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Castro-Arnau J, Chauvigné F, Toft-Bertelsen TL, Finn RN, MacAulay N, Cerdà J. Aqp4a and Trpv4 mediate regulatory cell volume increase for swimming maintenance of marine fish spermatozoa. Cell Mol Life Sci 2024; 81:285. [PMID: 38969941 PMCID: PMC11335209 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-024-05341-w] [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: 04/18/2024] [Revised: 06/19/2024] [Accepted: 06/28/2024] [Indexed: 07/07/2024]
Abstract
Volume regulation is essential for cell homeostasis and physiological function. Amongst the sensory molecules that have been associated with volume regulation is the transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 (TRPV4), which is a non-selective cation channel that in conjunction with aquaporins, typically controls regulatory volume decrease (RVD). Here we show that the interaction between orthologous AQP4 (Aqp4a) and TRPV4 (Trpv4) is important for regulatory volume increase (RVI) in post-activated marine fish spermatozoa under high osmotic stress. Based upon electrophysiological, volumetric, and in vivo and ex vivo functional experiments using the pharmacological and immunological inhibition of Aqp4a and Trpv4 our model suggests that upon ejaculation and exposure to the hypertonic seawater, spermatozoon shrinkage is initially mediated by water efflux through Aqp1aa in the flagellar tail. The shrinkage results in an increase in intracellular Ca2+ concentration, and the activation of sperm motility and a Na+/K+/2Cl- (NKCC1) cotransporter. The activity of NKCC1 is required for the initiation of cell swelling, which secondarily activates the Aqp4a-Trpv4 complex to facilitate the influx of water via Aqp4a-M43 and Ca2+ via Trpv4 and L-type channels for the mediation of RVI. The inhibitory experiments show that blocking of each of these events prevents either shrinkage or RVI. Our data thus reveal that post-activated marine fish spermatozoa are capable of initiating RVI under a high hypertonic stress, which is essential for the maintenance of sperm motility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Júlia Castro-Arnau
- Institute of Marine Sciences, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Barcelona, 08003, Spain
- Institute of Biotechnology and Biomedicine (IBB), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra (Barcelona), 08193, Spain
- Department of Cell Biology & Physiology, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - François Chauvigné
- Institute of Marine Sciences, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Barcelona, 08003, Spain
- Institute of Biotechnology and Biomedicine (IBB), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra (Barcelona), 08193, Spain
| | | | - Roderick Nigel Finn
- Institute of Biotechnology and Biomedicine (IBB), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra (Barcelona), 08193, Spain
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Bergen, Bergen, 5020, Norway
| | - Nanna MacAulay
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen N, 2200, Denmark
| | - Joan Cerdà
- Institute of Marine Sciences, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Barcelona, 08003, Spain.
- Institute of Biotechnology and Biomedicine (IBB), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra (Barcelona), 08193, Spain.
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2
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Sánchez-Rivera UÁ, Cruz-Cano NB, Medrano A, Álvarez-Rodríguez C, Martínez-Torres M. Sperm Incubation in Biggers-Whitten-Whittingham Medium Induces Capacitation-Related Changes in the Lizard Sceloporus torquatus. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:1388. [PMID: 38731392 PMCID: PMC11083041 DOI: 10.3390/ani14091388] [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: 03/21/2024] [Revised: 04/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Sperm capacitation involves biochemical and physiological changes that enable sperm to fertilize the oocyte. It can be induced in vitro under controlled conditions that simulate the environment of the oviduct. While extensively studied in mammals, its approach in lizards remains absent. Understanding the mechanisms that ensure reproduction is essential for advancing the implementation of assisted reproductive technologies in this group. We aimed to perform a sperm analysis to determine if capacitation-related changes were induced after incubation with capacitating media. Fifteen males of Sceloporus torquatus were collected during the early stage of the reproductive season. The sperm were isolated from the seminal plasma and then diluted up to a volume of 150 μL using BWW medium to incubate with 5% CO2 at 30 °C for a maximum duration of 3 h. A fraction was retrieved hourly for ongoing sperm assessment. The sperm analysis included assessments of its motility, viability, the capacitation status using the chlortetracycline (CTC) assay, and the acrosome integrity with the lectin binding assay to detect changes during incubation. We found that total motility was maintained up to 2 h post incubation, after which it decreased. However, sperm viability remained constant. From that moment on, we observed a transition to a deeper and less symmetrical flagellar bending in many spermatozoa. The CTC assay indicated a reduction in the percentage of sperm showing the full (F) pattern and an increase in those exhibiting the capacitated (B) and reactive (RA) patterns, accompanied by an elevation in the percentage of damaged acrosomes as revealed by the lectin binding assay. In mammals, these changes are often associated with sperm capacitation. Our observations support the notion that this process may also occur in saurian. While sperm analysis is a valuable method for assessing certain functional changes, additional approaches are required to validate this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uriel Ángel Sánchez-Rivera
- Laboratorio de Biología de la Reproducción, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City 54090, Mexico; (N.B.C.-C.)
