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Nourani L, Ayoub Meigouni M, Afzali S, Zargar M, Pourhashem Z, Yousefi H, Sani JJ, Vand-Rajabpour H, Pirahmadi S, Raz A, Abouie Mehrizi A. Cd loop fusion enhances the immunogenicity and the potential transmission blocking activity of Plasmodium falciparum generative cell specific 1 (GCS1) antigen. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2024; 733:150599. [PMID: 39208643 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2024.150599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2024] [Revised: 08/10/2024] [Accepted: 08/22/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
TBVs are suggested to inhibit parasite transmission from humans to Anopheles mosquitoes. For the transmission of Plasmodium parasite, a variety of factors are included in gametes fusion phase. In this step, conserved male-specific generative cell specific 1 antigen is necessary for fusion of cytoplasmic membranes of micro- and macro-gametocytes and zygot formation. The partial blocking activities of elicited antibodies against either the HAP2-GCS1 domain or the cd loop of this antigen have been recorded to hinder the transmission of Plasmodium species in Anopheles mid-gut. Thus, the objective of the present study was to investigate if the cd loop-fusion can enhance the quantity and quality of humoral and cellular immune responses against Plasmodium falciparum GCS1 in comparison to non-fusion antigen (without cd loop), in the adjuvanted and non-adjuvanted mouse groups. The immunogenicity of two constructs of P. falciparum generative cell specific 1 antigen, a fusion protein composed of cd loop and HAP2-GCS1 domain (cd-HAP) and another recombinant PfGCS1 containing solo HAP2-GCS1 domain (HAP2) were assessed to impede Plasmodium gametocytes integration before zygote formation. The antibodies profiling, titer, and avidity of induced antibodies were measured by the immunized mice sera, and the released cytokines (IL-5, TNF, and INF-γ) were analyzed in the supernatants of stimulated splenocytes. Furthermore, the inhibitory potency of the elicited antibodies against HAP2 and cd-HAP was measured during oocyst development by Standard Membrane Feeding Assay (SMFA). The comparative results in the present study showed the higher titer of IgG antibodies and IgG2a subclass, avidity, and transmission-reducing activity (TRA = 72.5 %) when mice were immunized by cd-HAP rather than HAP2. Moreover, our findings confirmed intensified Th1-directed immune responses in group 4 received cd-HAP/Poly(I:C). These findings declared the potential ability of cd loop fusion (cd-HAP) to upsurge humoral and cellular immune responses. However, the immune responses may switch to stronger Th1-type using alternative formulations. Explicitly, the cd-HAP-based vaccine may enhance the overall efficiency of immune responses and present a promising implementation in aiming malaria transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leila Nourani
- Malaria and Vector Research Group (MVRG), Biotechnology Research Center (BRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Masoumeh Ayoub Meigouni
- Malaria and Vector Research Group (MVRG), Biotechnology Research Center (BRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Shima Afzali
- Malaria and Vector Research Group (MVRG), Biotechnology Research Center (BRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mostafa Zargar
- Malaria and Vector Research Group (MVRG), Biotechnology Research Center (BRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Zeinab Pourhashem
- Malaria and Vector Research Group (MVRG), Biotechnology Research Center (BRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hemn Yousefi
- Malaria and Vector Research Group (MVRG), Biotechnology Research Center (BRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Jafar J Sani
- Malaria and Vector Research Group (MVRG), Biotechnology Research Center (BRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hediye Vand-Rajabpour
- Malaria and Vector Research Group (MVRG), Biotechnology Research Center (BRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sakineh Pirahmadi
- Malaria and Vector Research Group (MVRG), Biotechnology Research Center (BRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Abbasali Raz
- Malaria and Vector Research Group (MVRG), Biotechnology Research Center (BRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Akram Abouie Mehrizi
- Malaria and Vector Research Group (MVRG), Biotechnology Research Center (BRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
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Moreira D, Kaur D, Fourbert-Mendes S, Showalter AM, Coimbra S, Pereira AM. Eight hydroxyproline-O-galactosyltransferases play essential roles in female reproductive development. PLANT SCIENCE : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PLANT BIOLOGY 2024; 348:112231. [PMID: 39154893 DOI: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2024.112231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2024] [Revised: 08/13/2024] [Accepted: 08/14/2024] [Indexed: 08/20/2024]
Abstract
In angiosperms, ovules give rise to seeds upon fertilization. Thus, seed formation is dependent on both successful ovule development and tightly controlled communication between female and male gametophytes. During establishment of these interactions, cell walls play a pivotal role, especially arabinogalactan-proteins (AGPs). AGPs are highly glycosylated proteins decorated by arabinogalactan side chains, representing 90 % of the AGP molecule. AGP glycosylation is initiated by a reaction catalysed by hydroxyproline-O-galactosyltransferases (Hyp-GALTs), specifically eight of them (GALT2-9), which add the first galactose to Hyp residues. Five Hyp-GALTs (GALT2, 5, 7, 8 and 9) were previously described as essential for AGP functions in pollen and ovule development, pollen-pistil interactions, and seed morphology. In the present work, a higher order Hyp-GALT mutant (23456789) was studied, with a high degree of under-glycosylated AGPs, to gain deeper insight into the crucial roles of these eight enzymes in female reproductive tissues. Notably, the 23456789 mutant demonstrated a high quantity of unfertilized ovules, displaying abnormal callose accumulation both at the micropylar region and, sometimes, throughout the entire embryo sac. Additionally, this mutant displayed ovules with abnormal embryo sacs, had a disrupted spatiotemporal distribution of AGPs in female reproductive tissues, and showed abnormal seed and embryo development, concomitant with a reduction in AGP-GlcA levels. This study revealed that at least three more enzymes exhibit Hyp-O-GALT activity in Arabidopsis (GALT3, 4 and 6), and reinforces the crucial importance of AGP carbohydrates in carrying out the biological functions of AGPs during plant reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Moreira
- LAQV Requimte, Sustainable Chemistry, Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Porto 4169-007, Portugal
| | - Dasmeet Kaur
- Department of Environmental & Plant Biology, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701-2979, USA; Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701-2979, USA
| | - Sara Fourbert-Mendes
- LAQV Requimte, Sustainable Chemistry, Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Porto 4169-007, Portugal
| | - Allan M Showalter
- Department of Environmental & Plant Biology, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701-2979, USA; Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701-2979, USA
| | - Sílvia Coimbra
- LAQV Requimte, Sustainable Chemistry, Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Porto 4169-007, Portugal
| | - Ana Marta Pereira
- LAQV Requimte, Sustainable Chemistry, Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Porto 4169-007, Portugal.
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3
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Ouonkap SVY, Palaniappan M, Pryze K, Jong E, Ali MF, Styler B, Almasaud RA, Harkey AF, Reid RW, Loraine AE, Smith SE, Muday GK, Pease JB, Palanivelu R, Johnson MA. Enhanced pollen tube performance at high temperature contributes to thermotolerant fruit production in tomato. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.08.01.606234. [PMID: 39149357 PMCID: PMC11326152 DOI: 10.1101/2024.08.01.606234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/17/2024]
Abstract
Rising temperature extremes during critical reproductive periods threaten the yield of major grain and fruit crops. Flowering plant reproduction depends on development of sufficient numbers of pollen grains and on their ability to generate a cellular extension, the pollen tube, which elongates through the pistil to deliver sperm cells to female gametes for double fertilization. These critical phases of the life cycle are sensitive to temperature and limit productivity under high temperature (HT). Previous studies have investigated the effects of HT on pollen development, but little is known about how HT applied during the pollen tube growth phase affects fertility. Here, we used tomato as a model fruit crop to determine how HT affects the pollen tube growth phase, taking advantage of cultivars noted for fruit production in exceptionally hot growing seasons. We found that exposure to HT solely during the pollen tube growth phase limits fruit biomass and seed set more significantly in thermosensitive cultivars than in thermotolerant cultivars. Importantly, we found that pollen tubes from the thermotolerant Tamaulipas cultivar have enhanced growth in vivo and in vitro under HT. Analysis of the pollen tube transcriptome's response to HT allowed us to develop hypotheses for the molecular basis of cellular thermotolerance in the pollen tube and we define two response modes (enhanced induction of stress responses, and higher basal levels of growth pathways repressed by heat stress) associated with reproductive thermotolerance. Importantly, we define key components of the pollen tube stress response identifying enhanced ROS homeostasis and pollen tube callose synthesis and deposition as important components of reproductive thermotolerance in Tamaulipas. Our work identifies the pollen tube growth phase as a viable target to enhance reproductive thermotolerance and delineates key pathways that are altered in crop varieties capable of fruiting under HT conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Emma Jong
- School of Plant Sciences; University of Arizona
| | | | - Benjamin Styler
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry; Brown University
| | | | | | - Robert W Reid
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genomics; UNC Charlotte
| | - Ann E Loraine
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genomics; UNC Charlotte
| | - Steven E Smith
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment; University of Arizona
| | | | - James B Pease
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology; The Ohio State University
| | | | - Mark A Johnson
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry; Brown University
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4
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Sede AR, Wengier DL, Borassi C, Ricardi M, Somoza SC, Aguiló R, Estevez JM, Muschietti JP. Arabidopsis pollen prolyl-hydroxylases P4H4/6 are relevant for correct hydroxylation and secretion of LRX11 in pollen tubes. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2024; 75:4415-4427. [PMID: 38877792 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erae269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024]
Abstract
Major constituents of the plant cell walls are structural proteins that belong to the hydroxyproline-rich glycoprotein (HRGP) family. Leucine-rich repeat extensin (LRX) proteins contain a leucine-rich domain and a C-terminal domain with repetitive Ser-Pro3-5 motifs that are potentially to be O-glycosylated. It has been demonstrated that pollen-specific LRX8-LRX11 from Arabidopsis thaliana are necessary to maintain the integrity of the pollen tube cell wall during polarized growth. In HRGPs, including classical extensins (EXTs), and probably in LRXs, proline residues are converted to hydroxyproline by prolyl-4-hydroxylases (P4Hs), thus defining novel O-glycosylation sites. In this context, we aimed to determine whether hydroxylation and subsequent O-glycosylation of Arabidopsis pollen LRXs are necessary for their proper function and cell wall localization in pollen tubes. We hypothesized that pollen-expressed P4H4 and P4H6 catalyze the hydroxylation of the proline units present in Ser-Pro3-5 motifs of LRX8-LRX11. Here, we show that the p4h4-1 p4h6-1 double mutant exhibits a reduction in pollen germination rates and a slight reduction in pollen tube length. Pollen germination is also inhibited by P4H inhibitors, suggesting that prolyl hydroxylation is required for pollen tube development. Plants expressing pLRX11::LRX11-GFP in the p4h4-1 p4h6-1 background show partial re-localization of LRX11-green fluorescent protein (GFP) from the pollen tube tip apoplast to the cytoplasm. Finally, immunoprecipitation-tandem mass spectrometry analysis revealed a decrease in oxidized prolines (hydroxyprolines) in LRX11-GFP in the p4h4-1 p4h6-1 background compared with lrx11 plants expressing pLRX11::LRX11-GFP. Taken together, these results suggest that P4H4 and P4H6 are required for pollen germination and for proper hydroxylation of LRX11 necessary for its localization in the cell wall of pollen tubes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana R Sede
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular, Dr. Héctor Torres (INGEBI-CONICET), Vuelta de Obligado 2490, Buenos Aires, C1428ADN, Argentina
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Intendente Güiraldes 2160, Ciudad Universitaria, Pabellón II, C1428EGA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Diego L Wengier
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular, Dr. Héctor Torres (INGEBI-CONICET), Vuelta de Obligado 2490, Buenos Aires, C1428ADN, Argentina
| | - Cecilia Borassi
- Fundación Instituto Leloir and IIBBA-CONICET, Av. Patricias Argentinas 435, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Martiniano Ricardi
- Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIByNE-CONICET), Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Intendente Güiraldes 2160, Ciudad Universitaria, C1428EGA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Sofía C Somoza
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular, Dr. Héctor Torres (INGEBI-CONICET), Vuelta de Obligado 2490, Buenos Aires, C1428ADN, Argentina
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Intendente Güiraldes 2160, Ciudad Universitaria, Pabellón II, C1428EGA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Rafael Aguiló
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular, Dr. Héctor Torres (INGEBI-CONICET), Vuelta de Obligado 2490, Buenos Aires, C1428ADN, Argentina
| | - José M Estevez
- Fundación Instituto Leloir and IIBBA-CONICET, Av. Patricias Argentinas 435, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIByNE-CONICET), Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Intendente Güiraldes 2160, Ciudad Universitaria, C1428EGA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Centro de Biotecnología Vegetal (CBV), Facultad de Cs. de la Vida, Universidad Andrés Bello, ANID-Millennium Science Initiative Program-Millennium Nucleus for the Development of Super Adaptable Plants (MN-SAP), Santiago, Chile and ANID-Millennium Science Initiative Program-Millennium Institute for Integrative Biology (iBio), Santiago, Chile
| | - Jorge P Muschietti
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular, Dr. Héctor Torres (INGEBI-CONICET), Vuelta de Obligado 2490, Buenos Aires, C1428ADN, Argentina
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Intendente Güiraldes 2160, Ciudad Universitaria, Pabellón II, C1428EGA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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5
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Pinello JF, Loidl J, Seltzer ES, Cassidy-Hanley D, Kolbin D, Abdelatif A, Rey FA, An R, Newberger NJ, Bisharyan Y, Papoyan H, Byun H, Aguilar HC, Lai AL, Freed JH, Maugel T, Cole ES, Clark TG. Novel requirements for HAP2/GCS1-mediated gamete fusion in Tetrahymena. iScience 2024; 27:110146. [PMID: 38904066 PMCID: PMC11187246 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.110146] [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: 05/29/2023] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024] Open
