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Batra V, Dagar K, Diwakar MP, Kumaresan A, Kumar R, Datta TK. The proteomic landscape of sperm surface deciphers its maturational and functional aspects in buffalo. Front Physiol 2024; 15:1413817. [PMID: 39005499 PMCID: PMC11239549 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2024.1413817] [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: 04/07/2024] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Buffalo is a dominant dairy animal in many agriculture-based economies. However, the poor reproductive efficiency (low conception rate) of the buffalo bulls constrains the realization of its full production potential. This in turn leads to economic and welfare issues, especially for the marginal farmers in such economies. The mammalian sperm surface proteins have been implicated in the regulation of survival and function of the spermatozoa in the female reproductive tract (FRT). Nonetheless, the lack of specific studies on buffalo sperm surface makes it difficult for researchers to explore and investigate the role of these proteins in the regulation of mechanisms associated with sperm protection, survival, and function. This study aimed to generate a buffalo sperm surface-specific proteomic fingerprint (LC-MS/MS) and to predict the functional roles of the identified proteins. The three treatments used to remove sperm surface protein viz. Elevated salt, phosphoinositide phospholipase C (PI-PLC) and in vitro capacitation led to the identification of N = 1,695 proteins (≥1 high-quality peptide-spectrum matches (PSMs), p < 0.05, and FDR<0.01). Almost half of these proteins (N = 873) were found to be involved in crucial processes relevant in the context of male fertility, e.g., spermatogenesis, sperm maturation and protection in the FRT, and gamete interaction or fertilization, amongst others. The extensive sperm-surface proteomic repertoire discovered in this study is unparalleled vis-à-vis the depth of identification of reproduction-specific cell-surface proteins and can provide a potential framework for further studies on the functional aspects of buffalo spermatozoa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vipul Batra
- School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
- Animal Genomics Lab, ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, India
| | - Komal Dagar
- Animal Genomics Lab, ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, India
| | - Maharana Pratap Diwakar
- Cell Science and Molecular Biology Lab, Animal Biotechnology Centre, ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, India
| | - Arumugam Kumaresan
- Southern Regional Station of ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, India
| | - Rakesh Kumar
- Animal Genomics Lab, ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, India
| | - Tirtha Kumar Datta
- Animal Genomics Lab, ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, India
- ICAR-Central Institute for Research on Buffaloes, Hisar, India
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Chhillar S, Batra V, Kumaresan A, Kumar R, Pal A, Datta TK. Acute exposure to organophosphorus pesticide metabolites compromises buffalo sperm function and impairs fertility. Sci Rep 2023; 13:9102. [PMID: 37277402 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-35541-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Agrichemicals such as organophosphorus pesticides' metabolites (OPPMs) are more hazardous and pervasive than their parent pesticides. Parental germline exposure to such xenobiotics leads to an elevated susceptibility towards reproductive failures e.g. sub- or in-fertility. This study sought to examine the effects of low-dose, acute OPPM exposure on mammalian sperm function using buffalo as the model organism. The buffalo spermatozoa were briefly (2 h) exposed to metabolites of the three most prevalent organophosphorus pesticides (OPPs) viz. Omethoate (from Dimethoate), paraoxon-methyl (from methyl/ethyl parathion) and 3, 5, 6-trichloro-2-pyridinol (from chlorpyrifos). Exposure to OPPMs resulted in compromised structural and functional integrity (dose-dependent) of the buffalo spermatozoa typified by elevated membrane damage, increased lipid peroxidation, precocious capacitation and tyrosine phosphorylation, perturbed mitochondrial activity and function and (P < 0.05). This led to a decline in the in vitro fertilizing ability (P < 0.01) of the exposed spermatozoa, as indicated by reduced cleavage and blastocyst formation rates. Preliminary data indicate that acute exposure to OPPMs, akin to their parent pesticides, induces biomolecular and physiological changes in spermatozoa that compromise their health and function ultimately affecting their fertility. This is the first study demonstrating the in vitro spermatotoxic effects of multiple OPPMs on male gamete functional integrity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shivani Chhillar
- Animal Genomics Lab., Animal Biotechnology Centre, ICAR-NDRI, National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, India
| | - Vipul Batra
- Animal Genomics Lab., Animal Biotechnology Centre, ICAR-NDRI, National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, India
- School of Medicine, Division of Child Health, Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, England
| | - Arumugam Kumaresan
- Theriogenelogy Lab., SRS of National Dairy Research Institute, Bengaluru, India
| | - Rakesh Kumar
- Animal Genomics Lab., Animal Biotechnology Centre, ICAR-NDRI, National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, India
| | - Ankit Pal
- Animal Genomics Lab., Animal Biotechnology Centre, ICAR-NDRI, National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, India
| | - Tirtha Kumar Datta
- Animal Genomics Lab., Animal Biotechnology Centre, ICAR-NDRI, National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, India.