- Laboratorio de Reproducción, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Cuautitlán, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City 54714, Mexico;
- Posgrado en Ciencias de la Producción y de la Salud Animal, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City 04510, Mexico
| | - Norma Berenice Cruz-Cano
- Laboratorio de Biología de la Reproducción, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City 54090, Mexico; (N.B.C.-C.)
| | - Alfredo Medrano
- Laboratorio de Reproducción, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Cuautitlán, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City 54714, Mexico;
| | - Carmen Álvarez-Rodríguez
- Laboratorio de Biología de la Reproducción, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City 54090, Mexico; (N.B.C.-C.)
| | - Martín Martínez-Torres
- Laboratorio de Biología de la Reproducción, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City 54090, Mexico; (N.B.C.-C.)
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3
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Contino M, Ferruggia G, Indelicato S, Pecoraro R, Scalisi EM, Salvaggio A, Brundo MV. Polystyrene Nanoplastics in Aquatic Microenvironments Affect Sperm Metabolism and Fertilization of Mytilus galloprovincialis (Lamark, 1819). TOXICS 2023; 11:924. [PMID: 37999576 PMCID: PMC10675086 DOI: 10.3390/toxics11110924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
The continuous and unregulated discharge of wastes and pollutants into the aquatic environment has required constant monitoring of the risks incurred by aquatic ecosystems. Alarmism arises from plastic pollution as larger artifacts release nanoscale fragments that can contact free-living stages such as gametes, embryos, and larvae. Specifically, the interaction between spermatozoa, released in water in externally fertilizing species, and the surrounding microenvironment is essential for successful fertilization. Activation and kinematics of movement, proper maintenance of ionic balance, and chemotactism are processes highly sensitive to even minimal perturbations caused by pollutants such as polystyrene nanoplastics. Spermatozoa of Mytilus galloprovincialis (M. galloprovincialis), an excellent ecotoxicological model, undergo structural (plasma membrane ruptures, DNA damage) and metabolic (reduced motility, fertilizing capacity) damage upon exposure to 50 nm amino-modified polystyrene nanoplastics (nPS-NH2). Nanoplastics of larger diameter (100 nm) did not affect sperm parameters. The findings highlighted the negative impact that plastic pollution, related to nanoparticle diameter and concentration, could have on sperm quality and reproductive potential of organisms, altering the equilibrium of aquatic ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Contino
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Catania, Via Androne 81, 95124 Catania, Italy; (G.F.); (S.I.); (R.P.); (E.M.S.); (M.V.B.)
| | - Greta Ferruggia
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Catania, Via Androne 81, 95124 Catania, Italy; (G.F.); (S.I.); (R.P.); (E.M.S.); (M.V.B.)
| | - Stefania Indelicato
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Catania, Via Androne 81, 95124 Catania, Italy; (G.F.); (S.I.); (R.P.); (E.M.S.); (M.V.B.)
| | - Roberta Pecoraro
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Catania, Via Androne 81, 95124 Catania, Italy; (G.F.); (S.I.); (R.P.); (E.M.S.); (M.V.B.)
| | - Elena Maria Scalisi
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Catania, Via Androne 81, 95124 Catania, Italy; (G.F.); (S.I.); (R.P.); (E.M.S.); (M.V.B.)
| | - Antonio Salvaggio
- Zooprophylactic Institute of Sicily “A. Mirri”, Via Gino Marinuzzi, 3, 90129 Palermo, Italy;
| | - Maria Violetta Brundo
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Catania, Via Androne 81, 95124 Catania, Italy; (G.F.); (S.I.); (R.P.); (E.M.S.); (M.V.B.)