Abstract
The ancestral gamete fusion protein, HAP2/GCS1, plays an essential role in fertilization in a broad range of taxa. To identify factors that may regulate HAP2/GCS1 activity, we screened mutants of the ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila for behaviors that mimic Δhap2/gcs1 knockout phenotypes in this species. Using this approach, we identified two new genes, GFU1 and GFU2, whose products are necessary for membrane pore formation following mating type recognition and adherence. GFU2 is predicted to be a single-pass transmembrane protein, while GFU1, though lacking obvious transmembrane domains, has the potential to interact directly with membrane phospholipids in the cytoplasm. Like Tetrahymena HAP2/GCS1, expression of GFU1 is required in both cells of a mating pair for efficient fusion to occur. To explain these bilateral requirements, we propose a model that invokes cooperativity between the fusion machinery on apposed membranes of mating cells and accounts for successful fertilization in Tetrahymena's multiple mating type system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer F. Pinello
- Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Josef Loidl
- Department of Chromosome Biology, Max Perutz Labs, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ethan S. Seltzer
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Donna Cassidy-Hanley
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Daniel Kolbin
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Anhar Abdelatif
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Félix A. Rey
- Unité de Virologie Structurale, Institut Pasteur, 75724 Paris, France
- CNRS UMR 3569, 75724 Paris, France
| | - Rocky An
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Nicole J. Newberger
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Yelena Bisharyan
- Office of Technology Development, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Hayk Papoyan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Haewon Byun
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Hector C. Aguilar
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Alex L. Lai
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Jack H. Freed
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Timothy Maugel
- Department of Biology, Laboratory for Biological Ultrastructure, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Eric S. Cole
- Biology Department, St. Olaf College, Northfield, MN 55057, USA
| | - Theodore G. Clark
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
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6
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Gutiérrez-Valencia J, Zervakis PI, Postel Z, Fracassetti M, Losvik A, Mehrabi S, Bunikis I, Soler L, Hughes PW, Désamoré A, Laenen B, Abdelaziz M, Pettersson OV, Arroyo J, Slotte T. Genetic Causes and Genomic Consequences of Breakdown of Distyly in Linum trigynum. Mol Biol Evol 2024; 41:msae087. [PMID: 38709782 PMCID: PMC11114476 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msae087] [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: 11/17/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Distyly is an iconic floral polymorphism governed by a supergene, which promotes efficient pollen transfer and outcrossing through reciprocal differences in the position of sexual organs in flowers, often coupled with heteromorphic self-incompatibility. Distyly has evolved convergently in multiple flowering plant lineages, but has also broken down repeatedly, often resulting in homostylous, self-compatible populations with elevated rates of self-fertilization. Here, we aimed to study the genetic causes and genomic consequences of the shift to homostyly in Linum trigynum, which is closely related to distylous Linum tenue. Building on a high-quality genome assembly, we show that L. trigynum harbors a genomic region homologous to the dominant haplotype of the distyly supergene conferring long stamens and short styles in L. tenue, suggesting that loss of distyly first occurred in a short-styled individual. In contrast to homostylous Primula and Fagopyrum, L. trigynum harbors no fixed loss-of-function mutations in coding sequences of S-linked distyly candidate genes. Instead, floral gene expression analyses and controlled crosses suggest that mutations downregulating the S-linked LtWDR-44 candidate gene for male self-incompatibility and/or anther height could underlie homostyly and self-compatibility in L. trigynum. Population genomic analyses of 224 whole-genome sequences further demonstrate that L. trigynum is highly self-fertilizing, exhibits significantly lower genetic diversity genome-wide, and is experiencing relaxed purifying selection and less frequent positive selection on nonsynonymous mutations relative to L. tenue. Our analyses shed light on the loss of distyly in L. trigynum, and advance our understanding of a common evolutionary transition in flowering plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juanita Gutiérrez-Valencia
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Science for Life Laboratory, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Panagiotis-Ioannis Zervakis
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Science for Life Laboratory, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Zoé Postel
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Science for Life Laboratory, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Marco Fracassetti
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Science for Life Laboratory, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Aleksandra Losvik
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Science for Life Laboratory, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Sara Mehrabi
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Science for Life Laboratory, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ignas Bunikis
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala Genome Center, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Lucile Soler
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Uppsala University, National Bioinformatics Infrastructure Sweden (NBIS), Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - P William Hughes
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Science for Life Laboratory, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Aurélie Désamoré
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Science for Life Laboratory, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Benjamin Laenen
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Science for Life Laboratory, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Olga Vinnere Pettersson
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala Genome Center, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Juan Arroyo
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
| | - Tanja Slotte
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Science for Life Laboratory, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
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7
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Zhong S, Zhao P, Peng X, Li HJ, Duan Q, Cheung AY. From gametes to zygote: Mechanistic advances and emerging possibilities in plant reproduction. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 195:4-35. [PMID: 38431529 PMCID: PMC11060694 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiae125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2023] [Revised: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Sheng Zhong
- State Key Laboratory for Protein and Plant Gene Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, College of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Peng Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Xiongbo Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Hong-Ju Li
- Key Laboratory of Seed Innovation, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Center for Molecular Agrobiology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Qiaohong Duan
- College of Horticulture Science and Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an, Shandong 271018, China
| | - Alice Y Cheung
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, Plant Biology Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
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8
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Matsumoto H, Ueda M. Polarity establishment in the plant zygote at a glance. J Cell Sci 2024; 137:jcs261809. [PMID: 38436556 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.261809] [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: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
The complex structures of multicellular organisms originate from a unicellular zygote. In most angiosperms, including Arabidopsis thaliana, the zygote is distinctly polar and divides asymmetrically to produce an apical cell, which generates the aboveground part of the plant body, and a basal cell, which generates the root tip and extraembryonic suspensor. Thus, zygote polarity is pivotal for establishing the apical-basal axis running from the shoot apex to the root tip of the plant body. The molecular mechanisms and spatiotemporal dynamics behind zygote polarization remain elusive. However, advances in live-cell imaging of plant zygotes have recently made significant insights possible. In this Cell Science at a Glance article and the accompanying poster, we summarize our understanding of the early steps in apical-basal axis formation in Arabidopsis, with a focus on de novo transcriptional activation after fertilization and the intracellular dynamics leading to the first asymmetric division of the zygote.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hikari Matsumoto
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, 6-3, Aza-Aoba, Aramaki, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi, Sendai, 980-8578, Japan
| | - Minako Ueda
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, 6-3, Aza-Aoba, Aramaki, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi, Sendai, 980-8578, Japan
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9
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Wang W, Malka R, Lindemeier M, Cyprys P, Tiedemann S, Sun K, Zhang X, Xiong H, Sprunck S, Sun MX. EGG CELL 1 contributes to egg-cell-dependent preferential fertilization in Arabidopsis. NATURE PLANTS 2024; 10:268-282. [PMID: 38287093 DOI: 10.1038/s41477-023-01616-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2024]
Abstract
During double fertilization in angiosperms, the pollen tube delivers two sperm cells into an embryo sac; one sperm cell fuses with an egg cell, and the other sperm cell fuses with the central cell. It has long been proposed that the preference for fusion with one or another female gamete cell depends on the sperm cells and occurs during gamete recognition. However, up to now, sperm-dependent preferential fertilization has not been demonstrated, and results on preferred fusion with either female gamete have remained conflicting. To investigate this topic, we generated Arabidopsis thaliana mutants that produce single sperm-like cells or whose egg cells are eliminated; we found that although the three different types of sperm-like cell are functionally equivalent in their ability to fertilize the egg and the central cell, each type of sperm-like cell fuses predominantly with the egg cell. This indicates that it is the egg cell that controls its preferential fertilization. We also found that sperm-activating small secreted EGG CELL 1 proteins are involved in the regulation of egg-cell-dependent preferential fertilization, revealing another important role for this protein family during double fertilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Raphael Malka
- Cell Biology and Plant Biochemistry, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Maria Lindemeier
- Cell Biology and Plant Biochemistry, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Philipp Cyprys
- Cell Biology and Plant Biochemistry, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Sophie Tiedemann
- Cell Biology and Plant Biochemistry, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Kaiting Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Xuecheng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Hanxian Xiong
- School of Life Science and Technology, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan, China.
| | - Stefanie Sprunck
- Cell Biology and Plant Biochemistry, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.
| | - Meng-Xiang Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
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10
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Nourani L, Lotfi A, Vand-Rajabpour H, Pourhashem Z, Nemati F, Mehrizi AA. Optimized Refolding Buffers Oriented Humoral Immune Responses Versus PfGCS1 Self-Assembled Peptide Nanoparticle. Mol Biotechnol 2024:10.1007/s12033-023-01044-y. [PMID: 38267696 DOI: 10.1007/s12033-023-01044-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
Developing a novel class of vaccine is pivotal for eliminating and eradicating malaria. Preceding investigations demonstrated partial blocking activity in malaria transmission against recombinant vaccine PfHAP2-GCS1 and conserved region of the cd loop. The effectiveness of immune response varies with the size and shape of the self-assembly of peptide nanoparticles (SAPNs) displaying antigen, affected by different components in refolding buffers. Plasmodium falciparum Generative Cell Specific 1 (PfGCS1), a promising malaria transmission-blocking vaccine (TBV) candidate, was expressed, purified, and followed by a four-step refolding process to form nanoparticles (PfGCS1-SAPNs). The influence of buffer components on the size and shape of SAPNs was investigated by DLS and FESEM. Furthermore, the immunogenicity of nanostructures was assessed in different mouse groups. The results showed that PfGCS1-SAPN was immunogenic and its administration with Poly (I:C), stimulated humoral and cellular responses in the mouse model. In the immunized mice groups, the level of IgG antibodies against PfGCS1-SAPN was significantly increased in different time points (second and third boost) and heterogeneous boosters. The various IgG-subclasses profile shifted to Th1, Th2, or Th1/Th2 mix responses in mice immunized with PfGCS1-SAPN refolded in different buffers, indicating a prerequisite for further investigations to optimize vaccine formulation to enhance and modulate Th1/cellular responses. Such studies pave the way to improve biophysical features related to the nanoparticles' size, shape, and conformational epitopes of candidate antigens and T- and B-cells presented on the superficial structure to elicit robust immune responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leila Nourani
- Malaria and Vector Research Group (MVRG), Biotechnology Research Center (BRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, P.O. Box: 1316943551, Tehran, Iran
| | - Anita Lotfi
- Malaria and Vector Research Group (MVRG), Biotechnology Research Center (BRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, P.O. Box: 1316943551, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Science and Technology, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hediye Vand-Rajabpour
- Malaria and Vector Research Group (MVRG), Biotechnology Research Center (BRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, P.O. Box: 1316943551, Tehran, Iran
| | - Zeinab Pourhashem
- Malaria and Vector Research Group (MVRG), Biotechnology Research Center (BRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, P.O. Box: 1316943551, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fahimeh Nemati
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Science and Technology, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Akram Abouie Mehrizi
- Malaria and Vector Research Group (MVRG), Biotechnology Research Center (BRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, P.O. Box: 1316943551, Tehran, Iran.