- ICAR-Central Institute for Research on Buffaloes, Hisar, India.
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Solanki S, Kumar V, Kashyap P, Kumar R, De S, Datta TK. Beta-defensins as marker for male fertility: a comprehensive review†. Biol Reprod 2023; 108:52-71. [PMID: 36322147 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioac197] [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: 06/29/2022] [Revised: 10/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Bovine male fertility in animals has a direct impact on the productivity of dairy herds. The epididymal sperm maturations involve extensive sperm surface modifications to gain the fertilizing ability, especially by absorptions of the plethora of biomolecules, including glycoprotein beta-defensins (BDs), enzymes, organic ions, protein, and phospholipids. Defensins are broad-range nonspecific antimicrobial peptides that exhibit strong relations with innate and adaptive immunity, but their roles in male fertility are relatively recently identified. In the course of evolution, BD genes give rise to different clusters with specific functions, especially reproductive functions, by undergoing duplications and nonsynonymous mutations. BD polymorphisms have been reported with milk compositions, disease resistance, and antimicrobial activities. However, in recent decades, the link of BD polymorphisms with fertility has emerged as an appealing improvement of reproductive performance such as sperm motility, membrane integrity, cervical mucus penetration, evading of uterus immunosurveillance, oviduct cell attachment, and egg recognition. The reproductive-specific glycosylated BD class-A BDs (CA-BDs) have shown age- and sex-specific expressions in male reproductive organs, signifying their physiological pleiotropism, especially in the sperm maturation and sperm transport in the female reproductive tract. By considering adult male reproductive organ-specific BD expressions, importance in sperm functionalities, and bioinformatic analysis, we have selected two bovine BBD126 and BBD129 genes as novel potential biomarkers of bovine male fertility. Despite the importance of BDs, however, genomic characterization of most BD genes across most livestock and nonmodel organisms remains predictive/incomplete. The current review discusses our understanding of BD pleiotropic functions, polymorphism, and genomic structural attributes concerning the fertilizability of the male gamete in dairy animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Subhash Solanki
- Animal Genomics Lab, National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, India
| | - Vijay Kumar
- NMR lab-II, National Institute of immunology, New Delhi, India
| | - Poonam Kashyap
- Animal Genomics Lab, National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, India
| | - Rakesh Kumar
- Animal Genomics Lab, National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, India
| | - Sachinandan De
- Animal Genomics Lab, National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, India
| | - Tirtha Kumar Datta
- Animal Genomics Lab, National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, India.,ICAR- Central Institute for Research on Buffaloes, Hisar, India
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Analysis of amplification and association polymorphisms in the bovine beta-defensin 129 (BBD129) gene revealed its function in bull fertility. Sci Rep 2022; 12:19042. [PMID: 36352091 PMCID: PMC9646896 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-23654-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
β-defensins are adsorbable on the sperm surface in the male reproductive tract (MRT) and enhance sperm functional characteristics. The beta-defensin 129 (DEFB129) antimicrobial peptide is involved in sperm maturation, motility, and fertilization. However, its role in bovine fertility has not been well investigated. This study examines the relationship between the bovine BBD129 gene and Bos indicus x Bos taurus bull fertility. The complete coding sequence of BBD129 mRNA was identified by RNA Ligase Mediated-Rapid Amplification of cDNA End (RLM-RACE) and Sanger sequencing methodologies. It consisted of 582 nucleotides (nts) including 5' untranslated region (UTR) (46nts) and 3'UTR (23nts). It conserves all beta-defensin-like features. The expression level of BBD129 was checked by RT-qPCR and maximal expression was detected in the corpus-epididymis region compared to other parts of MRT. Polymorphism in BBD129 was also confirmed by Sanger sequencing of 254 clones from 5 high fertile (HF) and 6 low fertile (LF) bulls at two positions, 169 T > G and 329A > G, which change the S57A and N110S in the protein sequence respectively. These two mutations give rise to four types of BBD129 