1
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Tong KY, Liu WW, Sun LW, Liu DY, Xiang YZ, Li C, Chai LW, Chen K, Huang GN, Li JY. Novel PLCZ1 mutation caused polyspermy during in vitro fertilization. Asian J Androl 2024:00129336-990000000-00168. [PMID: 38445955 DOI: 10.4103/aja202376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
ABSTRACT Failure of oocyte activation, including polyspermy and defects in pronuclear (PN) formation, triggers early embryonic developmental arrest. Many studies have shown that phospholipase C zeta 1 ( PLCZ1 ) mutations cause failure of PN formation following intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI); however, whether PLCZ1 mutation is associated with polyspermy during in vitro fertilization (IVF) remains unknown. Whole-exome sequencing (WES) was performed to identify candidate mutations in couples with primary infertility. Sanger sequencing was used to validate the mutations. Multiple PLCZ1 -mutated sperm were injected into human and mouse oocytes to explore whether PN formation was induced. Assisted oocyte activation (AOA) after ICSI was performed to overcome the failure of oocyte activation. We identified three PLCZ1 mutations in three patients who experienced polyspermy during IVF cycles, including a novel missense mutation c.1154C>T, p.R385Q. PN formation failure was observed during the ICSI cycle. However, injection of multiple PLCZ1 -mutated sperm induced PN formation, suggesting that the Ca 2+ oscillations induced by the sperm exceeded the necessary threshold for PN formation. AOA after ICSI enabled normal fertilization, and all patients achieved successful pregnancies. These findings expand the mutational spectrum of PLCZ1 and suggest an important role for PLCZ1 in terms of blocking polyspermy. Furthermore, this study may benefit genetic diagnoses in cases of abnormal fertilization and provide potential appropriate therapeutic measures for these patients with sperm-derived polyspermy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke-Ya Tong
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Human Embryo Engineering, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Women and Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400012, China
- Chongqing Clinical Research Center for Reproductive Medicine, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Chongqing Health Center for Women and Children, Chongqing 400012, China
| | - Wei-Wei Liu
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Human Embryo Engineering, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Women and Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400012, China
- Chongqing Clinical Research Center for Reproductive Medicine, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Chongqing Health Center for Women and Children, Chongqing 400012, China
| | - Li-Wei Sun
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Human Embryo Engineering, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Women and Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400012, China
- Chongqing Clinical Research Center for Reproductive Medicine, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Chongqing Health Center for Women and Children, Chongqing 400012, China
| | - Dong-Yun Liu
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Human Embryo Engineering, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Women and Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400012, China
- Chongqing Clinical Research Center for Reproductive Medicine, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Chongqing Health Center for Women and Children, Chongqing 400012, China
| | - Ye-Zhou Xiang
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Human Embryo Engineering, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Women and Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400012, China
- Chongqing Clinical Research Center for Reproductive Medicine, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Chongqing Health Center for Women and Children, Chongqing 400012, China
| | - Chong Li
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Human Embryo Engineering, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Women and Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400012, China
- Chongqing Clinical Research Center for Reproductive Medicine, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Chongqing Health Center for Women and Children, Chongqing 400012, China
| | - Lu-Wei Chai
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Human Embryo Engineering, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Women and Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400012, China
- Chongqing Clinical Research Center for Reproductive Medicine, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Chongqing Health Center for Women and Children, Chongqing 400012, China
| | - Ke Chen
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Human Embryo Engineering, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Women and Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400012, China
- Chongqing Clinical Research Center for Reproductive Medicine, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Chongqing Health Center for Women and Children, Chongqing 400012, China
| | - Guo-Ning Huang
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Human Embryo Engineering, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Women and Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400012, China
- Chongqing Clinical Research Center for Reproductive Medicine, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Chongqing Health Center for Women and Children, Chongqing 400012, China
| | - Jing-Yu Li
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Human Embryo Engineering, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Women and Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400012, China
- Chongqing Clinical Research Center for Reproductive Medicine, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Chongqing Health Center for Women and Children, Chongqing 400012, China
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2
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Miller DJ. Sperm in the Mammalian Female Reproductive Tract: Surfing Through the Tract to Try to Beat the Odds. Annu Rev Anim Biosci 2024; 12:301-319. [PMID: 37906840 PMCID: PMC11149062 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-animal-021022-040629] [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: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
Mammalian sperm are deposited in the vagina or the cervix/uterus at coitus or at artificial insemination, and the fertilizing sperm move through the female reproductive tract to the ampulla of the oviduct, the site of fertilization. But the destination of most sperm is not the oviduct. Most sperm are carried by retrograde fluid flow to the vagina, are phagocytosed, and/or do not pass barriers on the pathway to the oviduct. The sperm that reach the site of fertilization are the exceptions and winners of one of the most stringent selection processes in nature. This review discusses the challenges sperm encounter and how the few sperm that reach the site of fertilization overcome them. The sperm that reach the goal must navigate viscoelastic fluid, swim vigorously and cooperatively along the walls of the female tract, avoid the innate immune system, and respond to potential cues to direct their movement.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J Miller
- Department of Animal Sciences and Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA;
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3
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Grahn E, Kaufmann SV, Askarova M, Ninov M, Welp LM, Berger TK, Urlaub H, Kaupp UB. Control of intracellular pH and bicarbonate by CO 2 diffusion into human sperm. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5395. [PMID: 37669933 PMCID: PMC10480191 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40855-0] [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: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The reaction of CO2 with H2O to form bicarbonate (HCO3-) and H+ controls sperm motility and fertilization via HCO3--stimulated cAMP synthesis. A complex network of signaling proteins participates in this reaction. Here, we identify key players that regulate intracellular pH (pHi) and HCO3- in human sperm by quantitative mass spectrometry (MS) and kinetic patch-clamp fluorometry. The resting pHi is set by amiloride-sensitive Na+/H+ exchange. The sperm-specific putative Na+/H+ exchanger SLC9C1, unlike its sea urchin homologue, is not gated by voltage or cAMP. Transporters and channels implied in HCO3- transport are not detected, and may be present at copy numbers < 10 molecules/sperm cell. Instead, HCO3- is produced by diffusion of CO2 into cells and readjustment of the CO2/HCO3-/H+ equilibrium. The proton channel Hv1 may serve as a unidirectional valve that blunts the acidification ensuing from HCO3- synthesis. This work provides a new framework for the study of male infertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Grahn
- Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology of Behavior-caesar, Molecular Sensory Systems, Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2, 53175, Bonn, Germany
| | - Svenja V Kaufmann
- Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Bioanalytical Mass Spectrometry, Am Fassberg 11, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Malika Askarova
- Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology of Behavior-caesar, Molecular Sensory Systems, Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2, 53175, Bonn, Germany
| | - Momchil Ninov
- Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Bioanalytical Mass Spectrometry, Am Fassberg 11, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
- University Medical Center Göttingen, Institute of Clinical Chemistry, Bioanalytics, Robert-Koch-Strasse 40, 37075, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Luisa M Welp
- Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Bioanalytical Mass Spectrometry, Am Fassberg 11, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
- University Medical Center Göttingen, Institute of Clinical Chemistry, Bioanalytics, Robert-Koch-Strasse 40, 37075, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Thomas K Berger
- Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology of Behavior-caesar, Molecular Sensory Systems, Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2, 53175, Bonn, Germany.
