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Jönsson M, Morin M, Wang CK, Craik DJ, Degnan SM, Degnan BM. Sex-specific expression of pheromones and other signals in gravid starfish. BMC Biol 2022; 20:288. [PMID: 36528687 PMCID: PMC9759900 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-022-01491-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Many echinoderms form seasonal aggregations prior to spawning. In some fecund species, a spawning event can lead to population outbreaks with detrimental ecosystem impacts. For instance, outbreaks of crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS), a corallivore, can destroy coral reefs. Here, we examine the gene expression in gravid male and female COTS prior to spawning in the wild, to identify genome-encoded factors that may regulate aggregation and spawning. This study is informed by a previously identified exoproteome that attracts conspecifics. To capture the natural gene expression profiles, we isolated RNAs from gravid female and male COTS immediately after they were removed from the Great Barrier Reef. RESULTS: Sexually dimorphic gene expression is present in all seven somatic tissues and organs that we surveyed and in the gonads. Approximately 40% of the exoproteome transcripts are differentially expressed between sexes. Males uniquely upregulate an additional 68 secreted factors in their testes. A suite of neuropeptides in sensory organs, coelomocytes and gonads is differentially expressed between sexes, including the relaxin-like gonad-stimulating peptide and gonadotropin-releasing hormones. Female sensory tentacles-chemosensory organs at the distal tips of the starfish arms-uniquely upregulate diverse receptors and signalling molecules, including chemosensory G-protein-coupled receptors and several neuropeptides, including kisspeptin, SALMFamide and orexin. CONCLUSIONS Analysis of 103 tissue/organ transcriptomes from 13 wild COTS has revealed genes that are consistently differentially expressed between gravid females and males and that all tissues surveyed are sexually dimorphic at the molecular level. This finding is consistent with female and male COTS using sex-specific pheromones to regulate reproductive aggregations and synchronised spawning events. These pheromones appear to be received primarily by the sensory tentacles, which express a range of receptors and signalling molecules in a sex-specific manner. Furthermore, coelomocytes and gonads differentially express signalling and regulatory factors that control gametogenesis and spawning in other echinoderms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathias Jönsson
- grid.1003.20000 0000 9320 7537Centre for Marine Science, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072 Australia
| | - Marie Morin
- grid.1003.20000 0000 9320 7537Centre for Marine Science, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072 Australia
| | - Conan K. Wang
- grid.1003.20000 0000 9320 7537Institute for Molecular Bioscience, ARC Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072 Australia
| | - David J. Craik
- grid.1003.20000 0000 9320 7537Institute for Molecular Bioscience, ARC Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072 Australia
| | - Sandie M. Degnan
- grid.1003.20000 0000 9320 7537Centre for Marine Science, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072 Australia
| | - Bernard M. Degnan
- grid.1003.20000 0000 9320 7537Centre for Marine Science, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072 Australia
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2
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Ikenaga J, Aratake S, Yoshida K, Yoshida M. A novel role for ATP2B in ascidians: Ascidian-specific mutations in ATP2B contribute to sperm chemotaxis. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY. PART B, MOLECULAR AND DEVELOPMENTAL EVOLUTION 2022; 338:430-437. [PMID: 35468255 DOI: 10.1002/jez.b.23133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2021] [Revised: 03/06/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Sperm chemotaxis, in which sperms are attracted to conspecific eggs via species-specific attractants, plays an important role in fertilization. This phenomenon has been observed in various animals and species-specific sperm attractants have been reported in some species. However, the mechanisms involved in the reception and recognition of the species-specific attractant by the sperms is poorly studied. Previously, we found that the plasma membrane-type Ca2+ /ATPase (PMCA) is the receptor for the sperm-activating and -attracting factor (SAAF) in the ascidian Ciona intestinalis. To determine the role of PMCA in species-specific sperm chemotaxis, we identified the amino acid sequences of PMCAs derived from six Phlebobranchia species. The testis-specific splice variant of PMCA was found to be present in all the species investigated and the ascidian-specific sequence was detected near the 3'-terminus. Moreover, dN/dS analysis revealed that the extracellular loops 1, 2, and 4 in ascidian PMCA underwent a positive selection. These findings suggest that PMCA recognizes the species-specific structure of SAAF at the extracellular loops 1, 2, and 4, and its testis-specific C-terminal region is involved in the activation and chemotaxis of ascidian sperms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jumpei Ikenaga
- Misaki Marine Biological Station, School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Miura, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Satoe Aratake
- Department of Urology, St. Marianna University School of Medicine, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Kaoru Yoshida
- Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, Toin University of Yokohama, 225-8503, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Manabu Yoshida
- Misaki Marine Biological Station, School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Miura, Kanagawa, Japan
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3
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Fliniaux I, Marchand G, Molinaro C, Decloquement M, Martoriati A, Marin M, Bodart JF, Harduin-Lepers A, Cailliau K. Diversity of sialic acids and sialoglycoproteins in gametes and at fertilization. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:982931. [PMID: 36340022 PMCID: PMC9630641 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.982931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 09/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Sialic acids are a family of 9-carbon monosaccharides with particular physicochemical properties. They modulate the biological functions of the molecules that carry them and are involved in several steps of the reproductive process. Sialoglycoproteins participate in the balance between species recognition and specificity, and the mechanisms of these aspects remain an issue in gametes formation and binding in metazoan reproduction. Sialoglycoproteins form a specific coat at the gametes surface and specific polysialylated chains are present on marine species oocytes. Spermatozoa are submitted to critical sialic acid changes in the female reproductive tract facilitating their migration, their survival through the modulation of the female innate immune response, and the final oocyte-binding event. To decipher the role of sialic acids in gametes and at fertilization, the dynamical changes of enzymes involved in their synthesis and removal have to be further considered.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Katia Cailliau
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, UMR 8576-UGSF-Unité de Glycobiologie Structurale et Fonctionnelle, Lille, France
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4
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Mechanisms of Sperm–Egg Interactions: What Ascidian Fertilization Research Has Taught Us. Cells 2022; 11:cells11132096. [PMID: 35805180 PMCID: PMC9265791 DOI: 10.3390/cells11132096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2022] [Revised: 06/18/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Fertilization is an essential process in terrestrial organisms for creating a new organism with genetic diversity. Before gamete fusion, several steps are required to achieve successful fertilization. Animal spermatozoa are first activated and attracted to the eggs by egg-derived chemoattractants. During the sperm passage of the egg’s extracellular matrix or upon the sperm binding to the proteinaceous egg coat, the sperm undergoes an acrosome reaction, an exocytosis of acrosome. In hermaphrodites such as ascidians, the self/nonself recognition process occurs when the sperm binds to the egg coat. The activated or acrosome-reacted spermatozoa penetrate through the proteinaceous egg coat. The extracellular ubiquitin–proteasome system, the astacin-like metalloproteases, and the trypsin-like proteases play key roles in this process in ascidians. In the present review, we summarize our current understanding and perspectives on gamete recognition and egg coat lysins in ascidians and consider the general mechanisms of fertilization in animals and plants.