haplotypes. The non-mutated TA-BBD129 (169 T/329A) haplotype was substantially more prevalent among high-fertile bulls (P < 0.005), while the double-site mutated GG-BBD129 (169 T > G/329A > G) haplotype was significantly more prevalent among low-fertile bulls (P < 0.005). The in silico analysis confirmed that the polymorphism in BBD129 results in changes in mRNA secondary structure, protein conformations, protein stability, extracellular-surface availability, post-translational modifications (O-glycosylation and phosphorylation), and affects antibacterial and immunomodulatory capabilities. In conclusion, the mRNA expression of BBD129 in the MRT indicates its region-specific dynamics in sperm maturation. BBD129 polymorphisms were identified as the deciding elements accountable for the changed proteins with impaired functionality, contributing to cross-bred bulls' poor fertility.
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Dubey P, Batra V, Sarwalia P, Nayak S, Baithalu R, Kumar R, Datta TK. miR-1246 is implicated as a possible candidate for endometrium remodelling facilitating implantation in buffalo (Bubalus bubalis). Vet Med Sci 2022; 9:443-456. [PMID: 36282011 PMCID: PMC9857007 DOI: 10.1002/vms3.968] [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] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The microRNAs (miRs) secreted by the trophectoderm (TE) cells have recently been implicated in the conceptus-endometrial cross talk during implantation and placentation. These miRs modulate various cellular processes during conception and throughout the pregnancy by regulating the gene expression in the foetal and maternal tissues. OBJECTIVES This study was undertaken to elucidate the function of TE secreted miRNAs in the maternal-foetal cross-talk during implantation/placentation in buffalo. METHODS The in vitro produced blastocysts were cultured on a cumulus feeder layer for 21 days. The relative expression profiles of a selected panel of miRs was generated using the spent media collected on Days 0, 7, 12, 16, and 21. A custom-designed mirVana™ miRNA mimic was used to transfect the endometrial epithelial cells (EECs) in order to determine the role of miRNA exhibiting highest expression on Days 21 and 21. RESULTS The expression of miR-1246 (p < 0.001) and let-7b (p < 0.01) was found to be significantly higher on Day 21 of TE culture in comparison to the control (Day 0). This elevated expression indicated the involvement of these miRs in the maternal-foetal cross-talk. Interestingly, after the transfection of EECs with miRNA mimic for miR-1246 (a novel molecule vis-à-vis implantation), the expression of beta-catenin and mucin1 in these cells was found to be significantly (p < 0.05) downregulated vis-à-vis the control, that is, the IFN-τ primed EECs (before transfection). CONCLUSIONS The TE secreted miR-1246 appeared to lower the expression of the endometrial receptivity genes (mucin1 and beta-catenin) which apparently assists the endometrium in preparing for placentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pratiksha Dubey
- Animal Genomiccs Lab, Animal Biotechnology CentreICAR‐National Dairy Research InstituteKarnalIndia,Department of Biological SciencesIndian Institute of Science Education and ResearchMohaliIndia
| | - Vipul Batra
- Animal Genomiccs Lab, Animal Biotechnology CentreICAR‐National Dairy Research InstituteKarnalIndia
| | - Parul Sarwalia
- Animal Genomiccs Lab, Animal Biotechnology CentreICAR‐National Dairy Research InstituteKarnalIndia
| | - Samiksha Nayak
- Animal Genomiccs Lab, Animal Biotechnology CentreICAR‐National Dairy Research InstituteKarnalIndia
| | - Rubina Baithalu
- Animal Genomiccs Lab, Animal Biotechnology CentreICAR‐National Dairy Research InstituteKarnalIndia
| | - Rakesh Kumar
- Animal Genomiccs Lab, Animal Biotechnology CentreICAR‐National Dairy Research InstituteKarnalIndia
| | - Tirtha Kumar Datta
- Animal Genomiccs Lab, Animal Biotechnology CentreICAR‐National Dairy Research InstituteKarnalIndia,ICAR‐Central Institute for Research on BuffaloesHisarHaryanaIndia
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Peng L, Wang X, Bing D. Identification and Validation of Prognostic Factors of Lipid Metabolism in Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Front Genet 2021; 12:747576. [PMID: 34880901 PMCID: PMC8645574 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.747576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is considered to be an independent factor affecting lipid metabolism. This study explored the relationship between immune genes and lipid metabolism in OSA. Methods: Immune-related Differentially Expressed Genes (DEGs) were identified by analyzing microarray data sets from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Subsequently, we