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11
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Asano T, Sasse P, Nakata T. Development of a Cre-recombination-based color-switching reporter system for cell fusion detection. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2024; 690:149231. [PMID: 38000293 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2023.149231] [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: 09/19/2023] [Revised: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023]
Abstract
Cell fusion plays a key role in the development and formation of tissues and organs in several organisms. Skeletal myogenesis is assessed in vitro by cell shape and gene and protein expression using immunofluorescence and immunoblotting assays. However, these conventional methods are complex and do not allow for easy time-course observation in living cells. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a Cre recombination-based fluorescent reporter system to monitor cell-cell fusion. We combined green and red fluorescent proteins with a Cre-loxP system to detect syncytium formation using a fluorescent binary switch. This allowed us to visualize mononucleated cells with green fluorescence before fusion and multinucleated syncytia with red fluorescence by conditional expression after cell fusion. The formation of multinuclear myotubes during myogenic differentiation was detected by the change in fluorescence from green to red after Cre-mediated recombination. The distribution of the fluorescence signal correlated with the expression of myogenic differentiation markers. Moreover, red reporter fluorescence intensity was correlated with the number of nuclei contained in the red fluorescent-positive myotubes. We also successfully demonstrated that our fusion monitoring system is applicable to the formation of skeletal muscle myotube and placental syncytiotrophoblast. These results suggest that the color-switching fluorescent reporter system, using Cre-mediated recombination, could be a robust tool used to facilitate the study of cell-to-cell fusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toshifumi Asano
- Department of Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Tokyo, Japan; The Center for Brain Integration Research (CBIR), Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Tokyo, Japan.
| | - Philipp Sasse
- Institute of Physiology I, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Takao Nakata
- Department of Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Tokyo, Japan; The Center for Brain Integration Research (CBIR), Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Tokyo, Japan.
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12
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Li T, Zhu S, Li Y, Yao J, Wang C, Fang S, Pan J, Chen W, Zhang Y. Characteristic of GEX1 genes reveals the essential roles for reproduction in cotton. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 253:127645. [PMID: 37879575 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.127645] [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: 07/21/2023] [Revised: 09/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
GEX1 (gamete expressed 1) proteins are critical membrane proteins conserved among flowering plants that are involved in the nuclear fusion and embryonic development. Herein, we identified the 32 GEX1 proteins from representative land plants. In cotton, GEX1 genes expressed in various tissues across all stages of the life cycle, especially in pollen. Subcellular localization indicated the position of GhGEX1 protein was localized in the endoplasmic reticulum. Experimental research has demonstrated that GhGEX1 has the potential to improve the partial abortion phenotype in Arabidopsis. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout of GhGEX1 exhibited the seed abortion. Paraffin section of the ovule revealed that the polar nuclear fusion of ghgex1 plants remains at a standstill when the wild type has developed into a normal embryo. Comparative transcriptome analysis showed that the DEGs of reproductive-related processes and membrane-related processes were repressed in the pollen of knockout lines. The predicted protein interactions showed that GhGEX1 probably functioned through interactions with proteins related to reproduction and membrane. From all these investigations, it was possible to conclude that the GEX1 proteins are evolutionarily conserved in flowering plants and elucidated the pivotal roles during fertilization and early embryonic development in cotton.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tengyu Li
- National Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Anyang 455000, China; National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Shouhong Zhu
- National Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Anyang 455000, China
| | - Yan Li
- National Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Anyang 455000, China
| | - Jinbo Yao
- National Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Anyang 455000, China
| | - Chenlei Wang
- National Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Anyang 455000, China
| | - Shengtao Fang
- National Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Anyang 455000, China
| | - Jingwen Pan
- National Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Anyang 455000, China
| | - Wei Chen
- National Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Anyang 455000, China.
| | - Yongshan Zhang
- National Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Anyang 455000, China.
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13
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Catta-Preta CMC, Ferreira TR, Ghosh K, Paun A, Sacks D. HOP1 and HAP2 are conserved components of the meiosis-related machinery required for successful mating in Leishmania. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7159. [PMID: 37935664 PMCID: PMC10630298 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42789-z] [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: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/21/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Whole genome analysis of Leishmania hybrids generated experimentally in sand flies supports a meiotic mechanism of genetic exchange, with Mendelian segregation of the nuclear genome. Here, we perform functional analyses through the generation of double drug-resistant hybrids in vitro and in vivo (during sand fly infections) to assess the importance of conserved meiosis-related genes in recombination and plasmogamy. We report that HOP1 and a HAP2-paralog (HAP2-2) are essential components of the Leishmania meiosis machinery and cell-to-cell fusion mechanism, respectively, since deletion of either gene in one or both parents significantly reduces or completely abrogates mating competence. These findings significantly advance our understanding of sexual reproduction in Leishmania, with likely relevance to other trypanosomatids, by formally demonstrating the involvement of a meiotic protein homolog and a distinct fusogen that mediates non-canonical, bilateral fusion in the hybridizing cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Moura Costa Catta-Preta
- Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Tiago Rodrigues Ferreira
- Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Kashinath Ghosh
- Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Andrea Paun
- Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - David Sacks
- Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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14
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Ogawa ST, Kessler SA. Update on signaling pathways regulating polarized intercellular communication in Arabidopsis reproduction. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 193:1732-1744. [PMID: 37453128 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiad414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Revised: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Sienna T Ogawa
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology and Center for Plant Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47905, USA
| | - Sharon A Kessler
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology and Center for Plant Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47905, USA
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15
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Silva MG, Bastos RG, Laughery JM, Alzan HF, Rathinasamy VA, Cooke BM, Suarez CE. Vaccination of cattle with the Babesia bovis sexual-stage protein HAP2 abrogates parasite transmission by Rhipicephalus microplus ticks. NPJ Vaccines 2023; 8:140. [PMID: 37758790 PMCID: PMC10533483 DOI: 10.1038/s41541-023-00741-8] [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: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The apicomplexan parasite Babesia bovis is responsible for bovine babesiosis, a poorly controlled tick-borne disease of global impact. The widely conserved gametocyte protein HAPLESS2/GCS1 (HAP2) is uniquely expressed on the surface of B. bovis sexual stage parasites and is a candidate for transmission-blocking vaccines (TBV). Here, we tested whether vaccination of calves with recombinant HAP2 (rHAP2) interferes with the transmission of B. bovis by competent ticks. Calves vaccinated with rHAP2 (n = 3), but not control animals (n = 3) developed antibodies specific to the vaccine antigen. Vaccinated and control animals were infested with Rhipicephalus microplus larvae and subsequently infected with virulent blood stage B. bovis parasites by needle inoculation, with all animals developing clinical signs of acute babesiosis. Engorged female ticks fed on the infected calves were collected for oviposition, hatching, and obtention of larvae. Transmission feeding was then conducted using pools of larvae derived from ticks fed on rHAP2-vaccinated or control calves. Recipient calves (n = 3) exposed to larvae derived from control animals, but none of the recipient calves (n = 3) challenged with larvae from ticks fed on rHAP2-vaccinated animals, developed signs of acute babesiosis within 11 days after tick infestation. Antibodies against B. bovis antigens and parasite DNA were found in all control recipient animals, but not in any of the calves exposed to larvae derived from HAP2-vaccinated animals, consistent with the absence of B. bovis infection via tick transmission. Overall, our results are consistent with the abrogation of parasite tick transmission in rHAP2-vaccinated calves, confirming this antigen as a prime TBV candidate against B. bovis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta G Silva
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Reginaldo G Bastos
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
- Animal Disease Research Unit, United States Department of Agricultural - Agricultural Research Service, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Jacob M Laughery
- Animal Disease Research Unit, United States Department of Agricultural - Agricultural Research Service, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Heba F Alzan
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
- Parasitology and Animal Diseases Department, National Research Center, Dokki, Giza, Egypt
| | - Vignesh A Rathinasamy
- Australian Institute of Tropical Health & Medicine, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD, Australia
| | - Brian M Cooke
- Australian Institute of Tropical Health & Medicine, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD, Australia
| | - Carlos E Suarez
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA.
- Animal Disease Research Unit, United States Department of Agricultural - Agricultural Research Service, Pullman, WA, USA.
