrodites during mating in a series of distinct release events just prior to transfer of sperm. Thus, we propose a model in which TRY-5 cleaves sperm cell surface proteins to trigger sperm maturation. We discuss other possible roles for seminal fluid factors in C. elegans and prospects for using TRY-5 as a marker for studies of male mating behavior and seminal fluid secretion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph R. Smith
- Department of Human Genetics; University of Utah; Salt Lake City, UT USA
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Morsci NS, Haas LA, Barr MM. Sperm status regulates sexual attraction in Caenorhabditis elegans. Genetics 2011; 189:1341-6. [PMID: 21968192 PMCID: PMC3241412 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.111.133603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2011] [Accepted: 09/28/2011] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Mating behavior of animals is regulated by the sensory stimuli provided by the other sex. Sexually receptive females emit mating signals that can be inhibited by male ejaculate. The genetic mechanisms controlling the release of mating signals and encoding behavioral responses remain enigmatic. Here we present evidence of a Caenorhabditis elegans hermaphrodite-derived cue that stimulates male mating-response behavior and is dynamically regulated by her reproductive status. Wild-type males preferentially mated with older hermaphrodites. Increased sex appeal of older hermaphrodites was potent enough to stimulate robust response from mating-deficient pkd-2 and lov-1 polycystin mutant males. This enhanced response of pkd-2 males toward older hermaphrodites was independent of short-chain ascaroside pheromones, but was contingent on the absence of active sperm in the hermaphrodites. The improved pkd-2 male response toward spermless hermaphrodites was blocked by prior insemination or by genetic ablation of the ceh-18-dependent sperm-sensing pathway of the hermaphrodite somatic gonad. Our work suggests an interaction between sperm and the soma that has a negative but reversible effect on a hermaphrodite-derived mating cue that regulates male mating response, a phenomenon to date attributed to gonochoristic species only.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia S Morsci
- Department of Genetics, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, USA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diane C Shakes
- Department of Biology, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia, USA.
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Smith JR, Stanfield GM. TRY-5 is a sperm-activating protease in Caenorhabditis elegans seminal fluid. PLoS Genet 2011; 7:e1002375. [PMID: 22125495 PMCID: PMC3219595 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1002375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2011] [Accepted: 09/12/2011] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Seminal fluid proteins have been shown to play important roles in male reproductive success, but the mechanisms for this regulation remain largely unknown. In Caenorhabditis elegans, sperm differentiate from immature spermatids into mature, motile spermatozoa during a process termed sperm activation. For C. elegans males, sperm activation occurs during insemination of the hermaphrodite and is thought to be mediated by seminal fluid, but the molecular nature of this activity has not been previously identified. Here we show that TRY-5 is a seminal fluid protease that is required in C. elegans for male-mediated sperm activation. We observed that TRY-5::GFP is expressed in the male somatic gonad and is transferred along with sperm to hermaphrodites during mating. In the absence of TRY-5, male seminal fluid loses its potency to transactivate hermaphrodite sperm. However, TRY-5 is not required for either hermaphrodite or male fertility, suggesting that hermaphrodite sperm are normally activated by a distinct hermaphrodite-specific activator to which male sperm are also competent to respond. Within males, TRY-5::GFP localization within the seminal vesicle is antagonized by the protease inhibitor SWM-1. Together, these data suggest that TRY-5 functions as an extracellular activator of C. elegans sperm. The presence of TRY-5 within the seminal fluid couples the timing of sperm activation to that of transfer of sperm into the hermaphrodite uterus, where motility must be rapidly acquired. Our results provide insight into how C. elegans has adopted sex-specific regulation of sperm motility to accommodate its male-hermaphrodite mode of reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph R. Smith
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
| | - Gillian M. Stanfield
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
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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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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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Fraire-Zamora JJ, Cardullo RA. The physiological acquisition of amoeboid motility in nematode sperm: is the tail the only thing the sperm lost? Mol Reprod Dev 2010; 77:739-50. [PMID: 20803732 DOI: 10.1002/mrd.21193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Nematode spermatozoa are highly specialized amoeboid cells that must acquire motility through the extension of a single pseudopod. Despite morphological and molecular differences with flagellated spermatozoa (including a non-actin-based cytoskeleton), nematode sperm must also respond to cues present in the female reproductive tract that render them motile, thereby allowing them to locate and fertilize the egg. The factors that trigger pseudopod extension in vivo are unknown, although current models suggest the activation through proteases acting on the sperm surface resulting in a myriad of biochemical, physiological, and morphological changes. Compelling evidence shows that pseudopod extension is under the regulation of physiological events also observed in other eukaryotic cells (including flagellated sperm) that involve membrane rearrangements in response to extracellular cues that initiate various signal transduction pathways. An integrative approach to the study of nonflagellated spermatozoa will shed light on the identification of unique and conserved processes during fertilization among different taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan J Fraire-Zamora