conducted protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis and calculated their Gene Ontology (GO) semantic similarity. The GO, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways, Disease Ontology (DO), gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), and gene set variation analysis (GSVA) were employed for functional enrichment analyses and to determine the most significant functional terms. Combined with the results of boruta and random forest, we selected predictors to build a prognostic model, along with seeking out the potential TFs and target drugs for the predictive genes. Results: Immune-related DEGs included 64 genes upregulated and 98 genes downregulated. The enrichment analysis might closely associate with cell adhesion and T cell-mediated immunity pathways and there were many DEGs involved in lipid and atherosclerosis signaling pathways. The highest-ranking hub gene in PPI network have been reported lowly expressed in OSA. In line with the enrichment analysis, DO analysis reveal that respiratory diseases may be associated with OSA besides immune system disorders. Consistent with the result of the KEGG pathway, the analysis of GSVA revealed that the pro-inflammation pathways are associated with OSA. Monocytes and CD8 T cells were the predominant immune cells in adipose tissue. We built a prognostic model with the top six genes, and the prognostic genes were involved in the polarization of macrophage and differentiation of T lymphocyte subsets. In vivo experimental verification revealed that EPGN, LGR5, NCK1 and VIP were significantly down-regulated while PGRMC2 was significantly up-regulated in mouse model of OSA. Conclusions: Our study demonstrated strong associations between immune genes and the development of dyslipidemia in OSA. This work promoted the molecular mechanisms and potential targets for the regulation of lipid metabolism in OSA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Peng
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Tongji Hospital Affiliated to Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Xiaodi Wang
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Tongji Hospital Affiliated to Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Dan Bing
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Tongji Hospital Affiliated to Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
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Zhang L, Xiao H, Huang J, Ouyang L, Li S, Tang Y. Identification and expression analysis of the β-defensin genes in the goat small intestine. Gene 2021; 801:145846. [PMID: 34274482 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2021.145846] [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: 09/09/2020] [Revised: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Defensins represent a family of cysteine-rich peptides that have broad-spectrum antimicrobial activities and serve as a typical kind of effector molecule in the immunity. Ruminant species have a large number of β-defensins in the absence of α- and θ-defensins. It is well-known that the genomes of sheep and cattle harbor at least 43 and 57 β-defensin genes, respectively. However, the repertoire of the goat β-defensin gene family has not been fully elucidated. In this study, we identified a total of 50 β-defensins from the goat genome, including 48 functional genes and 2 pseudogenes. Cross-species genomic and evolutionary analyses showed that all of the β-defensins in goat chromosomes 8, 13 and 23 present one-to-one orthologous relationships to their sheep and cattle counterparts, whereas some β-defensin genes in goat chromosome 27 are goat-specific. Moreover, we observed that some duplicated genes in goat chromosome 27 may be derived from gene copy number variation, and the annotation of sheep and cattle β-defensins appears to be incomplete in the genome. Importantly, real-time PCR analysis showed that 17 β-defensins are expressed in the small intestine with abundant cBD1s expression. These findings significant increased our knowledge of ruminant β-defensin and provided useful information for genetic studies, as well as providing a foundation for future research exploring the role of defensins in the immune response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Long Zhang
- Jiangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanchang 330200, Jiangxi, China; Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, Sichuan, China
| | - Haihong Xiao
- Jiangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanchang 330200, Jiangxi, China
| | - Jian Huang
- Jiangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanchang 330200, Jiangxi, China
| | - Linghua Ouyang
- Jiangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanchang 330200, Jiangxi, China.