- Department of Neurophysiology, Institute of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Philipps-University Marburg, Deutschhausstrasse 1-2, 35037, Marburg, Germany.
| | - Henning Urlaub
- Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Bioanalytical Mass Spectrometry, Am Fassberg 11, 37077, Göttingen, Germany.
- University Medical Center Göttingen, Institute of Clinical Chemistry, Bioanalytics, Robert-Koch-Strasse 40, 37075, Göttingen, Germany.
- Cluster of Excellence, Multiscale Bioimaging: from Molecular Machines to Networks of Excitable Cells (MBExC), University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.
| | - U Benjamin Kaupp
- Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology of Behavior-caesar, Molecular Sensory Systems, Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2, 53175, Bonn, Germany.
- Life & Medical Sciences Institute (LIMES), University Bonn, Carl-Troll-Strasse 31, 53115, Bonn, Germany.
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4
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Shiba K, Baba SA, Fujiwara E, Inaba K. Calaxin is required for asymmetric bend initiation and propagation in sperm flagella. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1136404. [PMID: 37009483 PMCID: PMC10061002 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1136404] [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: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Regulation of waveform asymmetry in flagella is critical for changes in direction when sperm are swimming, as seen during the chemotaxis of sperm towards eggs. Ca2+ is an important regulator of asymmetry in flagellar waveforms. A calcium sensor protein, calaxin, is associated with the outer arm dynein and plays a key role in the regulation of flagellar motility in a Ca2+-dependent manner. However, the underlying mechanism of regulating asymmetric waves by means of Ca2+ and calaxin remains unclear. To clarify the calaxin-dependent mechanism for generating Ca2+-dependent asymmetric flagellar waveforms, we analyzed the initial step of flagellar bend formation and propagation in the sperm of the ascidian Ciona intestinalis. Our experiment used demembranated sperm cells, which were then reactivated by UV flash photolysis of caged ATP under both high and low Ca2+ concentrations. Here, we show that initial bends in the flagella are formed at the base of the sperm and propagate towards the tip during waveform generation. However, the direction of the initial bend differed between asymmetric and symmetric waves. When a calaxin inhibitor (repaglinide) was applied, it resulted in the failure of asymmetric wave formation and propagation. This was because repaglinide had no effect on initial bend formation, but it significantly inhibited the generation of the subsequent bend in the reverse direction. Switching of dynein sliding activity by mechanical feedback is crucial for flagellar oscillation. Our results suggest that the Ca2+/calaxin mechanism plays an important role in the switching of dynein activity from microtubule sliding in the principal bend into the suppressed sliding in the reverse bend, thereby allowing the sperm to successfully change direction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kogiku Shiba
- Shimoda Marine Research Center, University of Tsukuba, Shimoda, Japan
- *Correspondence: Kogiku Shiba,
| | | | | | - Kazuo Inaba
- Shimoda Marine Research Center, University of Tsukuba, Shimoda, Japan
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5
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Xiao W, Yu M, Yuan Y, Liu X, Chen Y. Thermotaxis of mammalian sperm. Mol Hum Reprod 2022; 28:6650698. [PMID: 35894944 DOI: 10.1093/molehr/gaac027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Revised: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Sperm are guided through the female reproductive tract. A temperature difference of about 2 °C exists between the storage site and fertilization site of the mammalian oviduct, leading to the hypothesis that sperm can sense and swim towards the oocyte along a rising temperature gradient, known as thermotaxis. Research over the past two decades has reported that sperm feature a sophisticated thermal detection system to detect and track ambient temperature gradients. More recently, thermotaxis is expected to be added to the microfluidic isolation method based on sperm tactic responses for sperm selection. In this paper, mammalian sperm thermotaxis is discussed, explaining the underlying behavioral mechanisms and molecular basis, according to the latest research. Finally, this paper explores the possible application of sperm thermotaxis in assisted reproductive technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanglong Xiao
- Institute of Life Science and School of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, 330031, P. R. China
| | - Mengdi Yu
- Institute of Life Science and School of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, 330031, P. R. China
| | - Yan Yuan
- Institute of Life Science and School of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, 330031, P. R. China
| | - Xingzhu Liu
- Queen Mary College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, 330031, P. R. China
| | - Ying Chen
- Institute of Life Science and School of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, 330031, P. R. China.,Key Laboratory of Reproductive Physiology and Pathology in Jiangxi Province, Nanchang, Jiangxi, P. R. China
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6
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Shiba K, Inaba K. The Roles of Two CNG Channels in the Regulation of Ascidian Sperm Chemotaxis. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23031648. [PMID: 35163568 PMCID: PMC8835908 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23031648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2021] [Revised: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Spermatozoa sense and respond to their environmental signals to ensure fertilization success. Reception and transduction of signals are reflected rapidly in sperm flagellar waveforms and swimming behavior. In the ascidian Ciona intestinalis (type A; also called C. robusta), an egg-derived sulfated steroid called SAAF (sperm activating and attracting factor), induces both sperm motility activation and chemotaxis. Two types of CNG (cyclic nucleotide-gated) channels, Ci-tetra KCNG (tetrameric, cyclic nucleotide-gated, K+-selective) and Ci-HCN (hyperpolarization-activated and cyclic nucleotide-gated), are highly expressed in Ciona testis from the comprehensive gene expression analysis. To elucidate the sperm signaling pathway to regulate flagellar motility, we focus on the role of CNG channels. In this study, the immunochemical analysis revealed that both CNG channels are expressed in Ciona sperm and localized to sperm flagella. Sperm motility analysis and Ca2+ imaging during chemotaxis showed that CNG channel inhibition affected the changes in flagellar waveforms and Ca2+ efflux needed for the chemotactic turn. These results suggest that CNG channels in Ciona sperm play a vital role in regulating sperm motility and intracellular Ca2+ regulation during chemotaxis.
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7
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Hwang JY, Wang H, Lu Y, Ikawa M, Chung JJ. C2cd6-encoded CatSperτ targets sperm calcium channel to Ca 2+ signaling domains in the flagellar membrane. Cell Rep 2022; 38:110226. [PMID: 34998468 PMCID: PMC8857959 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.110226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Revised: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
In mammalian sperm cells, regulation of spatiotemporal Ca2+ signaling relies on the quadrilinear Ca2+ signaling nanodomains in the flagellar membrane. The sperm-specific, multi-subunit CatSper Ca2+ channel, which is crucial for sperm hyperactivated motility and male fertility, organizes the nanodomains. Here, we report CatSperτ, the C2cd6-encoded membrane-associating C2 domain protein, can independently migrate to the flagella and serve as a major targeting component of the CatSper channel complex. CatSperτ loss of function in mice demonstrates that it is essential for sperm hyperactivated motility and male fertility. CatSpertτ targets the CatSper channel into the quadrilinear nanodomains in the flagella of developing spermatids, whereas it is dispensable for functional channel assembly. CatSperτ interacts with ciliary trafficking machinery in a C2-dependent manner. These findings provide insights into the CatSper channel trafficking to the Ca2+ signaling nanodomains and the shared molecular mechanisms of ciliary and flagellar membrane targeting. Hwang et al. report that the C2 domain protein CatSperτ targets the sperm CatSper Ca2+ channel to linear domains of the sperm flagellum during development. The findings provide fundamental insights into CatSper trafficking and the shared molecular mechanisms among ciliary and flagellar membrane targeting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jae Yeon Hwang
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Huafeng Wang
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Yonggang Lu
- Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 5650871, Japan
| | - Masahito Ikawa
- Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 5650871, Japan
| | - Jean-Ju Chung
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA.