- Department of Biology and the Graduate Program in Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, USA
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Nishimura H, L'Hernault SW. Spermatogenesis-defective (spe) mutants of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans provide clues to solve the puzzle of male germline functions during reproduction. Dev Dyn 2010; 239:1502-14. [PMID: 20419782 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.22271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
In most species, each sex produces gametes, usually either sperm or oocytes, from its germline during gametogenesis. The sperm and oocyte subsequently fuse together during fertilization to create the next generation. This review focuses on spermatogenesis and the roles of sperm during fertilization in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, where suitable mutants are readily obtained. So far, 186 mutants defective in the C. elegans male germline functions have been isolated, and many of these mutations are alleles for one of the approximately 60 spermatogenesis-defective (spe) genes. Many cloned spe genes are expressed specifically in the male germline, where they play roles during spermatogenesis (spermatid production), spermiogenesis (spermatid activation into spermatozoa), and/or fertilization. Moreover, several spe genes are orthologs of mammalian genes, suggesting that the reproductive processes of the C. elegans and the mammalian male germlines might share common pathways at the molecular level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hitoshi Nishimura
- Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA
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Baldi C, Cho S, Ellis RE. Mutations in Two Independent Pathways Are Sufficient to Create Hermaphroditic Nematodes. Science 2009; 326:1002-5. [DOI: 10.1126/science.1176013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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Wang B. [Recent advances in the study of spermatogenesis and fertilization in Caenorhabditis elegans]. YI CHUAN = HEREDITAS 2008; 30:677-86. [PMID: 18550488 DOI: 10.3724/sp.j.1005.2008.00677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Spermatogenesis in Caenorhabditis elegans, mainly consisting of meiosis and spermiogenesis (or sperm activation), is a complicated cell differentiation process. The germ cells develop into matured motile spermatozoa after the expression of specific genes during meiosis and protein posttranslational modification during spermiogenesis. The spermatozoa compete with each other, communicate with and finally fertilize the oocytes such that new individuals are generated. A group of mutants related to spermatogenesis, sperm motility and fertilization are obtained through the sterile screen. Some specific genes in spermatogenesis and fertilization have been cloned and their functions have been studied. C. elegans is an attractive model to dissect the complexities of spermatogenesis and fertilization. The advances in the study of C. elegans may give insights to important targets for the study of male infertility and contraceptives in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Wang
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
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Gosney R, Liau WS, Lamunyon CW. A novel function for the presenilin family member spe-4: inhibition of spermatid activation in Caenorhabditis elegans. BMC DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 2008; 8:44. [PMID: 18430247 PMCID: PMC2383881 DOI: 10.1186/1471-213x-8-44] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2007] [Accepted: 04/22/2008] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Background Sperm cells must regulate the timing and location of activation to maximize the likelihood of fertilization. Sperm from most species, including the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, activate upon encountering an external signal. Activation for C. elegans sperm occurs as spermatids undergo spermiogenesis, a profound cellular reorganization that produces a pseudopod. Spermiogenesis is initiated by an activation signal that is transduced through a series of gene products. It is now clear that an inhibitory pathway also operates in spermatids, preventing their premature progression to spermatozoa and resulting in fine-scale control over the timing of activation. Here, we describe the involvement of a newly assigned member of the inhibitory pathway: spe-4, a homolog of the human presenilin gene PS1. The spe-4(hc196) allele investigated here was isolated as a suppressor of sterility of mutations in the spermiogenesis signal transduction gene spe-27. Results Through mapping, complementation tests, DNA sequencing, and transformation rescue, we determined that allele hc196 is a mutation in the spe-4 gene. Our data show that spe-4(hc196) is a bypass suppressor that eliminates the need for the spermiogenesis signal transduction. On its own, spe-4(hc196) has a recessive, temperature sensitive spermatogenesis-defective phenotype, with mutants exhibiting (i) defective spermatocytes, (ii) defective spermatids, (iii) premature spermatid activation, and (iv) spermatozoa defective in fertilization, in addition to a small number of functional sperm which appear normal microscopically. Conclusion A fraction of the sperm from spe-4(hc196) mutant males progress directly to functional spermatozoa without the need for an activation signal, suggesting that spe-4 plays a role in preventing spermatid activation. Another fraction of spermatozoa from spe-4(hc196) mutants are defective in fertilization. Therefore, prematurely activated spermatozoa may have several defects: we show that they may be defective in fertilization, and earlier work showed that they obstruct sperm transfer from males at mating. hc196 is a hypomorphic allele of spe-4, and its newly-discovered role inhibiting spermiogenesis may involve known proteolytic and/or calcium regulatory aspects of presenilin function, or it may involve yet-to-be discovered functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryoko Gosney
- Department of Biological Science, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, CA, USA.