| | - Siming Li
- Jiangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanchang 330200, Jiangxi, China
| | - Yanqiang Tang
- Jiangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanchang 330200, Jiangxi, China
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Batra V, Bhushan V, Ali SA, Sarwalia P, Pal A, Karanwal S, Solanki S, Kumaresan A, Kumar R, Datta TK. Buffalo sperm surface proteome profiling reveals an intricate relationship between innate immunity and reproduction. BMC Genomics 2021; 22:480. [PMID: 34174811 PMCID: PMC8235841 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-021-07640-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Low conception rate (CR) despite insemination with morphologically normal spermatozoa is a common reproductive restraint that limits buffalo productivity. This accounts for a significant loss to the farmers and the dairy industry, especially in agriculture-based economies. The immune-related proteins on the sperm surface are known to regulate fertility by assisting the spermatozoa in their survival and performance in the female reproductive tract (FRT). Regardless of their importance, very few studies have specifically catalogued the buffalo sperm surface proteome. The study was designed to determine the identity of sperm surface proteins and to ascertain if the epididymal expressed beta-defensins (BDs), implicated in male fertility, are translated and applied onto buffalo sperm surface along with other immune-related proteins. Results The raw mass spectra data searched against an in-house generated proteome database from UniProt using Comet search engine identified more than 300 proteins on the ejaculated buffalo sperm surface which were bound either by non-covalent (ionic) interactions or by a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor. The singular enrichment analysis (SEA) revealed that most of these proteins were extracellular with varied binding activities and were involved in either immune or reproductive processes. Flow cytometry using six FITC-labelled lectins confirmed the prediction of glycosylation of these proteins. Several beta-defensins (BDs), the anti-microbial peptides including the BuBD-129 and 126 were also identified amongst other buffalo sperm surface proteins. The presence of these proteins was subsequently confirmed by RT-qPCR, immunofluorescence and in vitro fertilization (IVF) experiments. Conclusions The surface of the buffalo spermatozoa is heavily glycosylated because of the epididymal secreted (glyco) proteins like BDs and the GPI-anchored proteins (GPI-APs). The glycosylation pattern of buffalo sperm-surface, however, could be perturbed in the presence of elevated salt concentration or incubation with PI-PLC. The identification of numerous BDs on the sperm surface strengthens our hypothesis that the buffalo BDs (BuBDs) assist the spermatozoa either in their survival or in performance in the FRT. Our results suggest that BuBD-129 is a sperm-surface BD that could have a role in buffalo sperm function. Further studies elucidating its exact physiological function are required to better understand its role in the regulation of male fertility. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12864-021-07640-z.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vipul Batra
- Animal Genomics Lab., Animal Biotechnology Centre, National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, India
| | - Vanya Bhushan
- Proteomics and Molecular Biology Lab, Animal Biotechnology Centre, National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, India
| | - Syed Azmal Ali
- Proteomics and Molecular Biology Lab, Animal Biotechnology Centre, National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, India
| | - Parul Sarwalia
- Animal Genomics Lab., Animal Biotechnology Centre, National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, India
| | - Ankit Pal
- Animal Genomics Lab., Animal Biotechnology Centre, National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, India
| | - Seema Karanwal
- Animal Genomics Lab., Animal Biotechnology Centre, National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, India
| | - Subhash Solanki
- Animal Genomics Lab., Animal Biotechnology Centre, National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, India
| | - Arumugam Kumaresan
- Theriogenology Lab, SRS of National Dairy Research Institute, Bengaluru, India
| | - Rakesh Kumar
- Animal Genomics Lab., Animal Biotechnology Centre, National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, India
| | - Tirtha Kumar Datta
- Animal Genomics Lab., Animal Biotechnology Centre, National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, India.