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8
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Kierzek M, Deal PE, Miller EW, Mukherjee S, Wachten D, Baumann A, Kaupp UB, Strünker T, Brenker C. Simultaneous recording of multiple cellular signaling events by frequency- and spectrally-tuned multiplexing of fluorescent probes. eLife 2021; 10:e63129. [PMID: 34859780 PMCID: PMC8700268 DOI: 10.7554/elife.63129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Fluorescent probes that change their spectral properties upon binding to small biomolecules, ions, or changes in the membrane potential (Vm) are invaluable tools to study cellular signaling pathways. Here, we introduce a novel technique for simultaneous recording of multiple probes at millisecond time resolution: frequency- and spectrally-tuned multiplexing (FASTM). Different from present multiplexing approaches, FASTM uses phase-sensitive signal detection, which renders various combinations of common probes for Vm and ions accessible for multiplexing. Using kinetic stopped-flow fluorimetry, we show that FASTM allows simultaneous recording of rapid changes in Ca2+, pH, Na+, and Vm with high sensitivity and minimal crosstalk. FASTM is also suited for multiplexing using single-cell microscopy and genetically encoded FRET biosensors. Moreover, FASTM is compatible with optochemical tools to study signaling using light. Finally, we show that the exceptional time resolution of FASTM also allows resolving rapid chemical reactions. Altogether, FASTM opens new opportunities for interrogating cellular signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelina Kierzek
- Centre of Reproductive Medicine and Andrology, University of MünsterMünsterGermany
- CiM-IMPRS Graduate School, University of MünsterMünsterGermany
| | - Parker E Deal
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Evan W Miller
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Shatanik Mukherjee
- Molecular Sensory Systems, Center of Advanced European Studies and ResearchBonnGermany
| | - Dagmar Wachten
- Institute of Innate Immunity, Department of Biophysical Imaging, Medical Faculty, University of BonnBonnGermany
| | - Arnd Baumann
- Institute of Biological Information Processing (IBI-1), Research Center JülichJülichGermany
| | - U Benjamin Kaupp
- Life & Medical Sciences Institute (LIMES), University of BonnBonnGermany
| | - Timo Strünker
- Centre of Reproductive Medicine and Andrology, University of MünsterMünsterGermany
- Cells in Motion Interfaculty Centre, University of MünsterMünsterGermany
| | - Christoph Brenker
- Centre of Reproductive Medicine and Andrology, University of MünsterMünsterGermany
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9
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Loyo-Celis V, Orta G, Beltrán C, Darszon A. CatSper channels in sea urchin sperm. Cell Calcium 2021; 99:102466. [PMID: 34509139 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceca.2021.102466] [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: 05/24/2021] [Revised: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Sea urchin sperm swimming is regulated by speract, a decapeptide released from egg jelly that induces chemotaxis and triggers membrane potential (Em) changes, intracellular increases in cyclic nucleotides (cGMP, cAMP), pH (pHi) and calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i). The identity of the ionic transporters associated with the [Ca2+]i changes required for chemotaxis is not fully known. CatSper, a sperm exclusive Ca2+ channel has been detected by proteomic analysis and immunofluorescence in sea urchin sperm and there is evidence for its involvement in chemotaxis. This work presents an electrophysiological characterization of a CatSper channel in sea urchin sperm. By swelling sperm suspending them in 10-fold diluted artificial sea water (ASW) we achieve on-cell patch-clamp recordings that document a mildly voltage and pHi dependent Na+ permeable channel (in absence of divalent ions in the pipette), sensitive to speract, and blocked by Mibefradil (Mibe), NNC55-0396 (NNC) and RU1968 (RU) resembling CatSper. We also recorded a voltage dependent Cl- channel inhibited by Niflumic Acid and the TMEM16A blocker.
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Affiliation(s)
- Verónica Loyo-Celis
- Departamento de Genética del Desarrollo y Fisiología Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
| | - Gerardo Orta
- Departamento de Genética del Desarrollo y Fisiología Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
| | - Carmen Beltrán
- Departamento de Genética del Desarrollo y Fisiología Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
| | - Alberto Darszon
- Departamento de Genética del Desarrollo y Fisiología Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México.
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10
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Hansen JN, Gong A, Wachten D, Pascal R, Turpin A, Jikeli JF, Kaupp UB, Alvarez L. Multifocal imaging for precise, label-free tracking of fast biological processes in 3D. Nat Commun 2021; 12:4574. [PMID: 34321468 PMCID: PMC8319204 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24768-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Many biological processes happen on a nano- to millimeter scale and within milliseconds. Established methods such as confocal microscopy are suitable for precise 3D recordings but lack the temporal or spatial resolution to resolve fast 3D processes and require labeled samples. Multifocal imaging (MFI) allows high-speed 3D imaging but is limited by the compromise between high spatial resolution and large field-of-view (FOV), and the requirement for bright fluorescent labels. Here, we provide an open-source 3D reconstruction algorithm for multi-focal images that allows using MFI for fast, precise, label-free tracking spherical and filamentous structures in a large FOV and across a high depth. We characterize fluid flow and flagellar beating of human and sea urchin sperm with a z-precision of 0.15 µm, in a volume of 240 × 260 × 21 µm, and at high speed (500 Hz). The sampling volume allowed to follow sperm trajectories while simultaneously recording their flagellar beat. Our MFI concept is cost-effective, can be easily implemented, and does not rely on object labeling, which renders it broadly applicable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan N Hansen
- Institute of Innate Immunity, Biophysical Imaging, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
| | - An Gong
- Center of Advanced European Studies and Research (caesar), Molecular Sensory Systems, Bonn, Germany
| | - Dagmar Wachten
- Institute of Innate Immunity, Biophysical Imaging, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - René Pascal
- Center of Advanced European Studies and Research (caesar), Molecular Sensory Systems, Bonn, Germany
| | - Alex Turpin
- School of Computing Science, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Jan F Jikeli
- Institute of Innate Immunity, Biophysical Imaging, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - U Benjamin Kaupp
- Center of Advanced European Studies and Research (caesar), Molecular Sensory Systems, Bonn, Germany
- Life & Medical Sciences Institute (LIMES), University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Luis Alvarez
- Center of Advanced European Studies and Research (caesar), Molecular Sensory Systems, Bonn, Germany.