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16
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Meng JG, Xu YJ, Wang WQ, Yang F, Chen SY, Jia PF, Yang WC, Li HJ. Central-cell-produced attractants control fertilization recovery. Cell 2023; 186:3593-3605.e12. [PMID: 37516107 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.06.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Revised: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/31/2023]
Abstract
Animal fertilization relies on hundreds of sperm racing toward the egg, whereas, in angiosperms, only two sperm cells are delivered by a pollen tube to the female gametes (egg cell and central cell) for double fertilization. However, unsuccessful fertilization under this one-pollen-tube design can be detrimental to seed production and plant survival. To mitigate this risk, unfertilized-gamete-controlled extra pollen tube entry has been evolved to bring more sperm cells and salvage fertilization. Despite its importance, the underlying molecular mechanism of this phenomenon remains unclear. In this study, we report that, in Arabidopsis, the central cell secretes peptides SALVAGER1 and SALVAGER2 in a directional manner to attract pollen tubes when the synergid-dependent attraction fails or is terminated by pollen tubes carrying infertile sperm cells. Moreover, loss of SALs impairs the fertilization recovery capacity of the ovules. Therefore, this research uncovers a female gamete-attraction system that salvages seed production for reproductive assurance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiang-Guo Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yin-Jiao Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Wei-Qi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Fei Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Shu-Yan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Peng-Fei Jia
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Wei-Cai Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Hong-Ju Li
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
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17
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Mao Y, Nakel T, Erbasol Serbes I, Joshi S, Tekleyohans DG, Baum T, Groß-Hardt R. ECS1 and ECS2 suppress polyspermy and the formation of haploid plants by promoting double fertilization. eLife 2023; 12:e85832. [PMID: 37489742 PMCID: PMC10421590 DOI: 10.7554/elife.85832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The current pace of crop plant optimization is insufficient to meet future demands and there is an urgent need for novel breeding strategies. It was previously shown that plants tolerate the generation of triparental polyspermy-derived plants and that polyspermy can bypass hybridization barriers. Polyspermy thus has the potential to harness previously incompatible climate-adapted wild varieties for plant breeding. However, factors that influence polyspermy frequencies were not previously known. The endopeptidases ECS1 and ECS2 have been reported to prevent the attraction of supernumerary pollen tubes by cleaving the pollen tube attractant LURE1. Here, we show that these genes have an earlier function that is manifested by incomplete double fertilization in plants defective for both genes. In addition to supernumerary pollen tube attraction, ecs1 ecs2 mutants exhibit a delay in synergid disintegration, are susceptible to heterofertilization, and segregate haploid plants that lack a paternal genome contribution. Our results thus uncover ECS1 and ECS2 as the first female factors triggering the induction of maternal haploids. Capitalizing on a high-throughput polyspermy assay, we in addition show that the double mutant exhibits an increase in polyspermy frequencies. As both haploid induction and polyspermy are valuable breeding aims, our results open new avenues for accelerated generation of climate-adapted cultivars.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanbo Mao
- University of Bremen, Centre for Biomolecular InteractionsBremenGermany
| | - Thomas Nakel
- University of Bremen, Centre for Biomolecular InteractionsBremenGermany
| | | | - Saurabh Joshi
- University of Bremen, Centre for Biomolecular InteractionsBremenGermany
| | | | - Thomas Baum
- University of Bremen, Centre for Biomolecular InteractionsBremenGermany
| | - Rita Groß-Hardt
- University of Bremen, Centre for Biomolecular InteractionsBremenGermany
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18
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Azimi FC, Dean TT, Minari K, Basso LGM, Vance TDR, Serrão VHB. A Frame-by-Frame Glance at Membrane Fusion Mechanisms: From Viral Infections to Fertilization. Biomolecules 2023; 13:1130. [PMID: 37509166 PMCID: PMC10377500 DOI: 10.3390/biom13071130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Revised: 07/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Viral entry and fertilization are distinct biological processes that share a common mechanism: membrane fusion. In viral entry, enveloped viruses attach to the host cell membrane, triggering a series of conformational changes in the viral fusion proteins. This results in the exposure of a hydrophobic fusion peptide, which inserts into the host membrane and brings the viral and host membranes into close proximity. Subsequent structural rearrangements in opposing membranes lead to their fusion. Similarly, membrane fusion occurs when gametes merge during the fertilization process, though the exact mechanism remains unclear. Structural biology has played a pivotal role in elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying membrane fusion. High-resolution structures of the viral and fertilization fusion-related proteins have provided valuable insights into the conformational changes that occur during this process. Understanding these mechanisms at a molecular level is essential for the development of antiviral therapeutics and tools to influence fertility. In this review, we will highlight the biological importance of membrane fusion and how protein structures have helped visualize both common elements and subtle divergences in the mechanisms behind fusion; in addition, we will examine the new tools that recent advances in structural biology provide researchers interested in a frame-by-frame understanding of membrane fusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farshad C. Azimi
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada;
| | - Trevor T. Dean
- Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA;
| | - Karine Minari
- Biomolecular Cryo-Electron Microscopy Facility, University of California-Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA;
| | - Luis G. M. Basso
- Laboratório de Ciências Físicas, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Campos dos Goytacazes, Rio de Janeiro 28013-602, Brazil;
| | - Tyler D. R. Vance
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada;
| | - Vitor Hugo B. Serrão
- Biomolecular Cryo-Electron Microscopy Facility, University of California-Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA;
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California-Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
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19
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Gert KRB, Panser K, Surm J, Steinmetz BS, Schleiffer A, Jovine L, Moran Y, Kondrashov F, Pauli A. Divergent molecular signatures in fish Bouncer proteins define cross-fertilization boundaries. Nat Commun 2023; 14:3506. [PMID: 37316475 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39317-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Molecular compatibility between gametes is a prerequisite for successful fertilization. As long as a sperm and egg can recognize and bind each other via their surface proteins, gamete fusion may occur even between members of separate species, resulting in hybrids that can impact speciation. The egg membrane protein Bouncer confers species specificity to gamete interactions between medaka and zebrafish, preventing their cross-fertilization. Here, we leverage this specificity to uncover distinct amino acid residues and N-glycosylation patterns that differentially influence the function of medaka and zebrafish Bouncer and contribute to cross-species incompatibility. Curiously, in contrast to the specificity observed for medaka and zebrafish Bouncer, seahorse and fugu Bouncer are compatible with both zebrafish and medaka sperm, in line with the pervasive purifying selection that dominates Bouncer's evolution. The Bouncer-sperm interaction is therefore the product of seemingly opposing evolutionary forces that, for some species, restrict fertilization to closely related fish, and for others, allow broad gamete compatibility that enables hybridization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krista R B Gert
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Campus-Vienna-Biocenter 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
- Vienna BioCenter PhD Program, Doctoral School of the University of Vienna and Medical University of Vienna, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Karin Panser
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Campus-Vienna-Biocenter 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Joachim Surm
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 9190401, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Benjamin S Steinmetz
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Campus-Vienna-Biocenter 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
- Institute of Molecular Systems Biology, Department of Biology, ETH Zürich, 8093, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Alexander Schleiffer
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Campus-Vienna-Biocenter 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Luca Jovine
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Yehu Moran
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 9190401, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Fyodor Kondrashov
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Klosterneuburg, Austria
- Evolutionary and Synthetic Biology Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Andrea Pauli
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Campus-Vienna-Biocenter 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria.
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20
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Sugi N, Maruyama D. Exploring Novel Polytubey Reproduction Pathways Utilizing Cumulative Genetic Tools. PLANT & CELL PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 64:454-460. [PMID: 36943745 DOI: 10.1093/pcp/pcad021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 03/11/2023] [Accepted: 03/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
In the anthers and ovaries of flowers, pollen grains and embryo sacs are produced with uniform cell compositions. This stable gametogenesis enables elaborate interactions between male and female gametophytes after pollination, forming the highly successful sexual reproduction system in flowering plants. As most ovules are fertilized with a single pollen tube, the resulting genome set in the embryo and endosperm is determined in a single pattern by independent fertilization of the egg cell and central cell by two sperm cells. However, if ovules receive four sperm cells from two pollen tubes, the expected options for genome sets in the developing seeds would more than double. In wild-type Arabidopsis thaliana plants, around 5% of ovules receive two pollen tubes. Recent studies have elucidated the abnormal fertilization in supernumerary pollen tubes and sperm cells related to polytubey, polyspermy, heterofertilization and fertilization recovery. Analyses of model plants have begun to uncover the mechanisms underlying this new pollen tube biology. Here, we review unusual fertilization phenomena and propose several breeding applications for flowering plants. These arguments contribute to the remodeling of plant reproduction, a challenging concept that alters typical plant fertilization by utilizing the current genetic toolbox.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naoya Sugi
- Kihara Institute for Biological Research, Yokohama City University, Maioka-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 244-0813 Japan
| | - Daisuke Maruyama
- Kihara Institute for Biological Research, Yokohama City University, Maioka-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 244-0813 Japan
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21
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Flores-Tornero M, Becker JD. 50 years of sperm cell isolations: from structural to omic studies. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2023:erad117. [PMID: 37025026 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erad117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
The fusion of male and female gametes is a fundamental process in the perpetuation and diversification of species. During the last 50 years, significant efforts have been made to isolate and characterize sperm cells from flowering plants, and to identify how these cells interact with female gametes to achieve double fertilization. The first techniques and analytical approaches not only provided structural and biochemical characterizations of plant sperm cells but also paved the way for in vitro fertilization studies. Further technological advances then led to unique insights into sperm biology at transcriptomic, proteomic and epigenetic level. Starting with a historical overview of sperm cell isolation techniques, we provide examples of how these contributed to create our current knowledge of sperm cell biology, and point out remaining challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Flores-Tornero
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, Oeiras, 2780-157 Portugal
| | - Jörg D Becker
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, Oeiras, 2780-157 Portugal
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22
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Liu X, Adhikari PB, Kasahara RD. Pollen Tube Content Facilitates and Increases the Potential of Endosperm Proliferation Irrespective of Fertilization in <i>Arabidopsis thaliana</i>. CYTOLOGIA 2023. [DOI: 10.1508/cytologia.88.35] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
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23
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Yan H, Zhuang M, Xu X, Li S, Yang M, Li N, Du X, Hu K, Peng X, Huang W, Wu H, Tse YC, Zhao L, Wang H. Autophagy and its mediated mitochondrial quality control maintain pollen tube growth and male fertility in Arabidopsis. Autophagy 2023; 19:768-783. [PMID: 35786359 PMCID: PMC9980518 DOI: 10.1080/15548627.2022.2095838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Macroautophagy/autophagy, a major catabolic pathway in eukaryotes, participates in plant sexual reproduction including the processes of male gametogenesis and the self-incompatibility response. Rapid pollen tube growth is another essential reproductive process that is metabolically highly demanding to drive the vigorous cell growth for delivery of male gametes for fertilization in angiosperms. Whether and how autophagy operates to maintain the homeostasis of pollen tubes remains unknown. Here, we provide evidence that autophagy is elevated in growing pollen tubes and critically required during pollen tube growth and male fertility in Arabidopsis. We demonstrate that SH3P2, a critical non-ATG regulator of plant autophagy, colocalizes with representative ATG proteins during autophagosome biogenesis in growing pollen tubes. Downregulation of SH3P2 expression significantly disrupts Arabidopsis pollen germination and pollen tube growth. Further analysis of organelle dynamics reveals crosstalk between autophagosomes and prevacuolar compartments following the inhibition of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase. In addition, time-lapse imaging and tracking of ATG8e-labeled autophagosomes and depolarized mitochondria demonstrate that they interact specifically via the ATG8-family interacting motif (AIM)-docking site to mediate mitophagy. Ultrastructural identification of mitophagosomes and two additional forms of autophagosomes imply that multiple types of autophagy are likely to function simultaneously within pollen tubes. Altogether, our results suggest that autophagy is functionally crucial for mediating mitochondrial quality control and canonical cytoplasm recycling during pollen tube growth.Abbreviations: AIM: ATG8-family interacting motif; ATG8: autophagy related 8; ATG5: autophagy related 5; ATG7: autophagy related 7; BTH: acibenzolar-S-methyl; DEX: dexamethasone; DNP: 2,4-dinitrophenol; GFP: green fluorescent protein; YFP: yellow fluorescent protein; PtdIns3K: phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase; PtdIns3P: phosphatidylinositol-3-phosphate; PVC: prevacuolar compartment; SH3P2: SH3 domain-containing protein 2.