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5
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Yang Y, Chen F, Qiao K, Zhang H, Chen HY, Wang KJ. Two Male-Specific Antimicrobial Peptides SCY2 and Scyreprocin as Crucial Molecules Participated in the Sperm Acrosome Reaction of Mud Crab Scylla paramamosain. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:3373. [PMID: 35328805 PMCID: PMC8952799 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23063373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2022] [Revised: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) identified in the reproductive system of animals have been widely studied for their antimicrobial activity, but only a few studies have focused on their physiological roles. Our previous studies have revealed the in vitro antimicrobial activity of two male gonadal AMPs, SCY2 and scyreprocin, from mud crab Scylla paramamosain. Their physiological functions, however, remain a mystery. In this study, the two AMPs were found co-localized on the sperm apical cap. Meanwhile, progesterone was confirmed to induce acrosome reaction (AR) of mud crab sperm in vitro, which intrigued us to explore the roles of the AMPs and progesterone in AR. Results showed that the specific antibody blockade of scyreprocin inhibited the progesterone-induced AR without affecting intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis, while the blockade of SCY2 hindered the influx of Ca2+. We further showed that SCY2 could directly bind to Ca2+. Moreover, progesterone failed to induce AR when either scyreprocin or SCY2 function was deprived. Taken together, scyreprocin and SCY2 played a dual role in reproductive immunity and sperm AR. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the direct involvement of AMPs in sperm AR, which would expand the current understanding of the roles of AMPs in reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China; (Y.Y.); (F.C.); (K.Q.); (H.Z.); (H.-Y.C.)
| | - Fangyi Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China; (Y.Y.); (F.C.); (K.Q.); (H.Z.); (H.-Y.C.)
- State-Province Joint Engineering Laboratory of Marine Bioproducts and Technology, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Kun Qiao
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China; (Y.Y.); (F.C.); (K.Q.); (H.Z.); (H.-Y.C.)
| | - Hua Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China; (Y.Y.); (F.C.); (K.Q.); (H.Z.); (H.-Y.C.)
| | - Hui-Yun Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China; (Y.Y.); (F.C.); (K.Q.); (H.Z.); (H.-Y.C.)
- State-Province Joint Engineering Laboratory of Marine Bioproducts and Technology, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Ke-Jian Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China; (Y.Y.); (F.C.); (K.Q.); (H.Z.); (H.-Y.C.)
- State-Province Joint Engineering Laboratory of Marine Bioproducts and Technology, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
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Ikenaga J, Kajihara H, Yoshida M. Kulikovia alborostrata and Kulikovia fulva comb. nov. (Nemertea: Heteronemertea) are Sister Species with Prezygotic Isolating Barriers. Zoolog Sci 2021; 38:193-202. [PMID: 33812359 DOI: 10.2108/zs200112] [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: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 10/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The heteronemertean Kulikovia alborostrata (Takakura, 1898) was originally described as Lineus alborostratus based on material from Misaki, Japan. Although this species was regarded as consisting of two color variants, purple and brown-yellow, the identity of these variants has never been examined based on topotypes. In this study, we performed a multi-locus phylogeny reconstruction, species delimitation analyses, and cross-fertilization experiments to examine the species status of Takakura's original taxon concept consisting of these color variants. Our results suggest that the purple type is identical to Lineus alborostratus Takakura, 1898 auct. (currently Kulikovia alborostrata), whereas the brown-yellow type is conspecific with Lineus fulvus Iwata, 1954, originally established from Hokkaido. These two species appear to have a sister-taxon relationship and are reproductively isolated from each other by prezygotic mechanisms involving gamete incompatibility, minimally separated with 2.8% (16S rRNA) and 14.4% (COI) uncorrected p-distances. We propose that the purple type be considered as representing the true identity of the nominal species Lineus alborostratus (currently assigned to the genus Kulikovia) to maintain the common usage of the name. Although Takakura's type material is not extant, we consider that neotypification is unnecessary in this case because no taxonomic/nomenclatural confusion persists. We also propose to transfer Lineus fulvus to yield Kulikovia fulva comb. nov.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jumpei Ikenaga
- Misaki Marine Biological Station, School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Misaki, Miura, Kanagawa 238-0225, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Kajihara
- Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0180, Japan
| | - Manabu Yoshida
- Misaki Marine Biological Station, School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Misaki, Miura, Kanagawa 238-0225, Japan,
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7
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Evaluation of α5β1 integrin as a candidate marker for fertility in bull sperm samples. Theriogenology 2021; 168:66-74. [PMID: 33862426 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2021.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Revised: 03/28/2021] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
With the progressive increase in the use of reproductive biotechnologies in the cattle industry, like artificial insemination and in vitro embryo production, the accurate determination of fertilizing competence of cryopreserved sperm samples is an essential issue. The routine methodology to assess bull sperm quality relies primarily on count, viability and motility of spermatozoa. However, these parameters do not tightly predict the reproductive success of samples. Therefore, identification of complementary markers of sperm functionality to strengthen the predictability of traditional spermogram is desirable to improve livestock reproduction practices. Previous results from our laboratory indicated that α5β1 integrin plays a key role in bovine sperm function and mediates their interaction with the female reproductive tract. Thus, this study aimed to investigate whether the localization of α5β1 held a correlation with fertilizing ability of bovine cryopreserved semen samples. Firstly, we assessed the quality of samples from six different bulls (A-F). We determined motility and viability of sperm samples after thawing and selection. Additionally, we measured the capacitation state of the samples by chlortetracycline (CTC) assay in the presence or absence of heparin, as an indicator of their responsiveness to a capacitating stimulus. Based on these assays, samples were classified being A the bull with the lowest quality and F the bull with the highest quality. Then, we studied the presence and localization of α5β1 integrin. This protein showed a distribution pattern in the acrosomal (A), post-acrosomal (P) and acrosomal + post-acrosomal (A + P) regions with different localization percentages among the studied samples. Next, we determined the fertilizing ability of the samples in in vitro fertilization (IVF) assays and performed correlation analyses between IVF outcome and the routine spermogram parameters or α5β1 integrin localization patterns. When the percentage of cells showing α5β1 integrin was compared to fertilization rate, no correlation was observed. However, the presence of α5β1 integrin in P and A + P regions (PA pattern), positively correlated with IVF rate (p < 0.05). These results suggest that while routine semen analyses failed to predict sperm reproductive competence, integrin localization in post-acrosomal region (PA pattern) showed a positive correlation with IVF outcome, thus posing an attractive marker to predict more accurately the reproductive performance of an individual.