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11
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Maghsoumi-Norouzabad L, Zare Javid A, Mansoori A, Dadfar M, Serajian A. The effects of Vitamin D3 supplementation on Spermatogram and endocrine factors in asthenozoospermia infertile men: a randomized, triple blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Reprod Biol Endocrinol 2021; 19:102. [PMID: 34225767 PMCID: PMC8256550 DOI: 10.1186/s12958-021-00789-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Evaluate the effects of vitamin D3 (VD3) on sperm parameters and endocrine markers in infertile men with asthenozoospermia. MATERIALS AND METHODS This randomized, triple-masking, placebo-controlled clinical trial conducted on 86 asthenozoospermia infertile men with serum 25 hydroxy vitamin D3 (25(OH)VD3) < 30 ng/ml in the infertility clinic of Ahvaz Jahad daneshgahi, Iran. Patients were randomly allocated to groups A and B, who received daily 4000 IU VD3 and matching placebo respectively for 3 months. Demographic data, dietary intake, physical activity, sun exposure, anthropometric indices, serum 25(OH)VD3, luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), total testosterone (T), estradiol (E2),, sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), free androgen index (FAI = T/SHBG. 100), T/LH and T/E2 ratios, prolactin (PRO), parathyroid hormone (PTH), osteocalcin (OCN), phosphorus and sperm parameters were assessed. RESULTS Three months VD3 supplementation with 4000 IU/day had no significant effects body weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), body fat (BF), serum, OCN, LH, FSH, T, E2, SHBG, PRO, T/E2 ratio, FAI, semen volume, sperm count and normal sperm morphology. It increases serum 25(OH)VD3, PTH and phosphorus and seminal and serum calcium, T/LH ratio and total and progressive sperm motility and decreased significantly compared to the baseline and placebo group. CONCLUSION VD3 supplementation may affect sperm motility in men with asthenozoospermia and serum 25(OH)VD3 < 30 ng/ml. TRIAL REGISTRATION Iran Clinical Trials Registry, ID: IRCT20151128025274N4, registered on 28 March 2018, URL of trial registry record: https://www.irct.ir/trial/29983.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leila Maghsoumi-Norouzabad
- Department of Nutrition, School of Allied Medical Sciences and Nutrition and Metabolic Diseases Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Ahmad Zare Javid
- Department of Nutrition, School of Allied Medical Sciences and Nutrition and Metabolic Diseases Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
| | - Anahita Mansoori
- Department of Nutrition, School of Allied Medical Sciences and Nutrition and Metabolic Diseases Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Mohammadreza Dadfar
- Department of Urology, Imam Khomeini Hospital, School of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
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12
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Nichols ZG, Rikard S, Alavi SMH, Walton WC, Butts IAE. Regulation of sperm motility in Eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) spawning naturally in seawater with low salinity. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0243569. [PMID: 33735238 PMCID: PMC7971463 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0243569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2020] [Accepted: 12/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Oyster aquaculture is expanding worldwide, where many farms rely on seed produced by artificial spawning. As sperm motility and velocity are key determinants for fertilization success, understanding the regulation of sperm motility and identifying optimal environmental conditions can increase fertility and seed production. In the present study, we investigated the physiological mechanisms regulating sperm motility in Eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica. Sperm motility was activated in ambient seawater with salinity 4-32 PSU with highest motility and velocity observed at 12-24 PSU. In artificial seawater (ASW) with salinity of 20 PSU, sperm motility was activated at pH 6.5-10.5 with the highest motility and velocity recorded at pH 7.5-10.0. Sperm motility was inhibited or totally suppressed in Na+, K+, Ca2+, and Mg2+-free ASW at 20 PSU. Applications of K+ (500 μM glybenclamide and 10-50 mM 4-aminopyridine), Ca2+ (1-50 μM mibefradil and 10-200 μM verapamil), or Na+ (0.2-2.0 mM amiloride) channel blockers into ASW at 20 PSU inhibited or suppressed sperm motility and velocity. Chelating extracellular Ca2+ ions by 3.0 and 3.5 mM EGTA resulted in a significant reduction and full suppression of sperm motility by 4 to 6 min post-activation. These results suggest that extracellular K+, Ca2+, and Na+ ions are involved in regulation of ionic-dependent sperm motility in Eastern oyster. A comparison with other bivalve species typically spawning at higher salinities or in full-strength seawater shows that ionic regulation of sperm motility is physiologically conserved in bivalves. Elucidating sperm regulation in C. virginica has implications to develop artificial reproduction, sperm short-term storage, or cryopreservation protocols, and to better predict how changes in the ocean will impact oyster spawning dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoe G. Nichols
- School of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, United States of America
| | - Scott Rikard
- School of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, United States of America
- Auburn University Shellfish Lab, Dauphin Island, Alabama, United States of America
| | | | - William C. Walton
- School of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, United States of America
- Auburn University Shellfish Lab, Dauphin Island, Alabama, United States of America
| | - Ian A. E. Butts
- School of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, United States of America
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13
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Hansen JN, Rassmann S, Stüven B, Jurisch-Yaksi N, Wachten D. CiliaQ: a simple, open-source software for automated quantification of ciliary morphology and fluorescence in 2D, 3D, and 4D images. THE EUROPEAN PHYSICAL JOURNAL. E, SOFT MATTER 2021; 44:18. [PMID: 33683488 PMCID: PMC7940315 DOI: 10.1140/epje/s10189-021-00031-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Cilia are hair-like membrane protrusions that emanate from the surface of most vertebrate cells and are classified into motile and primary cilia. Motile cilia move fluid flow or propel cells, while also fulfill sensory functions. Primary cilia are immotile and act as a cellular antenna, translating environmental cues into cellular responses. Ciliary dysfunction leads to severe diseases, commonly termed ciliopathies. The molecular details underlying ciliopathies and ciliary function are, however, not well understood. Since cilia are small subcellular compartments, imaging-based approaches have been used to study them. However, tools to comprehensively analyze images are lacking. Automatic analysis approaches require commercial software and are limited to 2D analysis and only a few parameters. The widely used manual analysis approaches are time consuming, user-biased, and difficult to compare. Here, we present CiliaQ, a package of open-source, freely available, and easy-to-use ImageJ plugins. CiliaQ allows high-throughput analysis of 2D and 3D, static or time-lapse images from fluorescence microscopy of cilia in cell culture or tissues, and outputs a comprehensive list of parameters for ciliary morphology, length, bending, orientation, and fluorescence intensity, making it broadly applicable. We envision CiliaQ as a resource and platform for reproducible and comprehensive analysis of ciliary function in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Niklas Hansen
- Institute of Innate Immunity, Biophysical Imaging, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, 53127, Bonn, Germany.
| | - Sebastian Rassmann
- Institute of Innate Immunity, Biophysical Imaging, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, 53127, Bonn, Germany
| | - Birthe Stüven
- Institute of Innate Immunity, Biophysical Imaging, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, 53127, Bonn, Germany
| | - Nathalie Jurisch-Yaksi
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, The Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for Neural Computation, The Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
- Department of Neurology and Clinical Neurophysiology, St. Olavs University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Dagmar Wachten
- Institute of Innate Immunity, Biophysical Imaging, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, 53127, Bonn, Germany.
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14
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RAC1 controls progressive movement and competitiveness of mammalian spermatozoa. PLoS Genet 2021; 17:e1009308. [PMID: 33539343 PMCID: PMC7861394 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Mammalian spermatozoa employ calcium (Ca2+) and cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) signaling in generating flagellar beat. However, how sperm direct their movement towards the egg cells has remained elusive. Here we show that the Rho small G protein RAC1 plays an important role in controlling progressive motility, in particular average path velocity and linearity. Upon RAC1 inhibition of wild type sperm with the drug NSC23766, progressive movement is impaired. Moreover, sperm from mice homozygous for the genetically variant t-haplotype region (tw5/tw32), which are sterile, show strongly enhanced RAC1 activity in comparison to wild type (+/+) controls, and quickly become immotile in vitro. Sperm from heterozygous (t/+) males, on the other hand, display intermediate RAC1 activity, impaired progressive motility and transmission ratio distortion (TRD) in favor of t-sperm. We show that t/+-derived sperm consist of two subpopulations, highly progressive and less progressive. The majority of highly progressive sperm carry the t-haplotype, while most less progressive sperm contain the wild type (+) chromosome. Dosage-controlled RAC1 inhibition in t/+ sperm by NSC23766 rescues progressive movement of (+)-sperm in vitro, directly demonstrating that impairment of progressive motility in the latter is caused by enhanced RAC1 activity. The combined data show that RAC1 plays a pivotal role in controlling progressive motility in sperm, and that inappropriate, enhanced or reduced RAC1 activity interferes with sperm progressive movement. Differential RAC1 activity within a sperm population impairs the competitiveness of sperm cells expressing suboptimal RAC1 activity and thus their fertilization success, as demonstrated by t/+-derived sperm. In conjunction with t-haplotype triggered TRD, we propose that Rho GTPase signaling is essential for directing sperm towards the egg cells.
