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Bizkarguenaga M, Gomez-Santos L, Madrid JF, Sáez FJ, Alonso E. Zona Pellucida sperm-binding protein 3 receptor distribution during Gopc -/- globozoospermic spermatogenesis. Microsc Res Tech 2021; 85:1454-1464. [PMID: 34870349 DOI: 10.1002/jemt.24009] [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: 04/15/2021] [Revised: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Globozoospermia is a type of teratozoospermia characterized by round morphology of the sperm head. Gopc-/- infertile globozoospermic murine model has failures during spermiogenesis, such as the incorrect biogenesis of the acrosome, disorganized acroplaxome and manchette, round nuclei and spiral flagella. In this study, Western blot, RT-PCR, immunohistochemistry and immunogold were done for the localization of the acrosome protein Zona Pellucida sperm-binding protein 3 receptor (ZP3R), also called sp56, in wild type and Gopc-/- mice testis. The ZP3R protein was located in the acrosome and pseudo-acrosome vesicles of wild type and Gopc-/- mice, respectively. Also, it is distributed through the cytoplasm of the haploid spermatids only. The incorrect spermiogenesis of Gopc-/- mice causes a deregulation in the expression of ZP3R in the globozoospermic spermatids. Our results suggest that although the lack of GOPC causes a failure during the transport of the pre-acrosomal vesicles, the acrosome protein ZP3R is localized in the acrosome and is distributed through the cytoplasm only during spermiogenesis. Furthermore, the failure in spermiogenesis does not impair the synthesis of ZP3R and its localization in the pre-acrosomal vesicles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maider Bizkarguenaga
- Department of Cell Biology and Histology, School of Medicine and Nursing, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
| | - Laura Gomez-Santos
- Department of Cell Biology and Histology, School of Medicine and Nursing, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
| | - Juan Francisco Madrid
- Department of Cell Biology and Histology, School of Medicine, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Francisco José Sáez
- Department of Cell Biology and Histology, School of Medicine and Nursing, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
| | - Edurne Alonso
- Department of Cell Biology and Histology, Faculty of Pharmacy University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
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Balestrini PA, Jabloñski M, Schiavi-Ehrenhaus LJ, Marín-Briggiler CI, Sánchez-Cárdenas C, Darszon A, Krapf D, Buffone MG. Seeing is believing: Current methods to observe sperm acrosomal exocytosis in real time. Mol Reprod Dev 2020; 87:1188-1198. [PMID: 33118273 DOI: 10.1002/mrd.23431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Revised: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 10/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Acrosomal exocytosis (AR) is a critical process that sperm need to undergo to fertilize an egg. The evaluation of the presence or absence of the acrosome is usually performed by using lectins or dyes in fixed cells. With this approach, it is neither possible to monitor the dynamic process of exocytosis and related molecular events while discriminating between live and dead cells, nor to evaluate the acrosomal status while sperm reside in the female reproductive tract. However, over the last two decades, several new methodologies have been used to assess the occurrence of AR in living cells allowing different groups to obtain information that was not possible in the past. These techniques have revolutionized the whole study of this process. This review summarizes current methods available to analyze AR in living cells as well as the important information that emerged from studies using these approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula A Balestrini
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Martina Jabloñski
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | | | | | - Claudia Sánchez-Cárdenas
- Departamento de Genética del Desarrollo y Fisiología Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
| | - Alberto Darszon
- Departamento de Genética del Desarrollo y Fisiología Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
| | - Darío Krapf
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario, CONICET-UNR, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Mariano G Buffone
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
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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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Tongpan S, Sukhorum W, Arun S, Sawatphanich T, Iamsaard S. Valproic acid changes the expression of tyrosine‐phosphorylated proteins in rat seminal vesicle. Andrologia 2019; 51:e13303. [DOI: 10.1111/and.13303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2019] [Revised: 03/22/2019] [Accepted: 04/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Saranya Tongpan
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine Khon Kaen University Khon Kaen Thailand
| | | | - Supatcharee Arun
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine Khon Kaen University Khon Kaen Thailand
| | - Tarinee Sawatphanich
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine Khon Kaen University Khon Kaen Thailand
| | - Sitthichai Iamsaard