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41
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Singson
- Waksman Institute and Department of Genetics, Rutgers University, 190 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, USA.
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Stanfield GM, Villeneuve AM. Regulation of Sperm Activation by SWM-1 Is Required for Reproductive Success of C. elegans Males. Curr Biol 2006; 16:252-63. [PMID: 16461278 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2005.12.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2005] [Revised: 12/12/2005] [Accepted: 12/16/2005] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sexual reproduction in animals requires the production of highly specialized motile sperm cells that can navigate to and fertilize ova. During sperm differentiation, nonmotile spermatids are remodeled into motile spermatozoa through a process known as spermiogenesis. In nematodes, spermiogenesis, or sperm activation, involves a rapid cellular morphogenesis that converts unpolarized round spermatids into polarized amoeboid spermatozoa capable of both motility and fertilization. RESULTS Here we demonstrate, by genetic analysis and in vivo and in vitro cell-based assays, that the temporal and spatial localization of spermiogenesis are critical determinants of male fertility in C. elegans, a male/hermaphrodite species. We identify swm-1 as a factor important for male but not hermaphrodite fertility. We show that whereas in wild-type males, activation occurs after spermatids are transferred to the hermaphrodite, swm-1 mutants exhibit ectopic activation of sperm within the male reproductive tract. This ectopic activation leads to infertility by impeding sperm transfer. The SWM-1 protein is composed of a signal sequence and two trypsin inhibitor-like domains and likely functions as a secreted serine protease inhibitor that targets two distinct proteases. CONCLUSIONS These findings support a model in which (1) proteolysis acts as an important in vivo trigger for sperm activation and (2) regulating the timing of proteolysis-triggered activation is crucial for male reproductive success. Furthermore, our data provide insight into how a common program of gamete differentiation can be modulated to allow males to participate in reproduction in the context of a male/hermaphrodite species where the capacity for hermaphrodite self-fertilization has rendered them nonessential for progeny production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gillian M Stanfield
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305, USA
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Geldziler B, Chatterjee I, Kadandale P, Putiri E, Patel R, Singson A. A comparative study of sperm morphology, cytology and activation in Caenorhabditis elegans, Caenorhabditis remanei and Caenorhabditis briggsae. Dev Genes Evol 2006; 216:198-208. [PMID: 16389557 DOI: 10.1007/s00427-005-0045-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2005] [Accepted: 11/21/2005] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Studies of sterile mutants in Caenorhabditis elegans have uncovered new insights into fundamental aspects of gamete cell biology, development, and function at fertilization. The genome sequences of C. elegans, Caenorhabditis briggsae and Caenorhabditis remanei allow for informative comparative studies among these three species. Towards that end, we have examined wild-type sperm morphology and activation (spermiogenesis) in each. Light and electron microscopy studies reveal that general sperm morphology, organization, and ultrastructure are similar in all three species, and activation techniques developed for C. elegans were found to work well in both C. briggsae and C. remanei. Despite important differences in the reproductive mode between C. remanei and the other two species, most genes required for spermiogenesis are conserved in all three. Finally, we have also examined the subcellular distribution of sperm epitopes in C. briggsae and C. remanei that cross-react with anti-sera directed against C. elegans sperm proteins. The baseline data in this study will prove useful for the future analysis and interpretation of sperm gene function across nematode species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Geldziler
- Department of Genetics, Waksman Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
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