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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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9
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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: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [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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10
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Guerra V, Haynes G, Byrne M, Yasuda N, Adachi S, Nakamura M, Nakachi S, Hart MW. Nonspecific expression of fertilization genes in the crown-of-thorns Acanthaster cf. solaris: Unexpected evidence of hermaphroditism in a coral reef predator. Mol Ecol 2019; 29:363-379. [PMID: 31837059 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2019] [Revised: 11/28/2019] [Accepted: 12/10/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
The characterization of gene expression in gametes has advanced our understanding of the molecular basis for ecological variation in reproductive success and the evolution of reproductive isolation. These advances are especially significant for ecologically important keystone predators such as the coral-eating crown-of-thorns sea stars (COTS, Acanthaster) which are the most influential predator species in Indo-Pacific coral reef ecosystems and the focus of intensive management efforts. We used RNA-seq and transcriptome assemblies to characterize the expression of genes in mature COTS gonads. We described the sequence and domain organization of eight genes with sex-specific expression and well known functions in fertilization in other echinoderms. We found unexpected expression of genes in one ovary transcriptome that are characteristic of males and sperm, including genes that encode the sperm-specific guanylate cyclase receptor for an egg pheromone, and the sperm acrosomal protein bindin. In a reassembly of previously published RNA-seq data from COTS testes, we found a complementary pattern: strong expression of four genes that are otherwise well known to encode egg-specific fertilization proteins, including the egg receptor for bindin (EBR1) and the acrosome reaction-inducing substance in the egg coat (ARIS1, ARIS2, ARIS3). We also found histological evidence of both eggs and sperm developing in the same gonad in several COTS individuals from a parallel study. These results suggest the occurrence of hermaphrodites, and the potential for reproductive assurance via self-fertilization. Our findings have implications for management of COTS populations, especially in consideration of the large size and massive fecundity of these sea stars.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Guerra
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada.,Department of Invertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Gwilym Haynes
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada.,Department of Biology, Langara College, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Maria Byrne
- Schools of Medical and Biological Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Nina Yasuda
- Department of Marine Biology and Environmental Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan
| | - Souta Adachi
- School of Marine Science and Technology, Tokai University, Shimizu, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Masako Nakamura
- School of Marine Science and Technology, Tokai University, Shimizu, Shizuoka, Japan
| | | | - Michael W Hart
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
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11
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Ka U A A, Ferens-Sieczkowska MA, Olejnik B, Ko Odziejczyk J, Zimmer M, Kratz EM. The content of immunomodulatory glycoepitopes in seminal plasma glycoproteins of fertile and infertile men. Reprod Fertil Dev 2019; 31:579-589. [PMID: 30380399 DOI: 10.1071/rd18124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2018] [Accepted: 09/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
According to a concept of fetoembryonic defence, protein-carbohydrate interaction may be involved in the regulation of maternal immunity that prevents rejection of allograft spermatozoa, embryo and fetus. In the present study we focussed on the evaluation of the expression of glycoepitopes that may be of crucial importance in this process: LewisY (LeY) and LewisX (LeX) as well as terminal sialylation. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis with sodium dodecyl sulphate was used to separate seminal plasma samples of fertile (n=10) and infertile (n=103) men; these were then probed with lectins specific to fucose (Lotus tetragonolobus agglutinin and Ulex europaeus agglutinin) and sialic acid (Sambucus nigra agglutinin and Maackia amurensis agglutinin). Differential expression of α2,3-bound sialic acid was found in six out of seven analysed bands, whereas differences in the other analysed glycoepitopes were found in fewer numbers of bands. Mass spectrometry analysis focussed on the identification of proteins carrying glycans with immunomodulatory epitopes, including fibronectin, lactoferrin, clusterin, zinc-α2-glycoprotein, prostate acid phosphatase and prostate-specific antigen; these should be submitted to further detailed analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Ka U A
- Department of Chemistry and Immunochemistry, Wroclaw Medical University, Bujwida Street 44A, 50-345 Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Miros Awa Ferens-Sieczkowska
- Department of Chemistry and Immunochemistry, Wroclaw Medical University, Bujwida Street 44A, 50-345 Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Beata Olejnik
- Department of Chemistry and Immunochemistry, Wroclaw Medical University, Bujwida Street 44A, 50-345 Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Justyna Ko Odziejczyk
- Department of Chemistry and Immunochemistry, Wroclaw Medical University, Bujwida Street 44A, 50-345 Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Mariusz Zimmer
- 2nd Department and Clinic of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Wroclaw Medical University, Borowska Street 213, 50-556 Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Ewa Maria Kratz
- Department of Chemistry and Immunochemistry, Wroclaw Medical University, Bujwida Street 44A, 50-345 Wroclaw, Poland
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12
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Yoshida K, Kaino M, Sekiguchi M, Chigira N, Amano Y, Inokuchi M, Li Q, Hasegawa T. Self-assembly of bacteria cellulose hydrogels carrying multiple carbohydrate appendages to visualize carbohydrate-carbohydrate interactions. Carbohydr Polym 2019; 223:115062. [PMID: 31426967 DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2019.115062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2019] [Revised: 06/28/2019] [Accepted: 07/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Nata de coco was chemically modified to afford the bacterial cellulose hydrogels carrying terminal alkynes. The resultant hydrogels were then converted into hydrogels carrying lactosides or those carrying α-2,3-sialyllactosides by the Cu+-catalyzed alkyne-azide cyclization. The stable homo association of the hydrogels carrying lactosides was observed in an aqueous solution containing Ca2+, thereby demonstrating the Ca2+-mediated lactoside-lactoside interactions. Ca2+ also stabilized the hetero associations among the hydrogels carrying lactosides and those carrying α-2,3-sialyllactosides, thereby also demonstrating the Ca2+-induced interactions between the lactosides and the α-2,3-sialyllactosides. The sizes of these hydrogels were of the order of ca. 5 mm, and their associations could thus be readily monitored with the naked eye.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keisuke Yoshida
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Toyo University, 1-1-1 Izumino, Itakura-machi, Ora-gun, Gumma 374-0193, Japan
| | - Mizuki Kaino
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Toyo University, 1-1-1 Izumino, Itakura-machi, Ora-gun, Gumma 374-0193, Japan
| | - Maki Sekiguchi
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Toyo University, 1-1-1 Izumino, Itakura-machi, Ora-gun, Gumma 374-0193, Japan
| | - Naoto Chigira
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Toyo University, 1-1-1 Izumino, Itakura-machi, Ora-gun, Gumma 374-0193, Japan
| | - Yoshitsugu Amano
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Toyo University, 1-1-1 Izumino, Itakura-machi, Ora-gun, Gumma 374-0193, Japan
| | - Mayu Inokuchi
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Toyo University, 1-1-1 Izumino, Itakura-machi, Ora-gun, Gumma 374-0193, Japan
| | - Qintong Li
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Toyo University, 1-1-1 Izumino, Itakura-machi, Ora-gun, Gumma 374-0193, Japan
| | - Teruaki Hasegawa
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Toyo University, 1-1-1 Izumino, Itakura-machi, Ora-gun, Gumma 374-0193, Japan; Bio-Nano Electronics Research Centre, Toyo University, 2100 Kujirai, Kawagoe, Saitama 350-8585, Japan.
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Morgan CC, Hart MW. Molecular evolution of mammalian genes with epistatic interactions in fertilization. BMC Evol Biol 2019; 19:154. [PMID: 31345177 PMCID: PMC6659299 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-019-1480-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2019] [Accepted: 07/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Genes that encode proteins associated with sperm competition, fertilization, and sexual conflicts of interest are often among the most rapidly evolving parts of animal genomes. One family of sperm-expressed genes (Zp3r, C4bpa) in the mammalian gene cluster called the regulator of complement activation (RCA) encodes proteins that bind eggs and mediate reproductive success, and are therefore expected to show high relative rates of nonsynonymous nucleotide substitution in response to sexual selection in comparison to other genes not involved in gamete binding at fertilization. We tested that working hypothesis by using phylogenetic models of codon evolution to identify episodes of diversifying positive selection. We used a comparative approach to quantify the evidence for episodic diversifying selection acting on RCA genes with known functions in fertilization (and sensitivity to sexual selection), and contrast them with other RCA genes in the same gene family that function in innate immunity (and are not sensitive to sexual selection). RESULTS We expected but did not find evidence for more episodes of positive selection on Zp3r in Glires (the rodents and lagomorphs) or on C4BPA in Primates, in comparison to other paralogous RCA genes in the same taxon, or in comparison to the same orthologous RCA gene in the other taxon. That result was not unique to RCA genes: we also found little evidence for more episodes of diversifying selection on genes that encode selective sperm-binding molecules in the egg coat or zona pellucida (Zp2, Zp3) in comparison to members of the same gene family that encode structural elements of the egg coat (Zp1, Zp4). Similarly, we found little evidence for episodic diversifying selection acting on two other recently discovered genes (Juno, Izumo1) that encode essential molecules for sperm-egg fusion. CONCLUSIONS These negative results help to illustrate the importance of a comparative context for this type of codon model analysis. The results may also point to other phylogenetic contexts in which the effects of selection acting on these fertilization proteins might be more readily discovered and documented in mammals and other taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire C. Morgan
- Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, W12 0NN UK
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Michael W. Hart