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4
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Hadlow JH, Lymbery RA, Evans JP. Paternal environment effects are driven by female reproductive fluid but not sperm age in an external fertilizer. Biol Lett 2023; 19:20230368. [PMID: 37991195 PMCID: PMC10664279 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2023.0368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Sperm ageing after ejaculation can generate paternal environment effects that impact offspring fitness. In many species, female reproductive fluids (FRFs), i.e. ancillary fluids released by eggs or within the female reproductive tract, may protect sperm from ageing and can additionally interact with sperm to influence offspring viability. This raises the intriguing prospect that FRFs may alleviate paternal effects associated with sperm ageing. Here, we test this novel hypothesis using the broadcast spawning mussel, Mytilus galloprovincialis. We show that incubating sperm in FRF prior to fertilization increases offspring viability, and that these effects occur independently of sperm age. Our results provide novel evidence that FRFs allow females to selectively bias fertilization toward higher quality sperm within an ejaculate, which in turn yields more viable offspring. We consider this FRF-mediated paternal effect in the context of female physiological control over fertilization and the transgenerational effects of female-regulated haploid selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica H. Hadlow
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Rowan A. Lymbery
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Jonathan P. Evans
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
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5
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Sperm Physiological Response to Female Serum-Potential New Insights into the Reproductive Incompatibility Diagnostics. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23073428. [PMID: 35408797 PMCID: PMC8998597 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23073428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Revised: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Infertility is assumed to arise exclusively from male- and female-dependent pathological factors. However, recent studies have indicated that reproductive failure may also result from the reproductive incompatibility of the partners. Selection against such incompatibilities likely occurs via female-derived reproductive secretions, including follicular fluid (FF), that mediate gamete-level mate choice towards the sperm of specific males. To facilitate potential development of diagnostic tests for human reproductive incompatibility, we examined whether sperm physiological response to female serum indicate male–female compatibility in the presence of FF. We performed a full-factorial experiment, in which the sperm of 10 males were treated with the FF and serum of 6 healthy females. We found that sperm motility and viability in both biofluids were highly similar and that in 70% of the males, sperm serum treatment predicted male–female compatibility. We also identified male human leucocyte antigen (HLA) alleles and female (FF and serum) anti-HLA antibodies and tested whether the number of allele–antibody matches predict sperm physiological response to female fluids. However, no association was found between measured sperm traits and the number of allele–antibody matches. Overall, the present results may open novel possibilities for the future development of reproductive incompatibility tests and may pave the way towards more accurate infertility diagnostics and treatments.
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6
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Kekäläinen J, Hiltunen J, Jokiniemi A, Kuusipalo L, Heikura M, Leppänen J, Malinen M. Female-induced selective modification of sperm protein SUMOylation-potential mechanistic insights into the non-random fertilization in humans. J Evol Biol 2022; 35:254-264. [PMID: 35000241 PMCID: PMC9305144 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Revised: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
In many species, mate choice continues after the mating via female‐ or egg‐derived biochemical factors that induce selective changes in sperm pre‐fertilization physiology and behaviour. Recent studies have indicated that gamete‐mediated mate choice likely occurs also in humans, but the mechanistic basis of the process has remained virtually unexplored. Here, we investigated whether female‐induced modifications in sperm protein SUMOylation (post‐translational modification of the proteome) could serve as a novel mechanism for gamete‐mediated mate choice in humans. We treated the sperm of ten males with the oocyte‐surrounding bioactive liquid (follicular fluid) of five females and investigated motility, viability and global protein SUMOylation status of the sperm in all (n = 50) of these male–female combinations (full‐factorial design). All the measured sperm traits were affected by male–female combinations, and sperm protein SUMOylation status was also negatively associated with sperm motility. Furthermore, our results indicate that female‐induced sperm protein SUMOylation is selective, potentially allowing females to increase sperm motility in some males, whereas decreasing it in the others. Consequently, our findings suggest that follicular fluid may non‐randomly modify the structure and function of sperm proteome and in this way facilitate gamete‐mediated mate choice in humans and possibly many other species. However, due to the relatively low number of female subjects and their potential infertility problems, our results should be replicated with larger subset of fully fertile women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jukka Kekäläinen
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu, Finland