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Affiliation(s)
- He Yan
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, China
| | - Menglong Zhuang
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, China
| | - Xiaoyu Xu
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, China
| | - Shanshan Li
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, China
| | - Mingkang Yang
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, China.,State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou null China
| | - Nianle Li
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, China
| | - Xiaojuan Du
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, China
| | - Kangwei Hu
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, China
| | - Xiaomin Peng
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, China
| | - Wei Huang
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, China.,State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou null China
| | - Hong Wu
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, China.,State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou null China
| | - Yu Chung Tse
- Core Research Facilities, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Lifeng Zhao
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, China
| | - Hao Wang
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, China
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24
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Osuna-Mascaró C, Rubio de Casas R, Gómez JM, Loureiro J, Castro S, Landis JB, Hopkins R, Perfectti F. Hybridization and introgression are prevalent in Southern European Erysimum (Brassicaceae) species. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2023; 131:171-184. [PMID: 35390125 PMCID: PMC9904350 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcac048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Hybridization is a common and important force in plant evolution. One of its outcomes is introgression - the transfer of small genomic regions from one taxon to another by hybridization and repeated backcrossing. This process is believed to be common in glacial refugia, where range expansions and contractions can lead to cycles of sympatry and isolation, creating conditions for extensive hybridization and introgression. Polyploidization is another genome-wide process with a major influence on plant evolution. Both hybridization and polyploidization can have complex effects on plant evolution. However, these effects are often difficult to understand in recently evolved species complexes. METHODS We combined flow cytometry, analyses of transcriptomic sequences and pollen tube growth assays to investigate the consequences of polyploidization, hybridization and introgression on the recent evolution of several Erysimum (Brassicaceae) species from the South of the Iberian Peninsula, a well-known glacial refugium. This species complex differentiated in the last 2 million years, and its evolution has been hypothesized to be determined mainly by polyploidization, interspecific hybridization and introgression. KEY RESULTS Our results support a scenario of widespread hybridization involving both extant and 'ghost' taxa. Several taxa studied here, most notably those with purple corollas, are polyploids, probably of allopolyploid origin. Moreover, hybridization in this group might be an ongoing phenomenon, as pre-zygotic barriers appeared weak in many cases. CONCLUSIONS The evolution of Erysimum spp. has been determined by hybridization to a large extent. Species with purple (polyploids) and yellow flowers (mostly diploid) exhibit a strong signature of introgression in their genomes, indicating that hybridization occurred regardless of colour and across ploidy levels. Although the adaptive value of such genomic exchanges remains unclear, our results demonstrate the significance of hybridization for plant diversification, which should be taken into account when studying plant evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rafael Rubio de Casas
- Research Unit Modeling Nature, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
- Departamento de Ecología, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - José M Gómez
- Research Unit Modeling Nature, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
- Departamento de Ecología Funcional y Evolutiva, Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas (EEZA‐CSIC), Almería, Spain
| | - João Loureiro
- Centre for Functional Ecology, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Silvia Castro
- Centre for Functional Ecology, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Jacob B Landis
- BTI Computational Biology Center, Boyce Thompson Institute, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
- School of Integrative Plant Science, Section of Plant Biology and the L.H. Bailey Hortorium, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Robin Hopkins
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- The Arnold Arboretum, 1300 Centre Street, Boston, MA, USA
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25
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Shiba Y, Takahashi T, Ohashi Y, Ueda M, Mimuro A, Sugimoto J, Noguchi Y, Igawa T. Behavior of Male Gamete Fusogen GCS1/HAP2 and the Regulation in Arabidopsis Double Fertilization. Biomolecules 2023; 13:biom13020208. [PMID: 36830580 PMCID: PMC9953686 DOI: 10.3390/biom13020208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
In the sexual reproduction of flowering plants, two independent fertilization events occur almost simultaneously: two identical sperm cells fuse with either the egg cell or the central cell, resulting in embryo and endosperm development to produce a seed. GCS1/HAP2 is a sperm cell membrane protein essential for plasma membrane fusion with both female gametes. Other sperm membrane proteins, DMP8 and DMP9, are more important for egg cell fertilization than that of the central cell, suggesting its regulatory mechanism in GCS1/HAP2-driving gamete membrane fusion. To assess the GCS1/HAP2 regulatory cascade in the double fertilization system of flowering plants, we produced Arabidopsis transgenic lines expressing different GCS1/HAP2 variants and evaluated the fertilization in vivo. The fertilization pattern observed in GCS1_RNAi transgenic plants implied that sperm cells over the amount of GCS1/HAP2 required for fusion on their surface could facilitate membrane fusion with both female gametes. The cytological analysis of the dmp8dmp9 sperm cell arrested alone in an embryo sac supported GCS1/HAP2 distribution on the sperm surface. Furthermore, the fertilization failures with both female gametes were caused by GCS1/HAP2 secretion from the egg cell. These results provided a possible scenario of GCS1/HAP2 regulation, showing a potential scheme for capturing additional GCS1/HAP2-interacting proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuka Shiba
- Graduate School of Horticulture, Chiba University, Matsudo 648, Matsudo-shi 271-8510, Japan
| | - Taro Takahashi
- Graduate School of Horticulture, Chiba University, Matsudo 648, Matsudo-shi 271-8510, Japan
| | - Yukino Ohashi
- Graduate School of Horticulture, Chiba University, Matsudo 648, Matsudo-shi 271-8510, Japan
| | - Minako Ueda
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Department of Ecological Developmental Adaptability Life Sciences, Tohoku University, 2-1-1 Katahira, Sendai 980-8577, Japan
- Suntory Rising Stars Encouragement Program in Life Sciences (SunRiSE), Sendai 980-8578, Japan
| | - Amane Mimuro
- Graduate School of Horticulture, Chiba University, Matsudo 648, Matsudo-shi 271-8510, Japan
| | - Jin Sugimoto
- Graduate School of Horticulture, Chiba University, Matsudo 648, Matsudo-shi 271-8510, Japan
| | - Yuka Noguchi
- Graduate School of Horticulture, Chiba University, Matsudo 648, Matsudo-shi 271-8510, Japan
| | - Tomoko Igawa
- Graduate School of Horticulture, Chiba University, Matsudo 648, Matsudo-shi 271-8510, Japan
- Plant Molecular Science Center, Chiba University, 1-33 Yayoi, Chiba-shi 263-8522, Japan
- Correspondence:
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26
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Liu HC, Chen HC, Huang TH, Lue WL, Chen J, Suen DF. Cytosolic phosphoglucose isomerase is essential for microsporogenesis and embryogenesis in Arabidopsis. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 191:177-198. [PMID: 36271861 PMCID: PMC9806618 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiac494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Phosphoglucose isomerase (PGI) catalyzes the interconversion of fructose-6-phosphate and glucose-6-phosphate, which impacts cell carbon metabolic flow. Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) contains two nuclear PGI genes respectively encoding plastidial PGI1 and cytosolic PGI (cPGI). The loss of PGI1 impairs the conversion of F6P of the Calvin-Benson cycle to G6P for the synthesis of transitory starch in leaf chloroplasts. Since cpgi knockout mutants have not yet been obtained, they are thought to be lethal. The cpgi lethality can be rescued by expressing CaMV 35S promoter (p35S)-driven cPGI; however, the complemented line is completely sterile due to pollen degeneration. Here, we generated a cpgi mutant expressing p35S::cPGI-YFP in which YFP fluorescence in developing anthers was undetectable specifically in the tapetum and in pollen, which could be associated with male sterility. We also generated RNAi-cPGI knockdown lines with strong cPGI repression in floral buds that exhibited reduced male fertility due to the degeneration of most pollen. Histological analyses indicated that the synthesis of intersporal callose walls was impaired, causing microsporocytes to fail to separate haploid daughter nuclei to form tetrads, which might be responsible for subsequent pollen degeneration. We successfully isolated cpgi knockout mutants in the progeny of a heterozygous cpgi mutant floral-dipped with sugar solutions. The rescued cpgi mutants exhibited diminished young vegetative growth, reduced female fertility, and impaired intersporal callose wall formation in a meiocyte, and, thus, male sterility. Collectively, our data suggest that cPGI plays a vital role in carbohydrate partitioning, which is indispensable for microsporogenesis and early embryogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hung-Chi Liu
- Agricultural Biotechnology Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hsiu-Chen Chen
- Agricultural Biotechnology Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Tzu-Hsiang Huang
- Agricultural Biotechnology Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Wei-Ling Lue
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Jychian Chen
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
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27
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Zhang X, Yu X, Shi C, Dresselhaus T, Sun MX. Do egg cell-secreted aspartic proteases promote gamete attachment? JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE PLANT BIOLOGY 2023; 65:3-6. [PMID: 36625409 DOI: 10.1111/jipb.13447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 01/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Xuecheng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Xiaobo Yu
- Bamboo Diseases and Pest Control and Resources Development Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, College of Life Science, Leshan Normal University, Leshan, 614000, China
| | - Ce Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Thomas Dresselhaus
- Cell Biology and Plant Biochemistry, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, 31 93053, Germany
| | - Meng-Xiang Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
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28
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Capelli-Peixoto J, Saelao P, Johnson WC, Kappmeyer L, Reif KE, Masterson HE, Taus NS, Suarez CE, Brayton KA, Ueti MW. Comparison of high throughput RNA sequences between Babesia bigemina and Babesia bovis revealed consistent differential gene expression that is required for the Babesia life cycle in the vertebrate and invertebrate hosts. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:1093338. [PMID: 36601308 PMCID: PMC9806345 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.1093338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Bovine babesiosis caused by Babesia bigemina and Babesia bovis is an economically important disease that affects cattle worldwide. Both B. bigemina and B. bovis are transovarially transmitted by Rhipicephalus ticks. However, little is known regarding parasite gene expression during infection of the tick vector or mammalian host, which has limited the development of effective control strategies to alleviate the losses to the cattle industry. To understand Babesia gene regulation during tick and mammalian host infection, we performed high throughput RNA-sequencing using samples collected from calves and Rhipicephalus microplus ticks infected with B. bigemina. We evaluated gene expression between B. bigemina blood-stages and kinetes and compared them with previous B. bovis RNA-seq data. The results revealed similar patterns of gene regulation between these two tick-borne transovarially transmitted Babesia parasites. Like B. bovis, the transcription of several B. bigemina genes in kinetes exceeded a 1,000-fold change while a few of these genes had a >20,000-fold increase. To identify genes that may have important roles in B. bigemina and B. bovis transovarial transmission, we searched for genes upregulated in B. bigemina kinetes in the genomic datasets of B. bovis and non-transovarially transmitted parasites, Theileria spp. and Babesia microti. Using this approach, we identify genes that may be potential markers for transovarial transmission by B. bigemina and B. bovis. The findings presented herein demonstrate common Babesia genes linked to infection of the vector or mammalian host and may contribute to elucidating strategies used by the parasite to complete their life cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janaina Capelli-Peixoto
- Program in Vector-Borne Diseases, Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States,*Correspondence: Janaina Capelli-Peixoto,
| | - Perot Saelao
- Veterinary Pest Genetic Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Kerrville, TX, United States
| | | | - Lowell Kappmeyer
- Animal Disease Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Pullman, WA, United States
| | - Kathryn E. Reif
- Program in Vector-Borne Diseases, Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
| | - Hayley E. Masterson
- Program in Vector-Borne Diseases, Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
| | - Naomi S. Taus
- Program in Vector-Borne Diseases, Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States,Animal Disease Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Pullman, WA, United States
| | - Carlos E. Suarez
- Program in Vector-Borne Diseases, Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States,Animal Disease Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Pullman, WA, United States
| | - Kelly A. Brayton
- Program in Vector-Borne Diseases, Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
| | - Massaro W. Ueti
- Program in Vector-Borne Diseases, Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States,Animal Disease Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Pullman, WA, United States
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29
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Yu TY, Xu CX, Li WJ, Wang B. Peptides/receptors signaling during plant fertilization. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:1090836. [PMID: 36589119 PMCID: PMC9797866 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.1090836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Double fertilization is a unique and particularly complicated process for the generation alternation of angiosperms. Sperm cells of angiosperms lose the motility compared with that of gymnosperms. The sperm cells are passively carried and transported by the pollen tube for a long journey before targeting the ovule. Two sperm cells are released at the cleft between the egg and the central cell and fused with two female gametes to produce a zygote and endosperm, respectively, to accomplish the so-called double fertilization process. In this process, extensive communication and interaction occur between the male (pollen or pollen tube) and the female (ovule). It is suggested that small peptides and receptor kinases play critical roles in orchestrating this cell-cell communication. Here, we illuminate the understanding of phases in the process, such as pollen-stigma recognition, the hydration and germination of pollen grains, the growth, guidance, and rupture of tubes, the release of sperm cells, and the fusion of gametes, by reviewing increasing data recently. The roles of peptides and receptor kinases in signaling mechanisms underlying cell-cell communication were focused on, and directions of future studies were perspected in this review.