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia V5A 1S6 Canada
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14
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Hirohashi N, Yanagimachi R. Sperm acrosome reaction: its site and role in fertilization. Biol Reprod 2019; 99:127-133. [PMID: 29462288 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioy045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2018] [Accepted: 02/15/2018] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Manner and roles of sperm acrosome reaction in a variety of animals were compared.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noritaka Hirohashi
- Oki Marine Biological Station, Education and Research Center for Biological Resources, Shimane University, Oki, Japan
| | - Ryuzo Yanagimachi
- Department of Anatomy, Biochemistry and Physiology, Institute for Biogenesis Research, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
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15
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Hart MW, Guerra V. Finding genes and lineages under selection in speciation. Mol Ecol 2019; 26:3587-3590. [PMID: 28675651 DOI: 10.1111/mec.14170] [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: 04/22/2017] [Accepted: 05/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
What are the genes and traits that respond to selection and cause prezygotic reproductive isolation between species? This question has been hard to answer because genomes are large, the targets of selection may be scattered across the genome (Sabeti et al., ) and different genes may respond to the same selective pressure in different populations (Scheinfeldt et al., ). In this issue of Molecular Ecology, Weber et al. () use a clever comparative approach and leading-edge transcriptomic methods to identify the species and genes under positive selection for divergence between brittle stars (the echinoderm class Ophiuroidea) in the Ophioderma longicauda species complex. They found convincing evidence of positive or diversifying selection acting on two genes encoding ion channels that form part of the signal transduction cascade within the sperm in response to pheromones. Evidence for selection was concentrated in genes from one species (called C5, with internal fertilization and female parental care of brooded juveniles and not in the other species (called C3, with more conventional broadcast spawning and planktonic development of embryos and larvae). That analysis greatly extends the range of taxa, life history traits and molecules that are associated with positive selection in speciation. It also illustrates some of the current limitations on the application of RNAseq methods in the search for the targets of selection in nonmodel organisms like brittle stars. From both points of view, the new work by Weber et al. () has important implications for our understanding of speciation in the ocean.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael W Hart
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
| | - Vanessa Guerra
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
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16
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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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17
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Turani B, Aliko V, Faggio C. Allurin and egg jelly coat impact on in-vitro fertilization success of endangered Albanian water frog, Pelophylax shqipericus. Nat Prod Res 2018; 34:830-837. [PMID: 30445855 DOI: 10.1080/14786419.2018.1508147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Amphibian egg-jelly coat plays an important role in successful fertilization and development. Here, we ask whether proteins like allurin in the jelly coats of frog eggs might influence fertilization rate success. Using in vitro fertilization of Albanian water frog, Pelophylax shqipericus, we found that body cavity eggs or eggs deprived of jelly coat were not fertilized, compromising the success of in vitro fertilization procedure. When de-jellied eggs were inseminated with sperm suspension, the fertilization efficiency is dramatically decreased even inhibited, suggesting that the gel structure is one of the major factors in the achievement of fertilization in the frogs. Fertilization of de-jellied eggs with sperm pre-treated with egg jelly coat, restored the fertilization competency. Such a result suggests that egg jelly coat probably guides the sperm to the egg surface while maintaining the fertilization ability, contributing to a successful in vitro fertilization of Pelophylax shqipericus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blerta Turani
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Tirana, Tirana, Albania
| | - Valbona Aliko
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Tirana, Tirana, Albania
| | - Caterina Faggio
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
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18
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Glycosylated tris-bipyridine ferrous complexes for probing a mechanism behind carbohydrate-carbohydrate interactions: Spatial carbohydrate packing of glycoclusters changes on additions of salts in carbohydrate- and anion-dependent manners. Tetrahedron 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tet.2018.08.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
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19
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Hart MW, Stover DA, Guerra V, Mozaffari SV, Ober C, Mugal CF, Kaj I. Positive selection on human gamete-recognition genes. PeerJ 2018; 6:e4259. [PMID: 29340252 PMCID: PMC5767332 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.4259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2017] [Accepted: 12/21/2017] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Coevolution of genes that encode interacting proteins expressed on the surfaces of sperm and eggs can lead to variation in reproductive compatibility between mates and reproductive isolation between members of different species. Previous studies in mice and other mammals have focused in particular on evidence for positive or diversifying selection that shapes the evolution of genes that encode sperm-binding proteins expressed in the egg coat or zona pellucida (ZP). By fitting phylogenetic models of codon evolution to data from the 1000 Genomes Project, we identified candidate sites evolving under diversifying selection in the human genes ZP3 and ZP2. We also identified one candidate site under positive selection in C4BPA, which encodes a repetitive protein similar to the mouse protein ZP3R that is expressed in the sperm head and binds to the ZP at fertilization. Results from several additional analyses that applied population genetic models to the same data were consistent with the hypothesis of selection on those candidate sites leading to coevolution of sperm- and egg-expressed genes. By contrast, we found no candidate sites under selection in a fourth gene (ZP1) that encodes an egg coat structural protein not directly involved in sperm binding. Finally, we found that two of the candidate sites (in C4BPA and ZP2) were correlated with variation in family size and birth rate among Hutterite couples, and those two candidate sites were also in linkage disequilibrium in the same Hutterite study population. All of these lines of evidence are consistent with predictions from a previously proposed hypothesis of balancing selection on epistatic interactions between C4BPA and ZP3 at fertilization that lead to the evolution of co-adapted allele pairs. Such patterns also suggest specific molecular traits that may be associated with both natural reproductive variation and clinical infertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael W Hart
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Daryn A Stover
- School of Mathematical and Natural Sciences, Arizona State University Colleges at Lake Havasu City, Lake Havasu City, AZ, USA
| | - Vanessa Guerra
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Sahar V Mozaffari
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Carole Ober
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Carina F Mugal
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ingemar Kaj
- Department of Mathematics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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20
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Chun JT, Vasilev F, Limatola N, Santella L. Fertilization in Starfish and Sea Urchin: Roles of Actin. Results Probl Cell Differ 2018; 65:33-47. [PMID: 30083914 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-92486-1_3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Marine animals relying on "external fertilization" provide advantageous opportunities to study the mechanisms of gamete activation and fusion, as well as the subsequent embryonic development. Owing to the large number of eggs that are easily available and handled, starfish and sea urchins have been chosen as favorable animal models in this line of research for over 150 years. Indeed, much of our knowledge on fertilization came from studies in the echinoderms. Fertilization involves mutual stimulation between eggs and sperm, which leads to morphological, biochemical, and physiological changes on both sides to ensure successful gamete fusion. In this chapter, we review the roles of actin in the fertilization of starfish and sea urchin eggs. As fertilization is essentially an event that takes place on the egg surface, it has been predicted that suboolemmal actin filaments would make significant contributions to sperm entry. A growing body of evidence from starfish and sea urchin eggs suggests that the prompt reorganization of the actin pools around the time of fertilization plays crucial regulatory roles not only in guiding sperm entry but also in modulating intracellular Ca2+ signaling and egg activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jong Tai Chun
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Napoli, Italy.
| | - Filip Vasilev
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Napoli, Italy
| | - Nunzia Limatola
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Napoli, Italy
| | - Luigia Santella
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Napoli, Italy.
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21
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Kopp M, Servedio MR, Mendelson TC, Safran RJ, Rodríguez RL, Hauber ME, Scordato EC, Symes LB, Balakrishnan CN, Zonana DM, van Doorn GS. Mechanisms of Assortative Mating in Speciation with Gene Flow: Connecting Theory and Empirical Research. Am Nat 2018; 191:1-20. [DOI: 10.1086/694889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 130] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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22
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Abstract
In fish with external fertilization, sperm must reach the oocyte through the micropyle to enter the cytoplasm. Fertilization success is then influenced by characteristics of oocytes or sperm. In this study, we evaluated oocyte morphology and sperm motility parameters and their effects on the inseminating dose in a teleost fish Astyanax altiparanae. Interestingly, we found one of the lowest yet described inseminating doses in teleosts (2390 spermatozoa oocyte-1 ml-1). Such a fertilization efficacy may be explained by the long duration of sperm motility (>75 s), the small oocyte diameter (695.119 µm), large micropyle diameter (7.57 µm), and the presence of grooves on the oocyte surface that guides spermatozoon to the fertilization area. Additionally, we have described for the first time a structure that combines grooves on the chorion surface and a ridge in the micropylar area.