| | - Johannes Hiltunen
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu, Finland
| | - Annalaura Jokiniemi
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu, Finland
| | | | - Marjo Heikura
- Eastern Finland Laboratory Centre Joint Authority (ISLAB), North Savonia Regional Laboratory, Kuopio, Finland
| | | | - Marjo Malinen
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu, Finland
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7
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Igawa-Ueda K, Ikuta T, Tame A, Yamaguchi K, Shigenobu S, Hongo Y, Takaki Y, Fujikura K, Maruyama T, Yoshida T. Symbiont Transmission onto the Cell Surface of Early Oocytes in the Deep-Sea Clam Phreagena okutanii. Zoolog Sci 2021; 38:140-147. [PMID: 33812353 DOI: 10.2108/zs200129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2020] [Accepted: 11/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Symbiotic associations with beneficial microorganisms endow a variety of host animals with adaptability to the environment. Stable transmission of symbionts across host generations is a key event in the maintenance of symbiotic associations through evolutionary time. However, our understanding of the mechanisms of symbiont transmission remains fragmentary. The deep-sea clam Phreagena okutanii harbors chemoautotrophic intracellular symbiotic bacteria in gill epithelial cells, and depends on these symbionts for nutrition. In this study, we focused on the association of these maternally transmitted symbionts with ovarian germ cells in juvenile female clams. First, we established a sex identification method for small P. okutanii individuals, and morphologically classified female germ cells observed in the ovary. Then, we investigated the association of the endosymbiotic bacteria with germ cells. We found that the symbionts were localized on the outer surface of the cell membrane of primary oocytes and not within the cluster of oogonia. Based on our findings, we discuss the processes and mechanisms of symbiont vertical transmission in P. okutanii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kanae Igawa-Ueda
- Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Yokosuka, Kanagawa 237-0061, Japan.,Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology (TUMSAT), Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8477, Japan
| | - Tetsuro Ikuta
- Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Yokosuka, Kanagawa 237-0061, Japan, .,Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology (TUMSAT), Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8477, Japan
| | - Akihiro Tame
- Marine Works Japan, Ltd., Yokosuka, Kanagawa 237-0063, Japan
| | - Katsushi Yamaguchi
- National Institute for Basic Biology, Myodaiji, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8585, Japan
| | - Shuji Shigenobu
- National Institute for Basic Biology, Myodaiji, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8585, Japan
| | - Yuki Hongo
- Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Yokosuka, Kanagawa 237-0061, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Takaki
- Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Yokosuka, Kanagawa 237-0061, Japan
| | - Katsunori Fujikura
- Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Yokosuka, Kanagawa 237-0061, Japan
| | - Tadashi Maruyama
- Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Yokosuka, Kanagawa 237-0061, Japan
| | - Takao Yoshida
- Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Yokosuka, Kanagawa 237-0061, Japan.,Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology (TUMSAT), Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8477, Japan
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8
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Mannosylated glycoconjugates on the surface of activated sperm in the giant freshwater prawn are crucial for sperm binding with the egg vitelline envelop. Cell Tissue Res 2021; 384:179-193. [PMID: 33427951 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-020-03324-4] [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: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
The unusual morphology and poorly defined acrosome-like structure in the mature sperm of the giant freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii has led to difficulties in identifying the state of sperm activation. Mature distal vas deferens sperm (dVSp) can be activated by the calcium ionophore A23187 to show acrosome reaction-like enzymatic activities that increase their binding and penetration capabilities. However, these short-lived enzymatic activities limit their usefulness as a marker of sperm activation for further qualitative and quantitative analyses, leading to our examining the alterations in the exposure of sperm surface glycoconjugates both as markers of sperm activation and for their role in gamete interaction. Our results showed that after A23187 treatment, there was an increased exposure of mannosylated glycoconjugates on the sperm surface revealed by significant Concanavalin A (Con A) staining. Furthermore, sodium metaperiodate pre-treatment, Con A pre-incubation, or co-incubation with α-mannose monosaccharides all significantly reduced A23187-induced dVSp binding to the egg vitelline envelop, demonstrating the importance of sperm surface mannosylated glycoconjugates in the binding process. These same pre-treatments of sperm also resulted in the inhibition of the binding of soluble vitelline envelop proteins (MrVE) to both the sperm surface and to mannosylated dVSp protein bands. Therefore, the present study demonstrated the importance of the exposure of mannosylated glycoconjugates on the surface of activated dVSp, both as a reliable marker of sperm activation and as a binding factor in the gamete interaction process. Furthermore, these findings allow for a better understanding of the surface glycoconjugate-mediated interaction process between gametes in this species of prawn.