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15
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Kumar N, Singh AK. The anatomy, movement, and functions of human sperm tail: an evolving mystery. Biol Reprod 2020; 104:508-520. [PMID: 33238303 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioaa213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2020] [Revised: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Sperms have attracted attention of many researchers since it was discovered by Antonie van Leeuwenhoek in 1677. Though a small cell, its every part has complex structure and different function to play in carrying life. Sperm tail is most complicated structure with more than 1000 proteins involved in its functioning. With the advent of three-dimensional microscopes, many studies are undergoing to understand exact mechanism of sperm tail movement. Most recent studies have shown that sperms move by spinning rather than swimming. Each subunit of tail, including axonemal, peri-axonemal structures, plays essential roles in sperm motility, capacitation, hyperactivation, fertilization. Furthermore, over 2300 genes are involved in spermatogenesis. A number of genetic mutations have been linked with abnormal sperm flagellar development leading to motility defects and male infertility. It was found that 6% of male infertility cases are related to genetic causes, and 4% of couples undergoing intracytoplasmic sperm injection for male subfertility have chromosomal abnormalities. Hence, an understanding of sperm tail development and genes associated with its normal functioning can help in better diagnosis of male infertility and its management. There is still a lot that needs to be discovered about genes, proteins contributing to normal human sperm tail development, movement, and role in male fertility. Sperm tail has complex anatomy, with surrounding axoneme having 9 + 2 microtubules arrangement along its entire length and peri-axonemal structures that contribute in sperm motility and fertilization. In future sperm tail-associated genes, proteins and subunits can be used as markers of male fertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naina Kumar
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh 522503, India
| | - Amit Kant Singh
- Department of Physiology, U.P. University of Medical Sciences, Etawah 206130, Uttar Pradesh, India
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16
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Abstract
Understanding the evolution of sex determination mechanisms and sex chromosomes is of fundamental importance in biology. Here we have reconstructed the evolution of the sex-determining region in the Atlantic herring. The region is small and contains only three intact genes. The candidate sex-determining factor BMPR1BBY is an evolutionary innovation in the herring lineage. It encodes a truncated form of a BMP type I receptor, which originated by gene duplication and underwent rapid protein evolution. The receptor has maintained its kinase activity and has the potential to induce development of testis. The other two genes in the sex-determining region, CATSPERG and CATSPER3Y, are male beneficial genes because they encode proteins predicted to be essential for sperm to fertilize the egg. The mechanisms underlying sex determination are astonishingly plastic. Particularly the triggers for the molecular machinery, which recalls either the male or female developmental program, are highly variable and have evolved independently and repeatedly. Fish show a huge variety of sex determination systems, including both genetic and environmental triggers. The advent of sex chromosomes is assumed to stabilize genetic sex determination. However, because sex chromosomes are notoriously cluttered with repetitive DNA and pseudogenes, the study of their evolution is hampered. Here we reconstruct the birth of a Y chromosome present in the Atlantic herring. The region is tiny (230 kb) and contains only three intact genes. The candidate male-determining gene BMPR1BBY encodes a truncated form of a BMP1B receptor, which originated by gene duplication and translocation and underwent rapid protein evolution. BMPR1BBY phosphorylates SMADs in the absence of ligand and thus has the potential to induce testis formation. The Y region also contains two genes encoding subunits of the sperm-specific Ca2+ channel CatSper required for male fertility. The herring Y chromosome conforms with a characteristic feature of many sex chromosomes, namely, suppressed recombination between a sex-determining factor and genes that are beneficial for the given sex. However, the herring Y differs from other sex chromosomes in that suppression of recombination is restricted to an ∼500-kb region harboring the male-specific and sex-associated regions. As a consequence, any degeneration on the herring Y chromosome is restricted to those genes located in the small region affected by suppressed recombination.
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17
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Van Etten J, Shumaker A, Mass T, Putnam HM, Bhattacharya D. Transcriptome analysis provides a blueprint of coral egg and sperm functions. PeerJ 2020; 8:e9739. [PMID: 32874783 PMCID: PMC7441918 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.9739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2020] [Accepted: 07/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Reproductive biology and the evolutionary constraints acting on dispersal stages are poorly understood in many stony coral species. A key piece of missing information is egg and sperm gene expression. This is critical for broadcast spawning corals, such as our model, the Hawaiian species Montipora capitata, because eggs and sperm are exposed to environmental stressors during dispersal. Furthermore, parental effects such as transcriptome investment may provide a means for cross- or trans-generational plasticity and be apparent in egg and sperm transcriptome data. METHODS Here, we analyzed M. capitata egg and sperm transcriptomic data to address three questions: (1) Which pathways and functions are actively transcribed in these gametes? (2) How does sperm and egg gene expression differ from adult tissues? (3) Does gene expression differ between these gametes? RESULTS We show that egg and sperm display surprisingly similar levels of gene expression and overlapping functional enrichment patterns. These results may reflect similar environmental constraints faced by these motile gametes. We find significant differences in differential expression of egg vs. adult and sperm vs. adult RNA-seq data, in contrast to very few examples of differential expression when comparing egg vs. sperm transcriptomes. Lastly, using gene ontology and KEGG orthology data we show that both egg and sperm have markedly repressed transcription and translation machinery compared to the adult, suggesting a dependence on parental transcripts. We speculate that cell motility and calcium ion binding genes may be involved in gamete to gamete recognition in the water column and thus, fertilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Van Etten
- Graduate Program in Ecology and Evolution, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, United States of America
| | - Alexander Shumaker
- Microbial Biology Graduate Program, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, United States of America
| | - Tali Mass
- Department of Marine Biology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Hollie M. Putnam
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, United States of America
| | - Debashish Bhattacharya
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, United States of America
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18
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Darszon A, Nishigaki T, López-González I, Visconti PE, Treviño CL. Differences and Similarities: The Richness of Comparative Sperm Physiology. Physiology (Bethesda) 2020; 35:196-208. [PMID: 32293232 DOI: 10.1152/physiol.00033.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Species preservation depends on the success of fertilization. Sperm are uniquely equipped to fulfill this task, and, although several mechanisms are conserved among species, striking functional differences have evolved to contend with particular sperm-egg environmental characteristics. This review highlights similarities and differences in sperm strategies, with examples within internal and external fertilizers, pointing out unresolved issues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Darszon
- Departamento de Genética del Desarrollo y Fisiología Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca Morelos, México
| | - Takuya Nishigaki
- Departamento de Genética del Desarrollo y Fisiología Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca Morelos, México
| | - Ignacio López-González
- Departamento de Genética del Desarrollo y Fisiología Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca Morelos, México
| | - Pablo E Visconti
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Science, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts
| | - Claudia L Treviño
- Departamento de Genética del Desarrollo y Fisiología Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca Morelos, México
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19
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Establishing and regulating the composition of cilia for signal transduction. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2020; 20:389-405. [PMID: 30948801 DOI: 10.1038/s41580-019-0116-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 226] [Impact Index Per Article: 56.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The primary cilium is a hair-like surface-exposed organelle of the eukaryotic cell that decodes a variety of signals - such as odorants, light and Hedgehog morphogens - by altering the local concentrations and activities of signalling proteins. Signalling within the cilium is conveyed through a diverse array of second messengers, including conventional signalling molecules (such as cAMP) and some unusual intermediates (such as sterols). Diffusion barriers at the ciliary base establish the unique composition of this signalling compartment, and cilia adapt their proteome to signalling demands through regulated protein trafficking. Much progress has been made on the molecular understanding of regulated ciliary trafficking, which encompasses not only exchanges between the cilium and the rest of the cell but also the shedding of signalling factors into extracellular vesicles.