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23
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Weber AAT, Abi-Rached L, Galtier N, Bernard A, Montoya-Burgos JI, Chenuil A. Positive selection on sperm ion channels in a brooding brittle star: consequence of life-history traits evolution. Mol Ecol 2017; 26:3744-3759. [PMID: 28099777 DOI: 10.1111/mec.14024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2016] [Revised: 01/04/2017] [Accepted: 01/09/2017] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Closely related species are key models to investigate mechanisms leading to reproductive isolation and early stages of diversification, also at the genomic level. The brittle star cryptic species complex Ophioderma longicauda encompasses the sympatric broadcast-spawning species C3 and the internal brooding species C5. Here, we used de novo transcriptome sequencing and assembly in two closely related species displaying contrasting reproductive modes to compare their genetic diversity and to investigate the role of natural selection in reproductive isolation. We reconstructed 20 146 and 22 123 genes for C3 and C5, respectively, and characterized a set of 12 229 orthologs. Genetic diversity was 1.5-2 times higher in C3 compared to C5, confirming that species with low parental investment display higher levels of genetic diversity. Forty-eight genes were the targets of positive diversifying selection during the evolution of the two species. Notably, two genes (NHE and TetraKCNG) are sperm-specific ion channels involved in sperm motility. Ancestral sequence reconstructions show that natural selection targeted the two genes in the brooding species. This may result from an adaptation to the novel environmental conditions surrounding sperm in the brooding species, either directly affecting sperm or via an increase in male/female conflict. This phenomenon could have promoted prezygotic reproductive isolation between C3 and C5. Finally, the sperm receptors to egg chemoattractants differed between C3 and C5 in the ligand-binding region. We propose that mechanisms of species-specific gamete recognition in brittle stars occur during sperm chemotaxis (sperm attraction towards the eggs), contrary to other marine invertebrates where prezygotic barriers to interspecific hybridization typically occur before sperm-egg fusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- A A-T Weber
- Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et d'Ecologie marine et continentale (IMBE) - CNRS - IRD - UAPV, Aix-Marseille Université, Station Marine d'Endoume, Chemin de la Batterie des Lions, 13007, Marseille, France.,Zoological Institute, University of Basel, Vesalgasse 1, 4051, Basel, Switzerland
| | - L Abi-Rached
- Equipe ATIP, URMITE UM 63 CNRS 7278 IRD 198 Inserm U1095, IHU Méditerranée Infection, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France
| | - N Galtier
- UMR 5554 Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Université de Montpellier, Place E. Bataillon, 34095, Montpellier, France
| | - A Bernard
- UMR 5554 Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Université de Montpellier, Place E. Bataillon, 34095, Montpellier, France
| | - J I Montoya-Burgos
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Geneva, 4, Bvd d'Yvoy, 1205, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - A Chenuil
- Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et d'Ecologie marine et continentale (IMBE) - CNRS - IRD - UAPV, Aix-Marseille Université, Station Marine d'Endoume, Chemin de la Batterie des Lions, 13007, Marseille, France
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24
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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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25
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Abstract
Compared with the animal kingdom, fertilization is particularly complex in flowering plants (angiosperms). Sperm cells of angiosperms have lost their motility and require transportation as a passive cargo by the pollen tube cell to the egg apparatus (egg cell and accessory synergid cells). Sperm cell release from the pollen tube occurs after intensive communication between the pollen tube cell and the receptive synergid, culminating in the lysis of both interaction partners. Following release of the two sperm cells, they interact and fuse with two dimorphic female gametes (the egg and the central cell) forming the major seed components embryo and endosperm, respectively. This process is known as double fertilization. Here, we review the current understanding of the processes of sperm cell reception, gamete interaction, their pre-fertilization activation and fusion, as well as the mechanisms plants use to prevent the fusion of egg cells with multiple sperm cells. The role of Ca(2+) is highlighted in these various processes and comparisons are drawn between fertilization mechanisms in flowering plants and other eukaryotes, including mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Dresselhaus
- Cell Biology and Plant Biochemistry, Biochemie-Zentrum Regensburg, University of Regensburg, 93040 Regensburg, Germany.
| | - Stefanie Sprunck
- Cell Biology and Plant Biochemistry, Biochemie-Zentrum Regensburg, University of Regensburg, 93040 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Gary M Wessel
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, USA
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26
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Nonaka Y, Uruno R, Dai F, Matsuoka R, Nakamura M, Iwamura M, Iwabuchi H, Okada T, Chigira N, Amano Y, Hasegawa T. Hexavalent glycoclusters having tris-bipyridine ferrous complex cores as minimum combinatorial libraries for probing carbohydrate–carbohydrate interactions. Tetrahedron 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tet.2016.07.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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27
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Mazzei V, Sinatra F, Villaggio G, Longo G. Egg envelopes of Armadillidium vulgare (Latreille, 1804) (Crustacea, Isopoda Oniscidea): Ultrastructure and lectins binding. Microsc Res Tech 2016; 79:792-8. [PMID: 27324273 DOI: 10.1002/jemt.22700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2016] [Revised: 05/24/2016] [Accepted: 06/02/2016] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The ultrastructural study carried out on (a) oocytes of Armadillidium vulgare during vitellogenesis, (b) mature eggs taken from the ovaries during the parturial moult of the posterior half of the body, and (c) fertilized eggs collected within a few hours of their release into the brood pouch, has clearly demonstrated that before the fertilization the chorion is the only envelope present in the egg of oniscidean isopods. In the mature eggs, the chorion appears as a uniformly electron-dense lamina, about 0.4-0.5 µm thick, which does not show any specialized area. A second envelope, described by other authors as vitelline envelope, is formed above the oolemma only right after fertilization and appears separated from the chorion by a space full of liquid. The ways in which the genesis of this envelope is realized are not yet clear; it could be interpreted rather as a fertilization membrane. The investigations carried out with the aid of a battery of FITC-lectins have highlighted the presence at the chorion surface of unfertilized eggs of various saccharide residues distributed in uniform way. No significant change was observed in the pattern of lectins binding to the chorion of eggs taken from the brood pouch, thus demonstrating how, after the fertilization, no significant rearrangement in the distribution of saccharide residues present on the egg surface occurs in A. vulgare. The ways in which, therefore, the recognition, the binding and the entry of the peculiar sperm of oniscidean isopods into the egg occur, still remain all to be deciphered. Microsc. Res. Tech. 79:792-798, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Mazzei
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Catania, Italy
| | - F Sinatra
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Catania, Italy
| | - G Villaggio
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Catania, Italy
| | - G Longo
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Catania, Italy
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28
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Iwamura M, Koyama R, Nonaka Y, Dai F, Matsuoka R, Nakamura M, Iwabuchi H, Okada T, Hasegawa T. High-Throughput Evaluation System based on Fluorescence Intensity Distribution Analysis-Polarization to Investigate Carbohydrate–Carbohydrate Interactions. BULLETIN OF THE CHEMICAL SOCIETY OF JAPAN 2016. [DOI: 10.1246/bcsj.20150369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Maho Iwamura
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Toyo University
| | | | - Yuki Nonaka
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Toyo University
| | - Fumiko Dai
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Toyo University
| | | | | | | | | | - Teruaki Hasegawa
- Department of Life Sciences, Toyo University
- Bio-Nano Electronics Research Centre, Toyo University
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29
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Patiño S, Keever CC, Sunday JM, Popovic I, Byrne M, Hart MW. SpermBindinDivergence under Sexual Selection and Concerted Evolution in Sea Stars. Mol Biol Evol 2016; 33:1988-2001. [DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msw081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
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30
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Life under Climate Change Scenarios: Sea Urchins’ Cellular Mechanisms for Reproductive Success. JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING 2016. [DOI: 10.3390/jmse4010028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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31
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Lipinska AP, Van Damme EJM, De Clerck O. Molecular evolution of candidate male reproductive genes in the brown algal model Ectocarpus. BMC Evol Biol 2016; 16:5. [PMID: 26728038 PMCID: PMC4700764 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-015-0577-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2015] [Accepted: 12/21/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Evolutionary studies of genes that mediate recognition between sperm and egg contribute to our understanding of reproductive isolation and speciation. Surface receptors involved in fertilization are targets of sexual selection, reinforcement, and other evolutionary forces including positive selection. This observation was made across different lineages of the eukaryotic tree from land plants to mammals, and is particularly evident in free-spawning animals. Here we use the brown algal model species Ectocarpus (Phaeophyceae) to investigate the evolution of candidate gamete recognition proteins in a distant major phylogenetic group of eukaryotes. RESULTS Male gamete specific genes were identified by comparing transcriptome data covering different stages of the Ectocarpus life cycle and screened for characteristics expected from gamete recognition receptors. Selected genes were sequenced in a representative number of strains from distant geographical locations and varying stages of reproductive isolation, to search for signatures of adaptive evolution. One of the genes (Esi0130_0068) showed evidence of selective pressure. Interestingly, that gene displayed domain similarities to the receptor for egg jelly (REJ) protein involved in sperm-egg recognition in sea urchins. CONCLUSIONS We have identified a male gamete specific gene with similarity to known gamete recognition receptors and signatures of adaptation. Altogether, this gene could contribute to gamete interaction during reproduction as well as reproductive isolation in Ectocarpus and is therefore a good candidate for further functional evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka P Lipinska
- Phycology Research Group and Center for Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281, Building S8, 9000, Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Els J M Van Damme
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology, Laboratory of Biochemistry and Glycobiology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000, Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Olivier De Clerck
- Phycology Research Group and Center for Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281, Building S8, 9000, Ghent, Belgium.