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Gasparini C, Pilastro A, Evans JP. The role of female reproductive fluid in sperm competition. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20200077. [PMID: 33070736 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The role of non-gametic components of the ejaculate (seminal fluid) in fertility and sperm competitiveness is now well established. Surprisingly, however, we know far less about female reproductive fluid (FRF) in the context of sexual selection, and insights into male-FRF interactions in the context of sperm competition have only recently emerged. Despite this limited knowledge, evidence from taxonomically diverse species has revealed insights into the effects of FRF on sperm traits that have previously been implicated in studies of sperm competition. Specifically, through the differential effects of FRF on a range of sperm traits, including chemoattraction and alterations in sperm velocity, FRF has been shown to exert positive phenotypic effects on the sperm of males that are preferred as mating partners, or those from the most compatible or genetically diverse males. Despite these tantalizing insights into the putative sexually selected functions of FRF, we largely lack a mechanistic understanding of these processes. Taken together, the evidence presented here highlights the likely ubiquity of FRF-regulated biases in fertilization success across a diverse range of taxa, thus potentially elevating the importance of FRF to other non-gametic components that have so far been studied largely in males. This article is part of the theme issue 'Fifty years of sperm competition'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clelia Gasparini
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Padova 35131, Italy
| | - Andrea Pilastro
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Padova 35131, Italy
| | - Jonathan P Evans
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, 6009 WA, Australia
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10
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Evans JP, Lymbery RA. Sexual selection after gamete release in broadcast spawning invertebrates. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20200069. [PMID: 33070722 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Broadcast spawning invertebrates offer highly tractable models for evaluating sperm competition, gamete-level mate choice and sexual conflict. By displaying the ancestral mating strategy of external fertilization, where sexual selection is constrained to act after gamete release, broadcast spawners also offer potential evolutionary insights into the cascade of events that led to sexual reproduction in more 'derived' groups (including humans). Moreover, the dynamic reproductive conditions faced by these animals mean that the strength and direction of sexual selection on both males and females can vary considerably. These attributes make broadcast spawning invertebrate systems uniquely suited to testing, extending, and sometimes challenging classic and contemporary ideas in sperm competition, many of which were first captured in Parker's seminal papers on the topic. Here, we provide a synthesis outlining progress in these fields, and highlight the burgeoning potential for broadcast spawners to provide both evolutionary and mechanistic understanding into gamete-level sexual selection more broadly across the animal kingdom. This article is part of the theme issue 'Fifty years of sperm competition'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan P Evans
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia
| | - Rowan A Lymbery
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia
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11
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Pitnick S, Wolfner MF, Dorus S. Post-ejaculatory modifications to sperm (PEMS). Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2020; 95:365-392. [PMID: 31737992 PMCID: PMC7643048 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2019] [Revised: 10/12/2019] [Accepted: 10/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Mammalian sperm must spend a minimum period of time within a female reproductive tract to achieve the capacity to fertilize oocytes. This phenomenon, termed sperm 'capacitation', was discovered nearly seven decades ago and opened a window into the complexities of sperm-female interaction. Capacitation is most commonly used to refer to a specific combination of processes that are believed to be widespread in mammals and includes modifications to the sperm plasma membrane, elevation of intracellular cyclic AMP levels, induction of protein tyrosine phosphorylation, increased intracellular Ca2+ levels, hyperactivation of motility, and, eventually, the acrosome reaction. Capacitation is only one example of post-ejaculatory modifications to sperm (PEMS) that are widespread throughout the animal kingdom. Although PEMS are less well studied in non-mammalian taxa, they likely represent the rule rather than the exception in species with internal fertilization. These PEMS are diverse in form and collectively represent the outcome of selection