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20
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Trötschel C, Hamzeh H, Alvarez L, Pascal R, Lavryk F, Bönigk W, Körschen HG, Müller A, Poetsch A, Rennhack A, Gui L, Nicastro D, Strünker T, Seifert R, Kaupp UB. Absolute proteomic quantification reveals design principles of sperm flagellar chemosensation. EMBO J 2020; 39:e102723. [PMID: 31880004 PMCID: PMC7024835 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2019102723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2019] [Revised: 11/19/2019] [Accepted: 11/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Cilia serve as cellular antennae that translate sensory information into physiological responses. In the sperm flagellum, a single chemoattractant molecule can trigger a Ca2+ rise that controls motility. The mechanisms underlying such ultra-sensitivity are ill-defined. Here, we determine by mass spectrometry the copy number of nineteen chemosensory signaling proteins in sperm flagella from the sea urchin Arbacia punctulata. Proteins are up to 1,000-fold more abundant than the free cellular messengers cAMP, cGMP, H+ , and Ca2+ . Opto-chemical techniques show that high protein concentrations kinetically compartmentalize the flagellum: Within milliseconds, cGMP is relayed from the receptor guanylate cyclase to a cGMP-gated channel that serves as a perfect chemo-electrical transducer. cGMP is rapidly hydrolyzed, possibly via "substrate channeling" from the channel to the phosphodiesterase PDE5. The channel/PDE5 tandem encodes cGMP turnover rates rather than concentrations. The rate-detection mechanism allows continuous stimulus sampling over a wide dynamic range. The textbook notion of signal amplification-few enzyme molecules process many messenger molecules-does not hold for sperm flagella. Instead, high protein concentrations ascertain messenger detection. Similar mechanisms may occur in other small compartments like primary cilia or dendritic spines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Trötschel
- Fakultät für Biologie und BiotechnologieRuhr‐Universität BochumBochumGermany
| | - Hussein Hamzeh
- Center of Advanced European Studies and Research (caesar), Molecular Sensory SystemsBonnGermany
- Marine Biological LaboratoryWoods HoleMAUSA
| | - Luis Alvarez
- Center of Advanced European Studies and Research (caesar), Molecular Sensory SystemsBonnGermany
| | - René Pascal
- Center of Advanced European Studies and Research (caesar), Molecular Sensory SystemsBonnGermany
| | - Fedir Lavryk
- Center of Advanced European Studies and Research (caesar), Molecular Sensory SystemsBonnGermany
| | - Wolfgang Bönigk
- Center of Advanced European Studies and Research (caesar), Molecular Sensory SystemsBonnGermany
| | - Heinz G Körschen
- Center of Advanced European Studies and Research (caesar), Molecular Sensory SystemsBonnGermany
| | - Astrid Müller
- Center of Advanced European Studies and Research (caesar), Molecular Sensory SystemsBonnGermany
| | - Ansgar Poetsch
- Fakultät für Biologie und BiotechnologieRuhr‐Universität BochumBochumGermany
- Present address:
Center for Marine and Molecular BiotechnologyQNLMQindaoChina
- Present address:
College of Marine Life SciencesOcean University of ChinaQingdaoChina
| | - Andreas Rennhack
- Center of Advanced European Studies and Research (caesar), Molecular Sensory SystemsBonnGermany
| | - Long Gui
- Departments of Cell Biology and BiophysicsUniversity of Texas Southwestern Medical CenterDallasTXUSA
| | - Daniela Nicastro
- Departments of Cell Biology and BiophysicsUniversity of Texas Southwestern Medical CenterDallasTXUSA
| | - Timo Strünker
- Center of Advanced European Studies and Research (caesar), Molecular Sensory SystemsBonnGermany
- Marine Biological LaboratoryWoods HoleMAUSA
- Center of Reproductive Medicine and AndrologyUniversity Hospital MünsterMünsterGermany
| | - Reinhard Seifert
- Center of Advanced European Studies and Research (caesar), Molecular Sensory SystemsBonnGermany
- Marine Biological LaboratoryWoods HoleMAUSA
| | - U Benjamin Kaupp
- Center of Advanced European Studies and Research (caesar), Molecular Sensory SystemsBonnGermany
- Marine Biological LaboratoryWoods HoleMAUSA
- Life& Medical Sciences Institute (LIMES)University of BonnBonnGermany
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Xu K, Yang L, Zhang L, Qi H. Lack of AKAP3 disrupts integrity of the subcellular structure and proteome of mouse sperm and causes male sterility. Development 2020; 147:147/2/dev181057. [DOI: 10.1242/dev.181057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Accepted: 11/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT
The development and maintenance of the correct morphology of sperm is important for their functions. Cellular morphogenesis of sperm occurs during the post-meiotic developmental stage; however, little is known about what coordinates this process. In the present study, we investigated the role of A-kinase anchoring protein 3 (AKAP3) during mouse spermiogenesis, using both mouse genetics and proteomics. It was found that AKAP3 is essential for the formation of the specific subcellular structure of the sperm flagellum, motility of sperm and male fertility. Additionally, lack of AKAP3 caused global changes of the sperm proteome and mislocalization of sperm proteins, including accumulation of RNA metabolism and translation factors and displacement of PKA subunits in mature sperm, which may underlie misregulated PKA activity and immotility in sperm. Interestingly, sperm lacking a complete fibrous sheath from both Akap3 and Akap4 null mice accumulated F-actin filaments and morphological defects during post-testicular maturation in the epididymis. These results suggest that the subcellular structures of sperm could be formed via independent pathways, and elucidate the roles of AKAP3 during the coordinated synthesis and organization of the sperm proteome and sperm morphology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaibiao Xu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, South China Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510630, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, South China Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510630, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Lele Yang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, South China Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510630, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, South China Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Lan Zhang
- GIBH-GMU Joint-school of Biological Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 511436, China
| | - Huayu Qi
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, South China Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510630, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, South China Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510630, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- GIBH-GMU Joint-school of Biological Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 511436, China
- Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health Guangdong Laboratory, Guangzhou 510005, China
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Shahrokhi SZ, Salehi P, Alyasin A, Taghiyar S, Deemeh MR. Asthenozoospermia: Cellular and molecular contributing factors and treatment strategies. Andrologia 2019; 52:e13463. [DOI: 10.1111/and.13463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2019] [Revised: 09/13/2019] [Accepted: 09/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Seyedeh Zahra Shahrokhi
- Department of Laboratory Medicine School of Allied Medical Sciences Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences Tehran Iran
| | - Peyman Salehi
- Infertility Center Shahid Beheshti Hospital Isfahan Iran
| | | | | | - Mohammad Reza Deemeh
- Andrology Department Nobel Laboratory Isfahan Iran
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry Faculty of Medical Sciences Tarbiat Modares University Tehran Iran