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32
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Boni R, Gallo A, Montanino M, Macina A, Tosti E. Dynamic changes in the sperm quality of Mytilus galloprovincialis under continuous thermal stress. Mol Reprod Dev 2015; 83:162-73. [PMID: 26663619 DOI: 10.1002/mrd.22604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2015] [Accepted: 12/08/2015] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Global warming is an increasingly serious problem underlying ecological change in marine flora and fauna. Mytilus galloprovincialis is an intertidal species that colonizes coasts in moderate and warm climates, and can thus withstand extreme climatic conditions; however, it successfully reproduces only within a certain temperature range. The effects of prolonged exposure to 28 °C, a temperature unsuitable for breeding activity, on sperm quality were evaluated in this study. Such heat stress induced the following: a significant reduction in concentration; a biphasic pattern of motility and mitochondrial membrane potential that first increased, and then collapsed; a decrease in the intracellular calcium concentration; a rapid increase in lipid peroxidation that was normalized after the third week of heat stress; an increase in DNA fragmentation after the third week of heat stress; and atypical morphology (i.e., sperm with a globular head, asymmetrical tail, and acrosome loss). Currently, these elevated-temperature conditions are achieved along the Mediterranean coast during the late summer, when the reproductive activity of M. galloprovincialis is suspended after massive spawning in the spring. The increasing global temperature, however, may shift their breeding season, thus significantly impacting marine ecosystems and mussel production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raffaele Boni
- Department of Sciences, University of Basilicata, Potenza, Italy
| | - Alessandra Gallo
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy
| | - Melania Montanino
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy
| | - Alberto Macina
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Tosti
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy
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Miwa N. Dicalcin, a zona pellucida protein that regulates fertilization competence of the egg coat in Xenopus laevis. J Physiol Sci 2015; 65:507-14. [PMID: 26420688 PMCID: PMC10717281 DOI: 10.1007/s12576-015-0402-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2015] [Accepted: 09/11/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Fertilization is a highly coordinated process whereby sperm interact with the egg-coating envelope (called the zona pellucida, ZP) in a taxon-restricted manner, Fertilization triggers the resumption of the cell cycle of the egg, ultimately leading to generation of a new organism that contains hereditary information of the parents. The complete sperm-ZP interaction comprises sperm recognition of the ZP, the acrosome reaction, penetration of the ZP, and fusion with the egg. Recent evidence suggests that these processes involve oligosaccharides associated with a ZP constituent (termed ZP protein), the polypeptide backbone of a ZP protein, and/or the proper three-dimensional filamentous structure of the ZP. However, a detailed description of the molecular mechanisms involved in sperm-ZP interaction remains elusive. Recently, I found that dicalcin, a novel ZP protein-associated protein, suppresses fertilization through its association with gp41, the frog counterpart of the mammalian ZPC protein. This review focuses on molecular aspects of sperm-ZP interaction and describes the fertilization-suppressive function of dicalcin and associated molecular mechanisms. The amount of dicalcin in the ZP significantly correlates with alteration of the lectin-staining pattern within the ZP and the orientation pattern of ZP filaments, which may assist in elucidating the complex molecular mechanisms that underlie sperm-ZP interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naofumi Miwa
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Toho University, Tokyo, Japan.
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Kekäläinen J, Larma I, Linden M, Evans JP. Lectin staining and flow cytometry reveals female-induced sperm acrosome reaction and surface carbohydrate reorganization. Sci Rep 2015; 5:15321. [PMID: 26470849 PMCID: PMC4607886 DOI: 10.1038/srep15321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2015] [Accepted: 09/21/2015] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
All cells are covered by glycans, an individually unique layer of oligo- and polysaccharides that are critical moderators of self-recognition and other cellular-level interactions (e.g. fertilization). The functional similarity between these processes suggests that gamete surface glycans may also have an important, but currently overlooked, role in sexual selection. Here we develop a user-friendly methodological approach designed to facilitate future tests of this possibility. Our proposed method is based on flow cytometric quantification of female-induced sperm acrosome reaction and sperm surface glycan modifications in the Mediterranean mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis. In this species, as with many other taxa, eggs release water-soluble factors that attract conspecific sperm (chemoattraction) and promote potentially measurable changes in sperm behavior and physiology. We demonstrate that flow cytometry is able to identify sperm from other seawater particles as well as accurately measure both acrosome reaction and structural modifications in sperm glycans. This methodological approach can increase our understanding of chemically-moderated gamete-level interactions and individual-specific gamete recognition in Mytilus sp. and other taxa with similar, easily identifiable acrosome structure. Our approach is also likely to be applicable to several other species, since carbohydrate-mediated cellular-level interactions between gametes are universal among externally and internally fertilizing species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jukka Kekäläinen
- University of Western Australia, Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Animal Biology (M092), Crawley, Australia
- University of Eastern Finland, Department of Biology, Joensuu, Finland
| | - Irma Larma
- University of Western Australia, Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Centre for Microscopy, Characterization and Analysis, Crawley, Australia
| | - Matthew Linden
- University of Western Australia, Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Centre for Microscopy, Characterization and Analysis, Crawley, Australia
| | - Jonathan P. Evans
- University of Western Australia, Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Animal Biology (M092), Crawley, Australia
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Vega-Rodriguez J, Perez-Barreto D, Ruiz-Reyes A, Jacobs-Lorena M. Targeting molecular interactions essential for Plasmodium sexual reproduction. Cell Microbiol 2015; 17:1594-604. [PMID: 25944054 DOI: 10.1111/cmi.12458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2015] [Accepted: 04/30/2015] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Malaria remains one of the most devastating infectious diseases, killing up to a million people every year. Whereas much progress has been made in understanding the life cycle of the parasite in the human host and in the mosquito vector, significant gaps of knowledge remain. Fertilization of malaria parasites, a process that takes place in the lumen of the mosquito midgut, is poorly understood and the molecular interactions (receptor-ligand) required for Plasmodium fertilization remain elusive. By use of a phage display library, we identified FG1 (Female Gamete peptide 1), a peptide that binds specifically to the surface of female Plasmodium berghei gametes. Importantly, FG1 but not a scrambled version of the peptide, strongly reduces P. berghei oocyst formation by interfering with fertilization. In addition, FG1 also inhibits P. falciparum oocyst formation suggesting that the peptide binds to a molecule on the surface of the female gamete whose structure is conserved. Identification of the molecular interactions disrupted by the FG1 peptide may lead to the development of novel malaria transmission-blocking strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joel Vega-Rodriguez
- The W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Davinia Perez-Barreto
- Departamento de Patología Animal, Producción Animal, Bromatología y Tecnología de los Alimentos Campus Universitario de Arucas - Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canarias, Gran Canarias, Spain