fashioning complex maturational trajectories of sperm that include multiple, sequential phenotypes that are specialized for stage-specific functionality within the female. In many cases, PEMS are critical for sperm to migrate successfully through the female reproductive tract, survive a protracted period of storage, reach the site of fertilization and/or achieve the capacity to fertilize eggs. We predict that PEMS will exhibit widespread phenotypic plasticity mediated by sperm-female interactions. The successful execution of PEMS thus has important implications for variation in fitness and the operation of post-copulatory sexual selection. Furthermore, it may provide a widespread mechanism of reproductive isolation and the maintenance of species boundaries. Despite their possible ubiquity and importance, the investigation of PEMS has been largely descriptive, lacking any phylogenetic consideration with regard to divergence, and there have been no theoretical or empirical investigations of their evolutionary significance. Here, we (i) clarify PEMS-related nomenclature; (ii) address the evolutionary origin, maintenance and divergence in PEMS in the context of the protracted life history of sperm and the complex, selective environment of the female reproductive tract; (iii) describe taxonomically widespread types of PEMS: sperm activation, chemotaxis and the dissociation of sperm conjugates; (iv) review the occurence of PEMS throughout the animal kingdom; (v) consider alternative hypotheses for the adaptive value of PEMS; (vi) speculate on the evolutionary implications of PEMS for genomic architecture, sexual selection, and reproductive isolation; and (vii) suggest fruitful directions for future functional and evolutionary analyses of PEMS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott Pitnick
- Department of Biology, Center for Reproductive Evolution, Syacuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA
| | - Mariana F. Wolfner
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Steve Dorus
- Department of Biology, Center for Reproductive Evolution, Syacuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA
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12
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Lymbery RA, Kennington WJ, Cornwall CE, Evans JP. Ocean acidification during prefertilization chemical communication affects sperm success. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:12302-12310. [PMID: 31832161 PMCID: PMC6854328 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2019] [Revised: 07/19/2019] [Accepted: 09/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Ocean acidification (OA) poses a major threat to marine organisms, particularly during reproduction when externally shed gametes are vulnerable to changes in seawater pH. Accordingly, several studies on OA have focused on how changes in seawater pH influence sperm behavior and/or rates of in vitro fertilization. By contrast, few studies have examined how pH influences prefertilization gamete interactions, which are crucial during natural spawning events in most externally fertilizing taxa. One mechanism of gamete interaction that forms an important component of fertilization in most taxa is communication between sperm and egg-derived chemicals. These chemical signals, along with the physiological responses in sperm they elicit, are likely to be highly sensitive to changes in seawater chemistry. In this study, we experimentally tested this possibility using the blue mussel, Mytilus galloprovincialis, a species in which females have been shown to use egg-derived chemicals to promote the success of sperm from genetically compatible males. We conducted trials in which sperm were allowed to swim in gradients of egg-derived chemicals under different seawater CO2 (and therefore pH) treatments. We found that sperm had elevated fertilization rates after swimming in the presence of egg-derived chemicals in low pH (pH 7.6) compared with ambient (pH 8.0) seawater. This observed effect could have important implications for the reproductive fitness of external fertilizers, where gamete compatibility plays a critical role in modulating reproduction in many species. For example, elevated sperm fertilization rates might disrupt the eggs' capacity to avoid fertilizations by genetically incompatible sperm. Our findings highlight the need to understand how OA affects the multiple stages of sperm-egg interactions and to develop approaches that disentangle the implications of OA for female, male, and population fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rowan A. Lymbery
- Centre for Evolutionary BiologySchool of Biological SciencesUniversity of Western AustraliaCrawleyWAAustralia
| | - W. Jason Kennington
- Centre for Evolutionary BiologySchool of Biological SciencesUniversity of Western AustraliaCrawleyWAAustralia
| | | | - Jonathan P. Evans
- Centre for Evolutionary BiologySchool of Biological SciencesUniversity of Western AustraliaCrawleyWAAustralia