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30
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Brukman NG, Nakajima KP, Valansi C, Flyak K, Li X, Higashiyama T, Podbilewicz B. A novel function for the sperm adhesion protein IZUMO1 in cell-cell fusion. J Cell Biol 2022; 222:213693. [PMID: 36394541 PMCID: PMC9671554 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.202207147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Mammalian sperm-egg adhesion depends on the trans-interaction between the sperm-specific type I glycoprotein IZUMO1 and its oocyte-specific GPI-anchored receptor JUNO. However, the mechanisms and proteins (fusogens) that mediate the following step of gamete fusion remain unknown. Using live imaging and content mixing assays in a heterologous system and structure-guided mutagenesis, we unveil an unexpected function for IZUMO1 in cell-to-cell fusion. We show that IZUMO1 alone is sufficient to induce fusion, and that this ability is retained in a mutant unable to bind JUNO. On the other hand, a triple mutation in exposed aromatic residues prevents this fusogenic activity without impairing JUNO interaction. Our findings suggest a second function for IZUMO1 as a unilateral mouse gamete fusogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas G. Brukman
- Department of Biology, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Kohdai P. Nakajima
- Division of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
| | - Clari Valansi
- Department of Biology, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Kateryna Flyak
- Department of Biology, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Xiaohui Li
- Department of Biology, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Tetsuya Higashiyama
- Division of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan,Institute of Transformative Bio-Molecules, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan,Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
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31
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Abstract
In sexually reproducing organisms, the genetic information is transmitted from one generation to the next via the merger of male and female gametes. Gamete fusion is a two-step process involving membrane recognition and apposition through ligand-receptor interactions and lipid mixing mediated by fusion proteins. HAP2 (also known as GCS1) is a bona fide gamete fusogen in flowering plants and protists. In vertebrates, a multitude of surface proteins have been demonstrated to be pivotal for sperm-egg fusion, yet none of them exhibit typical fusogenic features. In this Cell Science at a Glance article and the accompanying poster, we summarize recent advances in the mechanistic understanding of gamete fusion in eukaryotes, with a particular focus on mammalian species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yonggang Lu
- Immunology Frontier Research Center, Osaka University, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
- Department of Experimental Genome Research, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Masahito Ikawa
- Immunology Frontier Research Center, Osaka University, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
- Department of Experimental Genome Research, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
- Laboratory of Reproductive Systems Biology, Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 108-8639, Japan
- Center for Infectious Disease Education and Research, Osaka University, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
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32
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Jiang J, Stührwohldt N, Liu T, Huang Q, Li L, Zhang L, Gu H, Fan L, Zhong S, Schaller A, Qu LJ. Egg cell-secreted aspartic proteases ECS1/2 promote gamete attachment to prioritize the fertilization of egg cells over central cells in Arabidopsis. JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE PLANT BIOLOGY 2022; 64:2047-2059. [PMID: 36165344 DOI: 10.1111/jipb.13371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Double fertilization is an innovative phenomenon in angiosperms, in which one sperm cell first fuses with the egg cell to produce the embryo, and then the other sperm fuses with the central cell to produce the endosperm. However, the molecular mechanism of the preferential fertilization of egg cells is poorly understood. In this study, we report that two egg cell-secreted aspartic proteases, ECS1 and ECS2, play an important role in promoting preferential fertilization of egg cells in Arabidopsis. We show that simultaneous loss of ECS1 and ECS2 function resulted in an approximately 20% reduction in fertility, which can be complemented by the full-length ECS1/2 but not by corresponding active site mutants or by secretion-defective versions of ECS1/2. Detailed phenotypic analysis revealed that the egg cell-sperm cell attachment was compromised in ecs1 ecs2 siliques. Limited pollination assays with cyclin-dependent kinase a1 (cdka;1) pollen showed that preferential egg cell fertilization was impaired in the ecs1 ecs2 mutant. Taken together, these results demonstrate that egg cells secret two aspartic proteases, ECS1 and ECS2, to facilitate the attachment of sperm cells to egg cells so that preferential fertilization of egg cells is achieved. This study reveals the molecular mechanism of preferential fertilization in Arabidopsis thaliana.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiahao Jiang
- State Key Laboratory for Protein and Plant Gene Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences at College of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Nils Stührwohldt
- Department of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, Institute of Biology, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, 70593, Germany
| | - Tianxu Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Protein and Plant Gene Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences at College of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Qingpei Huang
- State Key Laboratory for Protein and Plant Gene Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences at College of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Ling Li
- State Key Laboratory for Protein and Plant Gene Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences at College of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Li Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Protein and Plant Gene Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences at College of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Hongya Gu
- State Key Laboratory for Protein and Plant Gene Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences at College of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Liumin Fan
- State Key Laboratory for Protein and Plant Gene Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences at College of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Sheng Zhong
- State Key Laboratory for Protein and Plant Gene Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences at College of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Andreas Schaller
- Department of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, Institute of Biology, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, 70593, Germany
| | - Li-Jia Qu
- State Key Laboratory for Protein and Plant Gene Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences at College of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
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Kumar S, Valansi C, Haile MT, Li X, Flyak K, Dwivedy A, Abatiyow BA, Leeb AS, Kennedy SY, Camargo NM, Vaughan AM, Brukman NG, Podbilewicz B, Kappe SHI. Malaria parasites utilize two essential plasma membrane fusogens for gamete fertilization. Cell Mol Life Sci 2022; 79:549. [PMID: 36241929 PMCID: PMC9568910 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-022-04583-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Revised: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Cell fusion of female and male gametes is the climax of sexual reproduction. In many organisms, the Hapless 2 (HAP2) family of proteins play a critical role in gamete fusion. We find that Plasmodium falciparum, the causative agent of human malaria, expresses two HAP2 proteins: PfHAP2 and PfHAP2p. These proteins are present in stage V gametocytes and localize throughout the flagellum of male gametes. Gene deletion analysis and genetic crosses show that PfHAP2 and PfHAP2p individually are essential for male fertility and thereby, parasite transmission to the mosquito. Using a cell fusion assay, we demonstrate that PfHAP2 and PfHAP2p are both authentic plasma membrane fusogens. Our results establish nonredundant essential roles for PfHAP2 and PfHAP2p in mediating gamete fusion in Plasmodium and suggest avenues in the design of novel strategies to prevent malaria parasite transmission from humans to mosquitoes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sudhir Kumar
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Clari Valansi
- The Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Meseret T Haile
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Xiaohui Li
- The Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Kateryna Flyak
- The Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Abhisek Dwivedy
- Nucleic Acids Programming Laboratory, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Biley A Abatiyow
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Amanda S Leeb
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Spencer Y Kennedy
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Nelly M Camargo
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Ashley M Vaughan
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, USA
| | | | | | - Stefan H I Kappe
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA. .,Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, USA. .,Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
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34
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Snell WJ. Uncovering an ancestral green ménage à trois: Contributions of Chlamydomonas to the discovery of a broadly conserved triad of plant fertilization proteins. CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY 2022; 69:102275. [PMID: 36007296 PMCID: PMC9899528 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2022.102275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Revised: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
During sexual reproduction in the unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas, gametes undergo the conserved cellular events that define fertilization across the tree of life. After initial ciliary adhesion, plus and minus gametes attach to each other at plasma membrane sites specialized for fusion, their bilayers merge, and cell coalescence into a quadri-ciliated cell signals for nuclear fusion. Recent findings show that these conserved cellular events are driven by 3 conserved protein families, FUS1/GEX2, HAP2/GCS1, and KAR5/GEX1. New results also show that species-specific recognition in Chlamydomonas activates the ancestral, viral-like fusogen HAP2 to drive fusion; that the conserved nuclear envelope fusion protein KAR5/GEX1 is also essential for nuclear fusion in Arabidopsis; and that heterodimerization of BELL-KNOX proteins signals for nuclear fusion in Chlamydomonas through early diverging land plants. This review outlines how Chlamydomonas's Janus-like position in evolution along with the ease of working with its gametes have revealed broadly conserved mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- William J Snell
- Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA.
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35
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Vance TDR, Yip P, Jiménez E, Li S, Gawol D, Byrnes J, Usón I, Ziyyat A, Lee JE. SPACA6 ectodomain structure reveals a conserved superfamily of gamete fusion-associated proteins. Commun Biol 2022; 5:984. [PMID: 36115925 PMCID: PMC9482655 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03883-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
SPACA6 is a sperm-expressed surface protein that is critical for gamete fusion during mammalian sexual reproduction. Despite this fundamental role, little is known about how SPACA6 specifically functions. We elucidated the crystal structure of the SPACA6 ectodomain at 2.2-Å resolution, revealing a two-domain protein containing a four-helix bundle and Ig-like β-sandwich connected via a quasi-flexible linker. This structure is reminiscent of IZUMO1, another gamete fusion-associated protein, making SPACA6 and IZUMO1 founding members of a superfamily of fertilization-associated proteins, herein dubbed the IST superfamily. The IST superfamily is defined structurally by its distorted four-helix bundle and a pair of disulfide-bonded CXXC motifs. A structure-based search of the AlphaFold human proteome identified more protein members to this superfamily; remarkably, many of these proteins are linked to gamete fusion. The SPACA6 structure and its connection to other IST-superfamily members provide a missing link in our knowledge of mammalian gamete fusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler D R Vance
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Patrick Yip
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Elisabet Jiménez
- Institute of Molecular Biology of Barcelona (IBMB-CSIC), 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sheng Li
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Diana Gawol
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - James Byrnes
- National Synchrotron Light Source II, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY, USA
| | - Isabel Usón
- Institute of Molecular Biology of Barcelona (IBMB-CSIC), 08028, Barcelona, Spain
- ICREA, Pg. Lluís Companys 23, 08010, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ahmed Ziyyat
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, INSERM, Institut Cochin, F-75014, Paris, France
- Service d'Histologie, d'Embryologie, Biologie de la Reproduction, AP-HP, Hôpital Cochin, F-75014, Paris, France
| | - Jeffrey E Lee
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
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Design and development of a self-assembling protein nanoparticle displaying PfHAP2 antigenic determinants recognized by natural acquired antibodies. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0274275. [PMID: 36094917 PMCID: PMC9467374 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0274275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Backgrounds In order to move towards the elimination and eradication of malaria in the world, the development of vaccines is inevitable. Many modern vaccines are based on recombinant technology; however, they may not provide a fully protective, long-lasting immune response. One of the strategies to improve recombinant vaccines is designing the nanovaccines such as self-assembling protein nanoparticles (SAPNs). Hence, the presentation of epitopes in a repeat array and correct conformation should be considered. P. falciparum generative cell-specific 1 (PfGCS1) is a main transmission-blocking vaccine candidate with two highly conserved fragments, HAP2-GCS1 and cd loop, inducing partial malaria transmission inhibitory antibodies. Therefore, to design an effective malaria vaccine, we used cd loop and HAP2-GCS1 fragments at the amino and carboxy terminuses of the SAPN-forming amino acid sequence, respectively. Methodology/Principal findings The SAPN monomer (PfGCS1-SAPN) sequence was designed, and the three-dimensional (3D) structure was predicted. The result of this prediction ensured the presence of antigens on the SAPN surface. Then the accuracy of the predicted 3D structure and its stability were confirmed by 100 ns molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. The designed SAPN substructure sequence was synthesized, cloned, and expressed in Escherichia coli. With a gradual decrease in urea concentration in dialysis solutions, the purified proteins progressed to the final desired structure of the SAPN, which then was confirmed by Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) tests. According to the Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA), antigenic determinants were presented on the SAPN surface and interacted with antibodies in the serum of malaria patients. Conclusions/Significance Our results show that the SAPN formed by PfGCS1-SAPN has produced the correct shape and size, and the antigenic determinants are presented on the surface of the SAPN, which indicates that the designed SAPN has great potential to be used in the future as a malaria vaccine.