| | - Antonio Ruiz-Reyes
- Departamento de Patología Animal, Producción Animal, Bromatología y Tecnología de los Alimentos Campus Universitario de Arucas - Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canarias, Gran Canarias, Spain
| | - Marcelo Jacobs-Lorena
- The W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Jagadeeshan S, Coppard SE, Lessios HA. Evolution of gamete attraction molecules: evidence for purifying selection in speract and its receptor, in the pantropical sea urchin Diadema. Evol Dev 2015; 17:92-108. [PMID: 25627716 DOI: 10.1111/ede.12108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Many free-spawning marine invertebrates, such as sea urchins, lack any courtship or assortative mating behavior. Mate recognition in such cases occur at the gametic level, and molecules present on the sperm and egg are major determinants of species-specific fertilization. These molecules must also coevolve in relation to each other in order to preserve functional integrity. When sea urchins release their gametes in seawater, diffusible molecules from the egg, termed sperm-activating peptides, activate and attract the sperm to swim toward the egg, initiating a series of interactions between the gametes. Although the compositions and diversity of such sperm-activating peptides have been characterized in a variety of sea urchins, little is known about the evolution of their genes. Here we characterize the genes encoding the sperm-activating peptide of the egg (speract) and its receptor on the sperm, and examine their evolutionary dynamics in the sea urchin genus Diadema, in the interest of determining whether they are involved in reproductive isolation between the species. We found evidence of purifying selection on several codon sites in both molecules and of selectively neutral evolution in others. The diffusible speract peptide that activates sperm is invariant across species, indicating that Diadema egg peptides do not discriminate between con- and hetero-specific sperm at this stage of the process. Speract and its receptor do not contribute to reproductive isolation in Diadema.
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Hart MW. Models of selection, isolation, and gene flow in speciation. THE BIOLOGICAL BULLETIN 2014; 227:133-145. [PMID: 25411372 DOI: 10.1086/bblv227n2p133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Many marine ecologists aspire to use genetic data to understand how selection and demographic history shape the evolution of diverging populations as they become reproductively isolated species. I propose combining two types of genetic analysis focused on this key early stage of the speciation process to identify the selective agents directly responsible for population divergence. Isolation-with-migration (IM) models can be used to characterize reproductive isolation between populations (low gene flow), while codon models can be used to characterize selection for population differences at the molecular level (especially positive selection for high rates of amino acid substitution). Accessible transcriptome sequencing methods can generate the large quantities of data needed for both types of analysis. I highlight recent examples (including our work on fertilization genes in sea stars) in which this confluence of interest, models, and data has led to taxonomically broad advances in understanding marine speciation at the molecular level. I also highlight new models that incorporate both demography and selection: simulations based on these theoretical advances suggest that polymorphisms shared among individuals (a key source of information in IM models) may lead to false-positive evidence of selection (in codon models), especially during the early stages of population divergence and speciation that are most in need of study. The false-positive problem may be resolved through a combination of model improvements plus experiments that document the phenotypic and fitness effects of specific polymorphisms for which codon models and IM models indicate selection and reproductive isolation (such as genes that mediate sperm-egg compatibility at fertilization).
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael W Hart
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, V5A 1S6, Canada
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Popovic I, Marko PB, Wares JP, Hart MW. Selection and demographic history shape the molecular evolution of the gamete compatibility protein bindin in Pisaster sea stars. Ecol Evol 2014; 4:1567-88. [PMID: 24967076 PMCID: PMC4063459 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2013] [Revised: 02/15/2014] [Accepted: 02/26/2014] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Reproductive compatibility proteins have been shown to evolve rapidly under positive selection leading to reproductive isolation, despite the potential homogenizing effects of gene flow. This process has been implicated in both primary divergence among conspecific populations and reinforcement during secondary contact; however, these two selective regimes can be difficult to discriminate from each other. Here, we describe the gene that encodes the gamete compatibility protein bindin for three sea star species in the genus Pisaster. First, we compare the full-length bindin-coding sequence among all three species and analyze the evolutionary relationships between the repetitive domains of the variable second bindin exon. The comparison suggests that concerted evolution of repetitive domains has an effect on bindin divergence among species and bindin variation within species. Second, we characterize population variation in the second bindin exon of two species: We show that positive selection acts on bindin variation in Pisaster ochraceus but not in Pisaster brevispinus, which is consistent with higher polyspermy risk in P. ochraceus. Third, we show that there is no significant genetic differentiation among populations and no apparent effect of sympatry with congeners that would suggest selection based on reinforcement. Fourth, we combine bindin and cytochrome c oxidase 1 data in isolation-with-migration models to estimate gene flow parameter values and explore the historical demographic context of our positive selection results. Our findings suggest that positive selection on bindin divergence among P. ochraceus alleles can be accounted for in part by relatively recent northward population expansions that may be coupled with the potential homogenizing effects of concerted evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iva Popovic
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser UniversityBurnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Peter B Marko
- Department of Biology, University of Hawai'iMānoa, Hawaii
| | - John P Wares
- Department of Genetics, University of GeorgiaAthens, Georgia
| | - Michael W Hart
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser UniversityBurnaby, British Columbia, Canada
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Hart MW, Sunday JM, Popovic I, Learning KJ, Konrad CM. Incipient speciation of sea star populations by adaptive gamete recognition coevolution. Evolution 2014; 68:1294-305. [PMID: 24410379 DOI: 10.1111/evo.12352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2013] [Accepted: 12/16/2013] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Reproductive isolation--the key event in speciation--can evolve when sexual conflict causes selection favoring different combinations of male and female adaptations in different populations. Likely targets of such selection include genes that encode proteins on the surfaces of sperm and eggs, but no previous study has demonstrated intraspecific coevolution of interacting gamete recognition genes under selection. Here, we show that selection drives coevolution between an egg receptor for sperm (OBi1) and a sperm acrosomal protein (bindin) in diverging populations of a sea star (Patiria miniata). We found positive selection on OBi1 in an exon encoding part of its predicted substrate-binding protein domain, the ligand for which is found in bindin. Gene flow was zero for the parts of bindin and OBi1 in which selection for high rates of amino acid substitution was detected; higher gene flow for other parts of the genome indicated selection against immigrant alleles at bindin and OBi1. Populations differed in allele frequencies at two key positively selected sites (one in each gene), and differences at those sites predicted fertilization rate variation among male-female pairs. These patterns suggest adaptively evolving loci that influence reproductive isolation between populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael W Hart
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada.