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Batra V, Dagar K, Nayak S, Kumaresan A, Kumar R, Datta TK. A Higher Abundance of O-Linked Glycans Confers a Selective Advantage to High Fertile Buffalo Spermatozoa for Immune-Evasion From Neutrophils. Front Immunol 2020; 11:1928. [PMID: 32983120 PMCID: PMC7483552 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.01928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2020] [Accepted: 07/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The glycans on the plasma membrane of cells manifest as the glycocalyx, which serves as an information-rich frontier that is directly in contact with its immediate milieu. The glycoconjugates (GCs) that adorn most of the mammalian cells are also abundant in gametes, especially the spermatozoa where they perform unique reproduction-specific functions e.g., inter-cellular recognition and communication. This study aimed to implicate the sperm glycosylation pattern as one of the factors responsible for low conception rates observed in buffalo bulls. We hypothesized that a differential abundance of glycans exists on the spermatozoa from bulls of contrasting fertilizing abilities endowing them with differential immune evasion abilities. Therefore, we investigated the role of glycan abundance in the phagocytosis and NETosis rates exhibited by female neutrophils (PMNs) upon exposure to such spermatozoa. Our results indicated that the spermatozoa from high fertile (HF) bulls possessed a higher abundance of O-linked glycans e.g., galactosyl (β-1,3)N-acetylgalactosamine and N-linked glycans like [GlcNAc]1-3, N-acetylglucosamine than the low fertile (LF) bull spermatozoa. This differential glycomic endowment appeared to affect the spermiophagy and NETosis rates exhibited by the female neutrophil cells (PMNs). The mean percentage of phagocytizing PMNs was significantly different (P < 0.0001) for HF and LF bulls, 28.44 and 59.59%, respectively. Furthermore, any introduced perturbations in the inherent sperm glycan arrangements promoted phagocytosis by PMNs. For example, after in vitro capacitation the mean phagocytosis rate (MPR) rate in spermatozoa from HF bulls significantly increased to 66.49% (P < 0.01). Likewise, the MPR increased to 70.63% (p < 0.01) after O-glycosidase & α2-3,6,8,9 Neuraminidase A treatment of spermatozoa from HF bulls. Moreover, the percentage of PMNs forming neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) was significantly higher, 41.47% when exposed to spermatozoa from LF bulls vis-à-vis the spermatozoa from HF bulls, 15.46% (P < 0.0001). This is a pioneer report specifically demonstrating the role of O-linked glycans in the immune responses mounted against spermatozoa. Nevertheless, further studies are warranted to provide the measures to diagnose the sub-fertile phenotype thus preventing the losses incurred by incorrect selection of morphologically normal sperm in the AI/IVF reproduction techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vipul Batra
- Animal Genomics Laboratory, Animal Biotechnology Centre, National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, India
| | - Komal Dagar
- Animal Genomics Laboratory, Animal Biotechnology Centre, National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, India
| | - Samiksha Nayak
- Animal Genomics Laboratory, Animal Biotechnology Centre, National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, India
| | - Arumugam Kumaresan
- Theriogenelogy Laboratory, SRS of National Dairy Research Institute, Bengaluru, India
| | - Rakesh Kumar
- Animal Genomics Laboratory, Animal Biotechnology Centre, National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, India
| | - Tirtha K Datta
- Animal Genomics Laboratory, Animal Biotechnology Centre, National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, India
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