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Camargo M, Intasqui P, Belardin L, Antoniassi M, Cardozo K, Carvalho V, Fraietta R, Bertolla R. Molecular pathways of varicocele and its repair – A paired labelled shotgun proteomics approach. J Proteomics 2019; 196:22-32. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2019.01.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2018] [Revised: 01/21/2019] [Accepted: 01/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
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14
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Ghiselli F, Breton S, Milani L. Mitochondrial activity in gametes and uniparental inheritance: a comment on 'What can we infer about the origin of sex in early eukaryotes?'. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2018; 373:rstb.2017.0147. [PMID: 29335380 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2017.0147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/04/2017] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Fabrizio Ghiselli
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Geologiche ed Ambientali, Università di Bologna, Via Semi 3, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Sophie Breton
- Département de Sciences Biologiques, Université de Montréal, 90 avenue Vincent d'Indy, Montréal, Québec, Canada H2V 2S9
| | - Liliana Milani
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Geologiche ed Ambientali, Università di Bologna, Via Semi 3, 40126 Bologna, Italy
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15
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Kekäläinen J, Evans JP. Gamete-mediated mate choice: towards a more inclusive view of sexual selection. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 285:20180836. [PMID: 30051836 PMCID: PMC6083266 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.0836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2018] [Accepted: 06/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
'Sperm competition'-where ejaculates from two or more males compete for fertilization-and 'cryptic female choice'-where females bias this contest to suit their reproductive interests-are now part of the everyday lexicon of sexual selection. Yet the physiological processes that underlie these post-ejaculatory episodes of sexual selection remain largely enigmatic. In this review, we focus on a range of post-ejaculatory cellular- and molecular-level processes, known to be fundamental for fertilization across most (if not all) sexually reproducing species, and point to their putative role in facilitating sexual selection at the level of the cells and gametes, called 'gamete-mediated mate choice' (GMMC). In this way, we collate accumulated evidence for GMMC across different mating systems, and emphasize the evolutionary significance of such non-random interactions among gametes. Our overall aim in this review is to build a more inclusive view of sexual selection by showing that mate choice often acts in more nuanced ways than has traditionally been assumed. We also aim to bridge the conceptual divide between proximal mechanisms of reproduction, and adaptive explanations for patterns of non-random sperm-egg interactions that are emerging across an increasingly diverse array of taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jukka Kekäläinen
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu, Finland
| | - Jonathan P Evans
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
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16
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Glycan profiling of proteins using lectin binding by Surface Plasmon Resonance. Anal Biochem 2017; 538:53-63. [PMID: 28947169 DOI: 10.1016/j.ab.2017.09.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2017] [Revised: 09/20/2017] [Accepted: 09/21/2017] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Glycan profiling of proteins was studied through their lectin binding activity by Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR). To validate the method, we monitored specific lectin binding with sequential removal of sugar moieties from human transferrin using specific glycosidases. The results clearly indicated that glycans on the protein can be identified by their selective binding activity to various lectins. Using this method, we characterized Fc glycosylation profiles of therapeutic peptibodies and antibodies expressed in mammalian cells (CHO and HEK 293 6E cells), with E. coli expressed proteins as the negative controls. We observed that antibodies expressed in CHO cells did not contain any sialic acid, while antibodies expressed in 293 6E cells contained sialic acid. CHO cell expressed antibodies were also more heavily fucosylated than the ones expressed by 293 6E cells. We further applied this method to measure the fucose composition of glycan engineered mouse antibodies, as well as to determine mannose composition of human antibody variants with depletion or enrichment of high mannose. The glycan profiles generated using this method were comparable to results from 2-AB labeled glycan analysis of normal-phase separated glycans, and Fc gamma receptor binding activity of the glycan engineered antibodies were consistent with their glycan profiles. Hence, we demonstrated that SPR lectin binding analysis can be a quick alternative method to profile protein glycosylation.