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Romero F, Nishigaki T. Comparative genomic analysis suggests that the sperm-specific sodium/proton exchanger and soluble adenylyl cyclase are key regulators of CatSper among the Metazoa. ZOOLOGICAL LETTERS 2019; 5:25. [PMID: 31372239 PMCID: PMC6660944 DOI: 10.1186/s40851-019-0141-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2018] [Accepted: 07/08/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND CatSper is a sperm-specific calcium ion (Ca2+) channel, which regulates sperm flagellar beating by tuning cytoplasmic Ca2+ concentrations. Although this Ca2+ channel is essential for mammalian fertilization, recent bioinformatics analyses have revealed that genes encoding CatSper are heterogeneously distributed throughout the eukaryotes, including vertebrates. As this channel is activated by cytoplasmic alkalization in mammals and sea urchins, it has been proposed that the sperm-specific Na+/H+ exchanger (sNHE, a product of the SLC9C gene family) positively regulates its activity. In mouse, sNHE is functionally coupled to soluble adenylyl cyclase (sAC). CatSper, sNHE, and sAC have thus been considered functionally interconnected in the control of sperm motility, at least in mouse and sea urchin. RESULTS We carried out a comparative genomic analysis to explore phylogenetic relationships among CatSper, sNHE and sAC in eukaryotes. We found that sNHE occurs only in Metazoa, although sAC occurs widely across eukaryotes. In animals, we found correlated and restricted distribution patterns of the three proteins, suggesting coevolution among them in the Metazoa. Namely, nearly all species in which CatSper is conserved also preserve sNHE and sAC. In contrast, in species without sAC, neither CatSper nor sNHE is conserved. On the other hand, the distribution of another testis-specific NHE (NHA, a product of the SLC9B gene family) does not show any apparent association with that of CatSper. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that CatSper, sNHE and sAC form prototypical machinery that functions in regulating sperm flagellar beating in Metazoa. In non-metazoan species, CatSper may be regulated by other H+ transporters, or its activity might be independent of cytoplasmic pH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Romero
- Departamento de Genética del Desarrollo y Fisiología Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (IBT-UNAM). Av. Universidad 2001, Col. Chamilpa, 62210 Cuernavaca, Morelos Mexico
| | - Takuya Nishigaki
- Departamento de Genética del Desarrollo y Fisiología Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (IBT-UNAM). Av. Universidad 2001, Col. Chamilpa, 62210 Cuernavaca, Morelos Mexico
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24
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Raju DN, Hansen JN, Rassmann S, Stüven B, Jikeli JF, Strünker T, Körschen HG, Möglich A, Wachten D. Cyclic Nucleotide-Specific Optogenetics Highlights Compartmentalization of the Sperm Flagellum into cAMP Microdomains. Cells 2019; 8:cells8070648. [PMID: 31252584 PMCID: PMC6679001 DOI: 10.3390/cells8070648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2019] [Revised: 06/13/2019] [Accepted: 06/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Inside the female genital tract, mammalian sperm undergo a maturation process called capacitation, which primes the sperm to navigate across the oviduct and fertilize the egg. Sperm capacitation and motility are controlled by 3′,5′-cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP). Here, we show that optogenetics, the control of cellular signaling by genetically encoded light-activated proteins, allows to manipulate cAMP dynamics in sperm flagella and, thereby, sperm capacitation and motility by light. To this end, we used sperm that express the light-activated phosphodiesterase LAPD or the photo-activated adenylate cyclase bPAC. The control of cAMP by LAPD or bPAC combined with pharmacological interventions provides spatiotemporal precision and allows to probe the physiological function of cAMP compartmentalization in mammalian sperm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana N Raju
- Institute of Innate Immunity, Biophysical Imaging, University Hospital Bonn, University of Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany
- Centrum für Reproduktionsmedizin und Andrologie (CeRA), Universitätsklinikum Münster, Universität Münster, 48129 Münster, Germany
| | - Jan N Hansen
- Institute of Innate Immunity, Biophysical Imaging, University Hospital Bonn, University of Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Sebastian Rassmann
- Institute of Innate Immunity, Biophysical Imaging, University Hospital Bonn, University of Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Birthe Stüven
- Institute of Innate Immunity, Biophysical Imaging, University Hospital Bonn, University of Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany
- Lehrstuhl für Biochemie, Universität Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Jan F Jikeli
- Institute of Innate Immunity, Biophysical Imaging, University Hospital Bonn, University of Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Timo Strünker
- Centrum für Reproduktionsmedizin und Andrologie (CeRA), Universitätsklinikum Münster, Universität Münster, 48129 Münster, Germany
| | - Heinz G Körschen
- Center of Advanced European Studies and Research (caesar), Molecular Sensory Systems, 53175 Bonn, Germany
| | - Andreas Möglich
- Lehrstuhl für Biochemie, Universität Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
- Research Center for Bio-Macromolecules, Universität Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
- Bayreuth Center for Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Universität Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Dagmar Wachten
- Institute of Innate Immunity, Biophysical Imaging, University Hospital Bonn, University of Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany.
- Center of Advanced European Studies and Research (caesar), Molecular Physiology, 53175 Bonn, Germany.
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25
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Hamzeh H, Alvarez L, Strünker T, Kierzek M, Brenker C, Deal PE, Miller EW, Seifert R, Kaupp UB. Kinetic and photonic techniques to study chemotactic signaling in sea urchin sperm. Methods Cell Biol 2019; 151:487-517. [PMID: 30948028 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mcb.2018.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Sperm from sea urchins are attracted by chemical cues released by the egg-a mechanism called chemotaxis. We describe here the signaling pathway and molecular components endowing sperm with single-molecule sensitivity. Chemotactic signaling and behavioral responses occur on a timescale of a few milliseconds to seconds. We describe the techniques and chemical tools used to resolve the signaling events in time. The techniques include rapid-mixing devices, rapid stroboscopic microscopy, and photolysis of caged second messengers and chemoattractants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hussein Hamzeh
- Department of Molecular Sensory Systems, Center of Advanced European Studies and Research (caesar), Bonn, Germany
| | - Luis Alvarez
- Department of Molecular Sensory Systems, Center of Advanced European Studies and Research (caesar), Bonn, Germany
| | - Timo Strünker
- Center of Reproductive Medicine and Andrology, University Hospital Münster, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Michelina Kierzek
- Center of Reproductive Medicine and Andrology, University Hospital Münster, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Christoph Brenker
- Center of Reproductive Medicine and Andrology, University Hospital Münster, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Parker E Deal
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Evan W Miller
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States; Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States; Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Reinhard Seifert
- Department of Molecular Sensory Systems, Center of Advanced European Studies and Research (caesar), Bonn, Germany
| | - U Benjamin Kaupp
- Department of Molecular Sensory Systems, Center of Advanced European Studies and Research (caesar), Bonn, Germany.