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37
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Bianchi E, Jimenez-Movilla M, Krauchunas AR. Editorial: Fertilization in the spotlight: Dynamics and mechanisms of sperm-egg interaction. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:993865. [PMID: 36158186 PMCID: PMC9493349 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.993865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Enrica Bianchi
- Department of Biology, Hull York Medical School, York Biomedical Research Institute, University of York, York, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Enrica Bianchi, ; Maria Jimenez-Movilla, ; Amber R. Krauchunas,
| | - Maria Jimenez-Movilla
- Department of Cell Biology and Histology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Murcia, IMIB, Murcia, Spain
- *Correspondence: Enrica Bianchi, ; Maria Jimenez-Movilla, ; Amber R. Krauchunas,
| | - Amber R. Krauchunas
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States
- *Correspondence: Enrica Bianchi, ; Maria Jimenez-Movilla, ; Amber R. Krauchunas,
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38
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Chen SY, Wang L, Jia PF, Yang WC, Sze H, Li HJ. Osmoregulation determines sperm cell geometry and integrity for double fertilization in flowering plants. MOLECULAR PLANT 2022; 15:1488-1496. [PMID: 35918896 DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2022.07.013] [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: 02/24/2022] [Revised: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Distinct from the motile flagellated sperm of animals and early land plants, the non-motile sperm cells of flowering plants are carried in the pollen grain to the female pistil. After pollination, a pair of sperm cells are delivered into the embryo sac by pollen tube growth and rupture. Unlike other walled plant cells with an equilibrium between internal turgor pressure and mechanical constraints of the cell walls, sperm cells wrapped inside the cytoplasm of a pollen vegetative cell have only thin and discontinuous cell walls. The sperm cells are uniquely ellipsoid in shape, although it is unclear how they maintain this shape within the pollen tubes and after release. In this study, we found that genetic disruption of three endomembrane-associated cation/H+ exchangers specifically causes sperm cells to become spheroidal in hydrated pollens of Arabidopsis. Moreover, the released mutant sperm cells are vulnerable and rupture before double fertilization, leading to failed seed set, which can be partially rescued by depletion of the sperm-expressed vacuolar water channel. These results suggest a critical role of cell-autonomous osmoregulation in adjusting the sperm cell shape for successful double fertilization in flowering plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shu-Yan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Lan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Peng-Fei Jia
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Wei-Cai Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Heven Sze
- Department of Cell Biology & Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Hong-Ju Li
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
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Houben M, Vaughan-Hirsch J, Mou W, Van de Poel B. Ethylene Insensitive 3-Like 2 is a Brassicaceae-specific transcriptional regulator involved in fine-tuning ethylene responses in Arabidopsis thaliana. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2022; 73:4793-4805. [PMID: 35526188 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erac198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Ethylene signaling directs a pleiotropy of developmental processes in plants. In Arabidopsis, ethylene signaling converges at the master transcription factor Ethylene Insensitive 3 (EIN3), which has five homologs, EIN3-like 1-5 (EIL1-EIL5). EIL1 is most fully characterized and operates similarly to EIN3, while EIL3-5 are not involved in ethylene signaling. EIL2 remains less investigated. Our phylogenetic analysis revealed that EIL2 homologs have only been retrieved in the Brassicaceae family, suggesting that EIL2 diverged to have specific functions in the mustard family. By characterizing eil2 mutants, we found that EIL2 is involved in regulating ethylene-specific developmental processes in Arabidopsis thaliana, albeit in a more subtle way compared with EIN3/EIL1. EIL2 steers ethylene-triggered hypocotyl elongation in light-grown seedlings and is involved in lateral root formation. Furthermore, EIL2 takes part in regulating flowering time as eil2 mutants flower on average 1 d earlier and have fewer leaves. A pEIL2:EIL2:GFP translational reporter line revealed that EIL2 protein abundance is restricted to the stele of young developing roots. EIL2 expression, and not EIL2 protein stability, is regulated by ethylene in an EIN3/EIL1-dependent way. Despite EIL2 taking part in several developmental processes, the precise upstream and downstream regulation of this ethylene- and Brassicaceae-specific transcription factor remains to be elucidated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maarten Houben
- Division of Crop Biotechnics, Department of Biosystems, University of Leuven, Willem de Croylaan 42, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Biology, Center for Molecular Signaling, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - John Vaughan-Hirsch
- Division of Crop Biotechnics, Department of Biosystems, University of Leuven, Willem de Croylaan 42, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Wangshu Mou
- Division of Crop Biotechnics, Department of Biosystems, University of Leuven, Willem de Croylaan 42, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Bram Van de Poel
- Division of Crop Biotechnics, Department of Biosystems, University of Leuven, Willem de Croylaan 42, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
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40
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Moi D, Nishio S, Li X, Valansi C, Langleib M, Brukman NG, Flyak K, Dessimoz C, de Sanctis D, Tunyasuvunakool K, Jumper J, Graña M, Romero H, Aguilar PS, Jovine L, Podbilewicz B. Discovery of archaeal fusexins homologous to eukaryotic HAP2/GCS1 gamete fusion proteins. Nat Commun 2022; 13:3880. [PMID: 35794124 PMCID: PMC9259645 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31564-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Sexual reproduction consists of genome reduction by meiosis and subsequent gamete fusion. The presence of genes homologous to eukaryotic meiotic genes in archaea and bacteria suggests that DNA repair mechanisms evolved towards meiotic recombination. However, fusogenic proteins resembling those found in gamete fusion in eukaryotes have so far not been found in prokaryotes. Here, we identify archaeal proteins that are homologs of fusexins, a superfamily of fusogens that mediate eukaryotic gamete and somatic cell fusion, as well as virus entry. The crystal structure of a trimeric archaeal fusexin (Fusexin1 or Fsx1) reveals an archetypical fusexin architecture with unique features such as a six-helix bundle and an additional globular domain. Ectopically expressed Fusexin1 can fuse mammalian cells, and this process involves the additional globular domain and a conserved fusion loop. Furthermore, archaeal fusexin genes are found within integrated mobile elements, suggesting potential roles in cell-cell fusion and gene exchange in archaea, as well as different scenarios for the evolutionary history of fusexins.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Moi
- Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Department of Computational Biology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Shunsuke Nishio
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Xiaohui Li
- Department of Biology, Technion- Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Clari Valansi
- Department of Biology, Technion- Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Mauricio Langleib
- Unidad de Genómica Evolutiva, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
- Unidad de Bioinformática, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Nicolas G Brukman
- Department of Biology, Technion- Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Kateryna Flyak
- Department of Biology, Technion- Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Christophe Dessimoz
- Department of Computational Biology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, Centre for Life's Origins and Evolution, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Computer Science, University College London, London, UK
| | | | | | | | - Martin Graña
- Unidad de Bioinformática, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay.
| | - Héctor Romero
- Unidad de Genómica Evolutiva, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay.
- Centro Universitario Regional Este - CURE, Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencia de Datos y Aprendizaje Automático - CICADA, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay.
| | - Pablo S Aguilar
- Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas Universidad Nacional de San Martín (IIB-CONICET), San Martín, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Luca Jovine
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden.
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41
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Sawada H, Saito T. Mechanisms of Sperm-Egg Interactions: What Ascidian Fertilization Research Has Taught Us. Cells 2022; 11:2096. [PMID: 35805180 PMCID: PMC9265791 DOI: 10.3390/cells11132096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2022] [Revised: 06/18/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Fertilization is an essential process in terrestrial organisms for creating a new organism with genetic diversity. Before gamete fusion, several steps are required to achieve successful fertilization. Animal spermatozoa are first activated and attracted to the eggs by egg-derived chemoattractants. During the sperm passage of the egg's extracellular matrix or upon the sperm binding to the proteinaceous egg coat, the sperm undergoes an acrosome reaction, an exocytosis of acrosome. In hermaphrodites such as ascidians, the self/nonself recognition process occurs when the sperm binds to the egg coat. The activated or acrosome-reacted spermatozoa penetrate through the proteinaceous egg coat. The extracellular ubiquitin-proteasome system, the astacin-like metalloproteases, and the trypsin-like proteases play key roles in this process in ascidians. In the present review, we summarize our current understanding and perspectives on gamete recognition and egg coat lysins in ascidians and consider the general mechanisms of fertilization in animals and plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hitoshi Sawada
- Department of Nutritional Environment, College of Human Life and Environment, Kinjo Gakuin University, Nagoya 463-8521, Japan
- Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8602, Japan
| | - Takako Saito
- Department of Applied Life Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Shizuoka University, Shizuoka 422-8529, Japan
- Shizuoka Institute for the Study of Marine Biology and Chemistry, Shizuoka University, Shizuoka 422-8529, Japan
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Live imaging-based assay for visualising species-specific interactions in gamete adhesion molecules. Sci Rep 2022; 12:9609. [PMID: 35688940 PMCID: PMC9187738 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-13547-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Successful gamete fusion requires species-specific membrane adhesion. However, the interaction of adhesion molecules in gametes is difficult to study in real time through low-throughput microscopic observation. Therefore, we developed a live imaging-based adhesion molecule (LIAM) assay to study gamete adhesion molecule interactions in cultured cells. First, we modified a fusion assay previously established for fusogens introduced into cultured cells, and confirmed that our live imaging technique could visualise cell-cell fusion in the modified fusion assay. Next, instead of fusogen, we introduced adhesion molecules including a mammalian gamete adhesion molecule pair, IZUMO1 and JUNO, and detected their temporal accumulation at the contact interfaces of adjacent cells. Accumulated IZUMO1 or JUNO was partly translocated to the opposite cells as discrete spots; the mutation in amino acids required for their interaction impaired accumulation and translocation. By using the LIAM assay, we investigated the species specificity of IZUMO1 and JUNO of mouse, human, hamster, and pig in all combinations. IZUMO1 and JUNO accumulation and translocation were observed in conspecific, and some interspecific, combinations, suggesting potentially interchangeable combinations of IZUMO1 and JUNO from different species.