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine Khon Kaen University Khon Kaen Thailand
- Center for Research and Development of Herbal Health Products, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences Khon Kaen University Khon Kaen Thailand
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Liu WS, Zhao Y, Lu C, Ning G, Ma Y, Diaz F, O'Connor M. A novel testis-specific protein, PRAMEY, is involved in spermatogenesis in cattle. Reproduction 2017; 153:847-863. [PMID: 28356500 DOI: 10.1530/rep-17-0013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2017] [Revised: 03/06/2017] [Accepted: 03/29/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Preferentially expressed antigen in melanoma (PRAME) is a cancer/testis antigen that is predominantly expressed in normal testicular tissues and a variety of tumors. The function of the PRAME family in spermatogenesis remains unknown. This study was designed to characterize the Y-linked PRAME (PRAMEY) protein during spermatogenesis in cattle. We found that PRAMEY is a novel male germ cell-specific, and a germinal granule-associated protein that is expressed in spermatogenic cells during spermatogenesis. The intact PRAMEY protein (58 kDa) was detected in different ages of testes but not in epididymal spermatozoa. A PRAMEY isoform (30 kDa) was highly expressed only in testes after puberty and in epididymal spermatozoa. This isoform interacts with PP1γ2 and is likely the mature protein present in the testes and sperm. Immunofluorescent staining demonstrated that PRAMEY was located predominantly in the acrosome granule of spermatids, and in acrosome and flagellum of spermatozoa. Immunogold electron microscopy further localized the PRAMEY protein complex to the nucleus and several cytoplasmic organelles, including the rough endoplasmic reticulum, some small vesicles, the intermitochondrial cement, the chromatoid body and the centrioles, in spermatogonia, spermatocytes, spermatids and/or spermatozoa. PRAMEY was highly enriched in and structurally associated with the matrix of the acrosomal granule (AG) in round spermatids, and migrated with the expansion of the AG during acrosomal biogenesis. While the function of PRAMEY remains unclear during spermatogenesis, our results suggest that PRAMEY may play an essential role in acrosome biogenesis and spermatogenesis.Free Chinese abstract: A Chinese translation of this abstract is freely available at http://www.reproduction-online.org/content/153/6/847/suppl/DC1.FreeSpanish abstract: A Spanish translation of this abstract is freely available at http://www.reproduction-online.org/content/153/6/847/suppl/DC2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wan-Sheng Liu
- Department of Animal ScienceCenter for Reproductive Biology and Health (CRBH), College of Agricultural Sciences
| | - Yaqi Zhao
- Department of Animal ScienceCenter for Reproductive Biology and Health (CRBH), College of Agricultural Sciences
| | - Chen Lu
- Department of Animal ScienceCenter for Reproductive Biology and Health (CRBH), College of Agricultural Sciences
| | - Gang Ning
- Microscopy and Cytometry FacilityThe Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Yun Ma
- Department of Animal ScienceCenter for Reproductive Biology and Health (CRBH), College of Agricultural Sciences.,College of Life ScienceXinyang Normal University, Xinyang, Henan, China
| | - Francisco Diaz
- Department of Animal ScienceCenter for Reproductive Biology and Health (CRBH), College of Agricultural Sciences
| | - Michael O'Connor
- Department of Animal ScienceCenter for Reproductive Biology and Health (CRBH), College of Agricultural Sciences
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Sukhorum W, Iamsaard S. Changes in testicular function proteins and sperm acrosome status in rats treated with valproic acid. Reprod Fertil Dev 2017; 29:1585-1592. [DOI: 10.1071/rd16205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2015] [Accepted: 07/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Valproic acid (VPA), an anti-epileptic drug, reduces testosterone levels and sperm quality. However, the degree to which testosterone levels and sperm quality are decreased under VPA treatment needs to be clarified. The aim of the present study was to investigate the testicular proteins involved in testosterone synthesis and spermatogenesis, histopathology and sperm acrosome status in VPA-treated rats. Adult rats were divided into control and experimental groups (n = 8 in each). Rats in the experimental group were treated with 500 mg kg–1, i.p., VPA for 10 consecutive days. Expression of Ki-67, tyrosine phosphorylated proteins and testicular steroidogenic proteins was examined. As expected, VPA-treated rats exhibited adverse changes in almost all reproductive parameters, particularly an increase in precocious acrosome reactions, compared with the control group. In addition, fibrosis of the tunica albuginea and tubule basement membrane was observed in testes from VPA-treated rats. Moreover, the expression of testicular Ki-67, cholesterol side-chain cleavage enzyme (P450scc) and phosphorylated proteins (41, 51 and 83 kDa) was decreased significantly in VPA-treated rats compared with control. In contrast, the expression of steroidogenic acute regulatory proteins in the VPA-treated group was significantly higher than in the control group. In conclusion, VPA treatment changes the expression of testicular proteins responsible for spermatogenesis and testosterone production, resulting in male infertility.