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26
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Luddi A, Governini L, Wilmskötter D, Gudermann T, Boekhoff I, Piomboni P. Taste Receptors: New Players in Sperm Biology. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:E967. [PMID: 30813355 PMCID: PMC6413048 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20040967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2019] [Revised: 02/13/2019] [Accepted: 02/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Taste receptors were first described as sensory receptors located on the tongue, where they are expressed in small clusters of specialized epithelial cells. However, more studies were published in recent years pointing to an expression of these proteins not only in the oral cavity but throughout the body and thus to a physiological role beyond the tongue. The recent observation that taste receptors and components of the coupled taste transduction cascade are also expressed during the different phases of spermatogenesis as well as in mature spermatozoa from mouse to humans and the overlap between the ligand spectrum of taste receptors with compounds in the male and female reproductive organs makes it reasonable to assume that sperm "taste" these different cues in their natural microenvironments. This assumption is assisted by the recent observations of a reproductive phenotype of different mouse lines carrying a targeted deletion of a taste receptor gene as well as the finding of a significant correlation between human male infertility and some polymorphisms in taste receptors genes. In this review, we depict recent findings on the role of taste receptors in male fertility, especially focusing on their possible involvement in mechanisms underlying spermatogenesis and post testicular sperm maturation. We also highlight the impact of genetic deletions of taste receptors, as well as their polymorphisms on male reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Luddi
- Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, Siena University, 53100 Siena, Italy.
| | - Laura Governini
- Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, Siena University, 53100 Siena, Italy.
| | - Dorke Wilmskötter
- Walther-Straub-Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, 80539 Munich, Germany.
| | - Thomas Gudermann
- Walther-Straub-Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, 80539 Munich, Germany.
| | - Ingrid Boekhoff
- Walther-Straub-Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, 80539 Munich, Germany.
| | - Paola Piomboni
- Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, Siena University, 53100 Siena, Italy.
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27
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Abstract
In many species, sperm must locate the female gamete to achieve fertilization. Molecules diffusing from the egg envelope, or the female genital tract, guide the sperm toward the oocyte through a process called chemotaxis. Sperm chemotaxis has been studied for more than 100 years being a widespread phenomenon present from lower plants to mammals. This process has been mostly studied in external fertilizers where gametes undergo a significant dilution, as compared to internal fertilizers where the encounter is more defined by the topology of the female tract and only a small fraction of sperm appear to chemotactically respond. Here, we summarize the main methods to measure sperm swimming responses to a chemoattractant, both in populations and in individual sperm. We discuss a novel chemotactic index (CI) to score sperm chemotaxis in external fertilizers having circular trajectories. This CI is based on the sperm progressive displacement and its orientation angle to the chemoattractant source.
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Affiliation(s)
- Héctor Vicente Ramírez-Gómez
- Departamento de Genética del Desarrollo y Fisiología Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Cuernavaca, Mexico
| | - Idán Tuval
- Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies, IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB), Esporles, Spain
| | - Adán Guerrero
- Departamento de Genética del Desarrollo y Fisiología Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Cuernavaca, Mexico; Laboratorio Nacional de Microscopía Avanzada, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Cuernavaca, Mexico
| | - Alberto Darszon
- Departamento de Genética del Desarrollo y Fisiología Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Cuernavaca, Mexico.
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28
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SpermQ⁻A Simple Analysis Software to Comprehensively Study Flagellar Beating and Sperm Steering. Cells 2018; 8:cells8010010. [PMID: 30587820 PMCID: PMC6357160 DOI: 10.3390/cells8010010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2018] [Revised: 12/14/2018] [Accepted: 12/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Motile cilia, also called flagella, are found across a broad range of species; some cilia propel prokaryotes and eukaryotic cells like sperm, while cilia on epithelial surfaces create complex fluid patterns e.g., in the brain or lung. For sperm, the picture has emerged that the flagellum is not only a motor but also a sensor that detects stimuli from the environment, computing the beat pattern according to the sensory input. Thereby, the flagellum navigates sperm through the complex environment in the female genital tract. However, we know very little about how environmental signals change the flagellar beat and, thereby, the swimming behavior of sperm. It has been proposed that distinct signaling domains in the flagellum control the flagellar beat. However, a detailed analysis has been mainly hampered by the fact that current comprehensive analysis approaches rely on complex microscopy and analysis systems. Thus, knowledge on sperm signaling regulating the flagellar beat is based on custom quantification approaches that are limited to only a few aspects of the beat pattern, do not resolve the kinetics of the entire flagellum, rely on manual, qualitative descriptions, and are only a little comparable among each other. Here, we present SpermQ, a ready-to-use and comprehensive analysis software to quantify sperm motility. SpermQ provides a detailed quantification of the flagellar beat based on common time-lapse images acquired by dark-field or epi-fluorescence microscopy, making SpermQ widely applicable. We envision SpermQ becoming a standard tool in flagellar and motile cilia research that allows to readily link studies on individual signaling components in sperm and distinct flagellar beat patterns.
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29
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Balbach M, Beckert V, Hansen JN, Wachten D. Shedding light on the role of cAMP in mammalian sperm physiology. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2018; 468:111-120. [PMID: 29146556 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2017.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2017] [Revised: 11/10/2017] [Accepted: 11/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Mammalian fertilization relies on sperm finding the egg and penetrating the egg vestments. All steps in a sperm's lifetime crucially rely on changes in the second messenger cAMP (cyclic adenosine monophosphate). In recent years, it has become clear that signal transduction in sperm is not a continuum, but rather organized in subcellular domains, e.g. the sperm head and the sperm flagellum, with the latter being further separated into the midpiece, principal piece, and endpiece. To understand the underlying signaling pathways controlling sperm function in more detail, experimental approaches are needed that allow to study sperm signaling with spatial and temporal precision. Here, we will give a comprehensive overview on cAMP signaling in mammalian sperm, describing the molecular players involved in these pathways and the sperm functions that are controlled by cAMP. Furthermore, we will highlight recent advances in analyzing and manipulating sperm signaling with spatio-temporal precision using light.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie Balbach
- Center of Advanced European Studies and Research (caesar), Department of Molecular Sensory Systems, Bonn, Germany
| | - Vera Beckert
- Institute of Innate Immunity, University Hospital, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Jan N Hansen
- Institute of Innate Immunity, University Hospital, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Dagmar Wachten
- Institute of Innate Immunity, University Hospital, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany; Center of Advanced European Studies and Research (caesar), Minerva Max Planck Research Group, Molecular Physiology, Bonn, Germany.
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30
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Dobramysl U, Holcman D. Reconstructing the gradient source position from steady-state fluxes to small receptors. Sci Rep 2018; 8:941. [PMID: 29343770 PMCID: PMC5772644 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-19355-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2017] [Accepted: 12/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Recovering the position of a source from the fluxes of diffusing particles through small receptors allows a biological cell to determine its relative position, spatial localization and guide it to a final target. However, how a source can be recovered from point fluxes remains unclear. Using the Narrow Escape approach for an open domain, we compute the diffusion fluxes of Brownian particles generated by a steady-state gradient from a single source through small holes distributed on a surface in two dimensions. We find that the location of a source can be recovered when there are at least 3 receptors and the source is positioned no further than 10 cell radii away, but this condition is not necessary in a narrow strip. The present approach provides a computational basis for the first step of direction sensing of a gradient at a single cell level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrich Dobramysl
- Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - David Holcman
- Ecole Normale Supérieure 46 rue d'Ulm 75005, Paris, France. .,DAMPT, University of Cambrdige, Storeys way, Cambridge, CB30DS, United Kingdom.
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