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43
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Beuder S, Lara‐Mondragón C, Dorchak A, MacAlister CA. SEC1A is a major Arabidopsis Sec1/Munc18 gene in vesicle trafficking during pollen tube tip growth. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2022; 110:1353-1369. [PMID: 35306707 PMCID: PMC9322465 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.15742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Revised: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Pollen tubes (PTs) grow by the targeted secretion of new cell wall material to their expanding tip region. Sec1/Munc18 (SM) proteins promote membrane fusion through regulation of the SNARE complex. We have previously shown that disruption of protein glycosylation in the Arabidopsis thaliana hpat1 hpat3 double mutant leads to PT growth defects that can be suppressed by reducing secretion. Here, we identified five point mutant alleles of the SM protein SEC1A as hpat1/3 suppressors. The suppressors increased seed set, reduced PT growth defects and reduced the rate of glycoprotein secretion. In the absence of the hpat mutations, sec1a reduced pollen germination and PT elongation producing shorter and wider PTs. Consistent with a defect in membrane fusion, sec1a PTs accumulated secretory vesicles. Though sec1a had significantly reduced male transmission, homozygous sec1a plants maintained full seed set, demonstrating that SEC1A was ultimately dispensable for pollen fertility. However, when combined with a mutation in another SEC1-like SM gene, keule, pollen fertility was totally abolished. Mutation in sec1b, the final member of the Arabidopsis SEC1 clade, did not enhance the sec1a phenotype. Thus, SEC1A is the major SM protein promoting pollen germination and tube elongation, but in its absence KEULE can partially supply this activity. When we examined the expression of the SM protein family in other species for which pollen expression data were available, we found that at least one Sec1-like protein was highly expressed in pollen samples, suggesting a conserved role in pollen fertility in other species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven Beuder
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental BiologyUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMIUSA
| | - Cecilia Lara‐Mondragón
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental BiologyUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMIUSA
| | - Alexandria Dorchak
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental BiologyUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMIUSA
| | - Cora A. MacAlister
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental BiologyUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMIUSA
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Merchant M, Mata CP, Liu Y, Zhai H, Protasio AV, Modis Y. A bioactive phlebovirus-like envelope protein in a hookworm endogenous virus. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabj6894. [PMID: 35544562 PMCID: PMC9094657 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abj6894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Endogenous viral elements (EVEs), accounting for 15% of our genome, serve as a genetic reservoir from which new genes can emerge. Nematode EVEs are particularly diverse and informative of virus evolution. We identify Atlas virus-an intact retrovirus-like EVE in the human hookworm Ancylostoma ceylanicum, with an envelope protein genetically related to GN-GC glycoproteins from the family Phenuiviridae. A cryo-EM structure of Atlas GC reveals a class II viral membrane fusion protein fold not previously seen in retroviruses. Atlas GC has the structural hallmarks of an active fusogen. Atlas GC trimers insert into membranes with endosomal lipid compositions and low pH. When expressed on the plasma membrane, Atlas GC has cell-cell fusion activity. With its preserved biological activities, Atlas GC has the potential to acquire a cellular function. Our work reveals structural plasticity in reverse-transcribing RNA viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monique Merchant
- Molecular Immunity Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge, CB2 0QH, UK
- Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology and Infectious Disease (CITIID), University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK
| | - Carlos P. Mata
- Molecular Immunity Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge, CB2 0QH, UK
- Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology and Infectious Disease (CITIID), University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK
| | - Yangci Liu
- Molecular Immunity Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge, CB2 0QH, UK
- Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology and Infectious Disease (CITIID), University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK
| | - Haoming Zhai
- Molecular Immunity Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge, CB2 0QH, UK
- Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology and Infectious Disease (CITIID), University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK
| | - Anna V. Protasio
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QP, UK
- Christ’s College, University of Cambridge, St Andrew’s Street, Cambridge, CB2 3BU, UK
| | - Yorgo Modis
- Molecular Immunity Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge, CB2 0QH, UK
- Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology and Infectious Disease (CITIID), University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK
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45
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Chumakov MI, Mazilov SI. Genetic Control of Maize Gynogenesis. RUSS J GENET+ 2022. [DOI: 10.1134/s1022795422040044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Satouh Y, Inoue N. Involvement of cellular protrusions in gamete interactions. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2022; 129:93-102. [PMID: 35370088 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2022.03.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2022] [Revised: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Gamete fusion is of considerable importance in reproductive events, as it determines the gamete pairs or chromosomes that the next generation will inherit. To preserve species specificity with an appropriate karyotype, the fusion between gametes requires regulatory mechanisms to ensure limited fusion competency. In many organisms, gamete surfaces are not smooth, but present constitutive or transient cellular protrusions suggested to be involved in gamete fusion. However, the molecular mechanisms and the factors essential for the membrane-membrane fusion process and cellular protrusion involvement have remained unclear. Recent advances in the identification and functional analysis of the essential factors for gamete interaction have revealed the molecular mechanisms underlying their activity regulation and dynamics. In homogametic fertilization, dynamic regulation of the fusion core machinery on cellular protrusions was precisely uncovered. In heterogametic fertilization, oocyte fusion competency was suggested to correlate with the compartmentalization of the fusion essential factor and protrusion formation. These findings shed light on the significance of cellular protrusions in gamete fusion as a physically and functionally specialized site for cellular fusion. In this review, we consider the developments in gamete interaction research in various species with different fertilization modes, highlighting the commonalities in the relationship between gamete fusion and cellular protrusions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuhkoh Satouh
- Laboratory of Molecular Traffic, Institute for Molecular and Cellular Regulation, Gunma University, Maebashi, Gunma, Japan.
| | - Naokazu Inoue
- Department of Cell Science, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Fukushima, Japan.
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Auxin boosts energy generation pathways to fuel pollen maturation in barley. Curr Biol 2022; 32:1798-1811.e8. [PMID: 35316655 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.02.073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Revised: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Pollen grains become increasingly independent of the mother plant as they reach maturity through poorly understood developmental programs. We report that the hormone auxin is essential during barley pollen maturation to boost the expression of genes encoding almost every step of heterotrophic energy production pathways. Accordingly, auxin is necessary for the flux of sucrose and hexoses into glycolysis and to increase the levels of pyruvate and two tricarboxylic (TCA) cycle metabolites (citrate and succinate). Moreover, bioactive auxin is synthesized by the pollen-localized enzyme HvYUCCA4, supporting that pollen grains autonomously produce auxin to stimulate a specific cellular output, energy generation, that fuels maturation processes such as starch accumulation. Our results demonstrate that auxin can shift central carbon metabolism to drive plant cell development, which suggests a direct mechanism for auxin's ability to promote growth and differentiation.
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Kulichová K, Pieters J, Kumar V, Honys D, Hafidh S. A Plastid-Bound Ankyrin Repeat Protein Controls Gametophyte and Early Embryo Development in Arabidopsis thaliana. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:767339. [PMID: 35350296 PMCID: PMC8958021 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.767339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Proplastids are essential precursors for multi-fate plastid biogenesis, including chloroplast differentiation, a powerhouse for photosynthesis in plants. Arabidopsis ankyrin repeat protein (AKRP, AT5G66055) is a plastid-localized protein with a putative function in plastid differentiation and morphogenesis. Loss of function of akrp leads to embryo developmental arrest. Whether AKRP is critical pre-fertilization has remained unresolved. Here, using reverse genetics, we report a new allele, akrp-3, that exhibited a reduced frequency of mutant embryos (<13%) compared to previously reported alleles. akrp-3 affected both male and female gametophytes resulting in reduced viability, incompetence in pollen tube attraction, altered gametic cell fate, and embryo arrest that were depleted of chlorophyll. AKRP is widely expressed, and the AKRP-GFP fusion localized to plastids of both gametophytes, in isolated chloroplast and co-localized with a plastid marker in pollen and pollen tubes. Cell-type-specific complementation of akrp-3 hinted at the developmental timing at which AKRP might play an essential role. Our findings provide a plausible insight into the crucial role of AKRP in the differentiation of both gametophytes and coupling embryo development with chlorophyll synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarína Kulichová
- Laboratory of Pollen Biology, Institute of Experimental Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czechia
| | - Janto Pieters
- Laboratory of Pollen Biology, Institute of Experimental Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czechia
| | - Vinod Kumar
- Laboratory of Pollen Biology, Institute of Experimental Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czechia
| | - David Honys
- Laboratory of Pollen Biology, Institute of Experimental Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czechia
- Department of Plant Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Said Hafidh
- Laboratory of Pollen Biology, Institute of Experimental Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czechia
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Scholz P, Pejchar P, Fernkorn M, Škrabálková E, Pleskot R, Blersch K, Munnik T, Potocký M, Ischebeck T. DIACYLGLYCEROL KINASE 5 regulates polar tip growth of tobacco pollen tubes. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2022; 233:2185-2202. [PMID: 34931304 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Pollen tubes require a tightly regulated pectin secretion machinery to sustain the cell wall plasticity required for polar tip growth. Involved in this regulation at the apical plasma membrane are proteins and signaling molecules, including phosphoinositides and phosphatidic acid (PA). However, the contribution of diacylglycerol kinases (DGKs) is not clear. We transiently expressed tobacco DGKs in pollen tubes to identify a plasma membrane (PM)-localized isoform, and then to study its effect on pollen tube growth, pectin secretion and lipid signaling. In order to potentially downregulate DGK5 function, we overexpressed an inactive variant. Only one of eight DGKs displayed a confined localization at the apical PM. We could demonstrate its enzymatic activity and that a kinase-dead variant was inactive. Overexpression of either variant led to differential perturbations including misregulation of pectin secretion. One mode of regulation could be that DGK5-formed PA regulates phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate 5-kinases, as overexpression of the inactive DGK5 variant not only led to a reduction of PA but also of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate levels and suppressed related growth phenotypes. We conclude that DGK5 is an additional player of polar tip growth that regulates pectin secretion probably in a common pathway with PI4P 5-kinases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Scholz
- Department of Plant Biochemistry, Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences and Göttingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), University of Göttingen, Göttingen, 37077, Germany
| | - Přemysl Pejchar
- Institute of Experimental Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, 16502, Czech Republic
| | - Max Fernkorn
- Department of Plant Biochemistry, Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences and Göttingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), University of Göttingen, Göttingen, 37077, Germany
| | - Eliška Škrabálková
- Institute of Experimental Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, 16502, Czech Republic
- Department of Experimental Plant Biology, Charles University, Prague, 12844, Czech Republic
| | - Roman Pleskot
- Institute of Experimental Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, 16502, Czech Republic
| | - Katharina Blersch
- Department of Plant Biochemistry, Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences and Göttingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), University of Göttingen, Göttingen, 37077, Germany
- Green Biotechnology, Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology (IBBP), University of Münster, Münster, 48143, Germany
| | - Teun Munnik
- Plant Cell Biology, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, 1000 BE, the Netherlands
| | - Martin Potocký
- Institute of Experimental Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, 16502, Czech Republic
| | - Till Ischebeck
- Department of Plant Biochemistry, Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences and Göttingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), University of Göttingen, Göttingen, 37077, Germany
- Green Biotechnology, Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology (IBBP), University of Münster, Münster, 48143, Germany
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50
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Brukman NG, Li X, Podbilewicz B. Fusexins, HAP2/GCS1 and Evolution of Gamete Fusion. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 9:824024. [PMID: 35083224 PMCID: PMC8784728 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.824024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Gamete fusion is the climax of fertilization in all sexually reproductive organisms, from unicellular fungi to humans. Similarly to other cell-cell fusion events, gamete fusion is mediated by specialized proteins, named fusogens, that overcome the energetic barriers during this process. In recent years, HAPLESS 2/GENERATIVE CELL-SPECIFIC 1 (HAP2/GCS1) was identified as the fusogen mediating sperm-egg fusion in flowering plants and protists, being both essential and sufficient for the membrane merger in some species. The identification of HAP2/GCS1 in invertebrates, opens the possibility that a similar fusogen may be used in vertebrate fertilization. HAP2/GCS1 proteins share a similar structure with two distinct families of exoplasmic fusogens: the somatic Fusion Family (FF) proteins discovered in nematodes, and class II viral glycoproteins (e.g., rubella and dengue viruses). Altogether, these fusogens form the Fusexin superfamily. While some attributes are shared among fusexins, for example the overall structure and the possibility of assembly into trimers, some other characteristics seem to be specific, such as the presence or not of hydrophobic loops or helices at the distal tip of the protein. Intriguingly, HAP2/GCS1 or other fusexins have neither been identified in vertebrates nor in fungi, raising the question of whether these genes were lost during evolution and were replaced by other fusion machinery or a significant divergence makes their identification difficult. Here, we discuss the biology of HAP2/GCS1, its involvement in gamete fusion and the structural, mechanistic and evolutionary relationships with other fusexins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas G Brukman
- Department of Biology, Technion- Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Xiaohui Li
- Department of Biology, Technion- Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
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