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40
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Mori T, Igawa T, Tamiya G, Miyagishima SY, Berger F. Gamete Attachment Requires GEX2 for Successful Fertilization in Arabidopsis. Curr Biol 2014; 24:170-175. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2013.11.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2013] [Revised: 10/21/2013] [Accepted: 11/15/2013] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
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41
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Ashrafzadeh A, Karsani SA, Nathan S. Mammalian sperm fertility related proteins. Int J Med Sci 2013; 10:1649-57. [PMID: 24151436 PMCID: PMC3804790 DOI: 10.7150/ijms.6395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2013] [Accepted: 07/23/2013] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Infertility is an important aspect of human and animal reproduction and still presents with much etiological ambiguity. As fifty percent of infertility is related to the male partner, molecular investigations on sperm and seminal plasma can lead to new knowledge on male infertility. Several comparisons between fertile and infertile human and other species sperm proteome have shown the existence of potential fertility markers. These proteins have been categorized into energy related, structural and other functional proteins which play a major role in sperm motility, capacitation and sperm-oocyte binding. The data from these studies show the impact of sperm proteome studies on identifying different valuable markers for fertility screening. In this article, we review recent development in unraveling sperm fertility related proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Ashrafzadeh
- 1. School of Biosciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University Kebangsaan Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Saiful Anuar Karsani
- 2. Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Sheila Nathan
- 1. School of Biosciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University Kebangsaan Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia
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42
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Glycosylated tris-bipyridine ferrous complexes to provide dynamic combinatorial libraries for probing carbohydrate–carbohydrate interactions. Tetrahedron 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tet.2013.01.095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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43
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Hart MW. Structure and evolution of the sea star egg receptor for sperm bindin. Mol Ecol 2013; 22:2143-56. [PMID: 23432510 DOI: 10.1111/mec.12251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2012] [Revised: 01/10/2013] [Accepted: 01/12/2013] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Selection on coevolving sperm- and egg-recognition molecules is a potent engine of population divergence leading to reproductive isolation and speciation. The study of receptor-ligand pairs can reveal co-evolution of male- and female-expressed genes or differences between their evolution in response to selective factors such as sperm competition and sexual conflict. Phylogeographical studies of these patterns have been limited by targeted gene methods that favour short protein-coding sequences amplifiable by PCR. Here, I use high-throughput transcriptomic methods to characterize the structure and divergence of full-length coding sequences for the gene encoding the protein component of a large complex egg surface glycopeptide receptor for the sperm acrosomal protein bindin from the sea star Patiria miniata. I used a simple but effective method for resolving nucleotide polymorphisms into haplotypes for phylogeny-based analyses of selection. The protein domain organization of sea star egg bindin receptor (EBR1) was similar to sea urchins and included a pair of protein-recognition domains plus a series of tandem repeat domains of two types. Two populations separated by a well-characterized phylogeographical break included lineages of EBR1 alleles under positive selection at several codons (similar to selection on sperm bindin in the same populations). However, these populations shared the same alleles that were under selection for amino acid differences at multiple codons (unlike the pattern of selection for population divergence in sperm bindin). The significance of positively selected EBR1 domains and alleles could be tested in functional analyses of fertilization rates associated with EBR1 (and bindin) polymorphisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael W Hart
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada.
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44
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Structure of acrosome reaction-inducing substance in the jelly coat of starfish eggs: a mini review. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2012; 425:595-8. [PMID: 22925680 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2012.08.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Our knowledge at present on the structure of acrosome-reaction inducing substance (ARIS) in the jelly coat of starfish eggs is summarized. ARIS ia a proteoglycan-like molecule consisting of very long, linear, and highly sulfated glycans and three ARIS proteins, ARIS1-3. Detailed structures of the major glycan of ARIS and of ARIS1-3 are discussed. 3D-models of ARIS glycans are also presented. Phylogenetic distribution of ARIS proteins and/or genes indicates that ARIS genes are well preserved from the Ctenophore to Cephalochordata. In the Echinodermata, ARIS1-3 and ARIS genes were detected in all classes except for sea urchins.
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45
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Gallo A, Costantini M. Glycobiology of reproductive processes in marine animals: the state of the art. Mar Drugs 2012; 10:2861-92. [PMID: 23247316 PMCID: PMC3528131 DOI: 10.3390/md10122861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2012] [Revised: 11/23/2012] [Accepted: 11/29/2012] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Glycobiology is the study of complex carbohydrates in biological systems and represents a developing field of science that has made huge advances in the last half century. In fact, it combines all branches of biomedical research, revealing the vast and diverse forms of carbohydrate structures that exist in nature. Advances in structure determination have enabled scientists to study the function of complex carbohydrates in more depth and to determine the role that they play in a wide range of biological processes. Glycobiology research in marine systems has primarily focused on reproduction, in particular for what concern the chemical communication between the gametes. The current status of marine glycobiology is primarily descriptive, devoted to characterizing marine glycoconjugates with potential biomedical and biotechnological applications. In this review, we describe the current status of the glycobiology in the reproductive processes from gametogenesis to fertilization and embryo development of marine animals.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Maria Costantini
- Laboratory of Animal Physiology and Evolution, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, Naples 80121, Italy; E-Mail:
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Sprunck S, Rademacher S, Vogler F, Gheyselinck J, Grossniklaus U, Dresselhaus T. Egg cell-secreted EC1 triggers sperm cell activation during double fertilization. Science 2012. [PMID: 23180860 DOI: 10.1126/science.1223944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 220] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Double fertilization is the defining characteristic of flowering plants. However, the molecular mechanisms regulating the fusion of one sperm with the egg and the second sperm with the central cell are largely unknown. We show that gamete interactions in Arabidopsis depend on small cysteine-rich EC1 (EGG CELL 1) proteins accumulating in storage vesicles of the egg cell. Upon sperm arrival, EC1-containing vesicles are exocytosed. The sperm endomembrane system responds to exogenously applied EC1 peptides by redistributing the potential gamete fusogen HAP2/GCS1 (HAPLESS 2/GENERATIVE CELL SPECIFIC 1) to the cell surface. Furthermore, fertilization studies with ec1 quintuple mutants show that successful male-female gamete interactions are necessary to prevent multiple-sperm cell delivery. Our findings provide evidence that mutual gamete activation, regulated exocytosis, and sperm plasma membrane modifications govern flowering plant gamete interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie Sprunck
- Cell Biology and Plant Biochemistry, Biochemie-Zentrum Regensburg, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstrasse 31, D-93053 Regensburg, Germany.
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Ngernsoungnern P, Ngernsoungnern A, Chaiseha Y, Sretarugsa P. Role of vitelline envelope during fertilization in the black tiger shrimp, Penaeus monodon. Acta Histochem 2012; 114:659-64. [PMID: 22178117 DOI: 10.1016/j.acthis.2011.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2011] [Revised: 11/21/2011] [Accepted: 11/22/2011] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Animal eggs possess investments through which sperm must penetrate. The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of the egg coating, the vitelline envelope, during sperm-egg interactions in the black tiger shrimp, Penaeus monodon. The site(s) of primary binding between sperm and egg and the possible binding molecule(s) for sperm were identified. In vitro adsorption of the vitelline envelope protein onto the sperm surface showed that primary binding occurred between the sperm anterior spike of acrosome intact sperm and the vitelline envelope. Results from streptavidin blotting revealed that the component of the vitelline envelope that interacts with the sperm integral membrane protein is a 370kDa protein. In addition, it was shown that the vitelline envelope protein had no ability to induce acrosome reaction. These results suggest that the function of the vitelline envelope is as a primary binding site for sperm in shrimp, but not a sole trigger for the acrosome reaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piyada Ngernsoungnern
- School of Biology, Institute of Science, Suranaree University of Technology, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand
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48
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49
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Lessios HA. Speciation Genes in Free-Spawning Marine Invertebrates. Integr Comp Biol 2011; 51:456-65. [DOI: 10.1093/icb/icr039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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50
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Naruse M, Ishikawa R, Sakaya H, Moriyama H, Hoshi M, Matsumoto M. Novel conserved structural domains of acrosome reaction-inducing substance are widespread in invertebrates. Mol Reprod Dev 2011; 78:57-66. [DOI: 10.1002/mrd.21274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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