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17
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Zou X, Yoshida M, Nagai-Okatani C, Iwaki J, Matsuda A, Tan B, Hagiwara K, Sato T, Itakura Y, Noro E, Kaji H, Toyoda M, Zhang Y, Narimatsu H, Kuno A. A standardized method for lectin microarray-based tissue glycome mapping. Sci Rep 2017; 7:43560. [PMID: 28262709 PMCID: PMC5337905 DOI: 10.1038/srep43560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2016] [Accepted: 01/25/2017] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The significance of glycomic profiling has been highlighted by recent findings that structural changes of glycans are observed in many diseases, including cancer. Therefore, glycomic profiling of the whole body (glycome mapping) under different physiopathological states may contribute to the discovery of reliable biomarkers with disease-specific alterations. To achieve this, standardization of high-throughput and in-depth analysis of tissue glycome mapping is needed. However, this is a great challenge due to the lack of analytical methodology for glycans on small amounts of endogenous glycoproteins. Here, we established a standardized method of lectin-assisted tissue glycome mapping. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections were prepared from brain, liver, kidney, spleen, and testis of two C57BL/6J mice. In total, 190 size-adjusted fragments with different morphology were serially collected from each tissue by laser microdissection and subjected to lectin microarray analysis. The results and subsequent histochemical analysis with selected lectins were highly consistent with previous reports of mass spectrometry-based N- and/or O-glycome analyses and histochemistry. This is the first report to look at both N- and O-glycome profiles of various regions within tissue sections of five different organs. This simple and reproducible mapping approach is also applicable to various disease model mice to facilitate disease-related biomarker discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xia Zou
- Biotechnology Research Institute for Drug Discovery, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba 305-8568, Japan.,Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Systems Biomedicine, Shanghai Center for Systems Biomedicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Maki Yoshida
- Biotechnology Research Institute for Drug Discovery, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba 305-8568, Japan
| | - Chiaki Nagai-Okatani
- Biotechnology Research Institute for Drug Discovery, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba 305-8568, Japan
| | - Jun Iwaki
- Biotechnology Research Institute for Drug Discovery, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba 305-8568, Japan
| | - Atsushi Matsuda
- Biotechnology Research Institute for Drug Discovery, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba 305-8568, Japan
| | - Binbin Tan
- Biotechnology Research Institute for Drug Discovery, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba 305-8568, Japan.,Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Systems Biomedicine, Shanghai Center for Systems Biomedicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Kozue Hagiwara
- Biotechnology Research Institute for Drug Discovery, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba 305-8568, Japan
| | - Takashi Sato
- Biotechnology Research Institute for Drug Discovery, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba 305-8568, Japan
| | - Yoko Itakura
- Research Team for Geriatric Medicine, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Tokyo 173-0015, Japan
| | - Erika Noro
- Biotechnology Research Institute for Drug Discovery, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba 305-8568, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Kaji
- Biotechnology Research Institute for Drug Discovery, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba 305-8568, Japan
| | - Masashi Toyoda
- Research Team for Geriatric Medicine, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Tokyo 173-0015, Japan
| | - Yan Zhang
- Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Systems Biomedicine, Shanghai Center for Systems Biomedicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Hisashi Narimatsu
- Biotechnology Research Institute for Drug Discovery, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba 305-8568, Japan
| | - Atsushi Kuno
- Biotechnology Research Institute for Drug Discovery, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba 305-8568, Japan
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18
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Kekäläinen J, Evans JP. Female-induced remote regulation of sperm physiology may provide opportunities for gamete-level mate choice. Evolution 2016; 71:238-248. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.13141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2016] [Revised: 11/10/2016] [Accepted: 11/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jukka Kekäläinen
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Animal Biology; University of Western Australia; Crawley WA 6009 Australia
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences; University of Eastern Finland; Joensuu Finland
| | - Jonathan P. Evans
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Animal Biology; University of Western Australia; Crawley WA 6009 Australia
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19
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Beekman M, Nieuwenhuis B, Ortiz-Barrientos D, Evans JP. Sexual selection in hermaphrodites, sperm and broadcast spawners, plants and fungi. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2016; 371:20150541. [PMID: 27619704 PMCID: PMC5031625 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2015.0541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Darwin was the first to recognize that sexual selection is a strong evolutionary force. Exaggerated traits allow same-sex individuals to compete over access to mates and provide a mechanism by which mates are selected. It is relatively easy to appreciate how inter- and intrasexual selection work in organisms with the sensory capabilities to perceive physical or behavioural traits that signal mate quality or mate compatibility, and to assess the relative quality of competitors. It is therefore not surprising that most studies of sexual selection have focused on animals with separate sexes and obvious adaptations that function in the context of reproductive competition. Yet, many sexual organisms are both male and female at the same time, often lack sexual dimorphism and never come into direct contact at mating. How does sexual selection act in such species, and what can we learn from them? Here, we address these questions by exploring the potential for sexual selection in simultaneous hermaphrodites, sperm- and broadcast spawners, plants and fungi. Our review reveals a range of mechanisms of sexual selection, operating primarily after gametes have been released, which are common in many of these groups and also quite possibly in more familiar (internally fertilizing and sexually dimorphic) organisms.This article is part of the themed issue 'Weird sex: the underappreciated diversity of sexual reproduction'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madeleine Beekman
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, 2006 New South Wales, Australia
| | - Bart Nieuwenhuis
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, 75236 Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | - Jonathan P Evans
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Animal Biology, University of Western Australia, 6009 Western Australia, Australia
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