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Foster JA, Gerton GL. The Acrosomal Matrix. ADVANCES IN ANATOMY EMBRYOLOGY AND CELL BIOLOGY 2016; 220:15-33. [PMID: 27194348 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-30567-7_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/11/2023]
Abstract
The acrosome, a single exocytotic vesicle on the head of sperm, has an essential role in fertilization, but the exact mechanisms by which it facilitates sperm-egg interactions remain unresolved. The acrosome contains dozens of secretory proteins that are packaged into the forming structure during spermatogenesis; many of these proteins are localized into specific topographical areas of the acrosome, while others are more diffusely distributed. Acrosomal proteins can also be biochemically classified as components of the acrosomal matrix, a large, relatively insoluble complex, or as soluble proteins. This review focuses on recent findings using genetically modified mice (gene knockouts and transgenic "green acrosome" mice) to study the effects of eliminating acrosomal matrix-associated proteins on sperm structure and function. Some gene knockouts produce infertile phenotypes with obviously missing, specific activities that affect acrosome biogenesis during spermatogenesis or interfere with acrosome function in mature sperm. Mutations that delete some components produce fertile phenotypes with subtler effects that provide useful insights into acrosomal matrix function in fertilization. In general, these studies enable the reassessment of paradigms to explain acrosome formation and function and provide novel, objective insights into the roles of acrosomal matrix proteins in fertilization. The use of genetically engineered mouse models has yielded new mechanistic information that complements recent, important in vivo imaging studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- James A Foster
- Department of Biology, Randolph-Macon College, Ashland, VA, 23005, USA.
| | - George L Gerton
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Center for Research on Reproduction and Women's Health, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-6160, USA
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8
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Hirohashi N. Site of Mammalian Sperm Acrosome Reaction. ADVANCES IN ANATOMY EMBRYOLOGY AND CELL BIOLOGY 2016; 220:145-58. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-30567-7_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
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9
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Torres-Fuentes JL, Rios M, Moreno RD. Involvement of a P2X7 Receptor in the Acrosome Reaction Induced by ATP in Rat Spermatozoa. J Cell Physiol 2015; 230:3068-75. [PMID: 25989529 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.25044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2014] [Accepted: 05/11/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The acrosome reaction (AR) is the exocytosis of the acrosomal vesicle in response to different physiological and non-physiological stimuli. Particularly in mammals, the AR is needed for sperm to fuse with the oocyte plasma membrane, and it occurs only in capacitated sperm. Previous evidence in the literature indicates that extracellular ATP induces the AR in capacitated human and bovine spermatozoa, but its receptor has not yet been identified. The aim of this work was to define a putative ATP receptor in rat spermatozoa using pharmacological and biochemical approaches. We found that ATP induced the AR only in capacitated rat spermatozoa, which was inhibited in the presence of two general inhibitors of ATP receptors (P2 receptors), Suramin, and oxidized ATP (oATP), and one inhibitor of P2X receptor (pyridoxalphosphate-6-azophenyl-2',4'-disulfonic acid [PPADS]). In addition, the AR induced by ATP in capacitated rat spermatozoa was inhibited by brilliant blue-G (BB-G) and 17-β-oestradiol, two blockers of P2X7 receptors. Moreover, the ATP analog 2'(3')-O-(4-benzoylbenzoyl) ATP (BzATP) was almost 500 times more potent than ATP to induce the AR, which agrees with the pharmacology of a P2X7 receptor. Here, we show the presence of P2X7 receptor by Western blot and its localization in the tail and acrosome by indirect immunofluorescence. Finally, we quantify the presence of ATP in the rat oviduct during the estrous cycle. We found that the ATP concentration within the lumen of the oviduct is similar to those required to induce acrosome reaction, which agree with its role during in vivo fertilization. Therefore, our results strongly suggest that ATP induces the AR in capacitated rat spermatozoa through a P2X7 receptor, which may be functional during in vivo fertilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge L Torres-Fuentes
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Mariana Rios
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Ricardo D Moreno
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
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10
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The acrosome of eutherian mammals. Cell Tissue Res 2015; 363:147-157. [DOI: 10.1007/s00441-015-2238-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2015] [Accepted: 05/25/2015] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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11
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Hirohashi N, Spina FAL, Romarowski A, Buffone MG. Redistribution of the intra-acrosomal EGFP before acrosomal exocytosis in mouse spermatozoa. Reproduction 2015; 149:657-63. [PMID: 25832106 DOI: 10.1530/rep-15-0017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2015] [Accepted: 04/01/2015] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Mammalian spermatozoa must undergo complex physiological and morphological alterations within the female reproductive tract before they become fertilization competent. Two important alterations are capacitation and the acrosome reaction (AR), by which spermatozoa become capable of penetrating the zona pellucida (ZP) of the oocyte. Although various biochemical stimulants have been reported to induce the AR, the true physiological inducer in vivo remains to be identified. Previously, it has been reported that most fertilizing spermatozoa undergo the AR before contacting the ZP and that only a small fraction of in vitro-capacitated spermatozoa can penetrate the ZP. Therefore, it is important to identify which capacitating spermatozoa undergo the AR in response to potential AR inducers such as progesterone. Here we show that spermatozoa undergo a dynamic rearrangement of the acrosome during in vitro capacitation. This involves the rapid movement of an artificially introduced soluble component of the acrosome, enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP), from the acrosomal cap region to the equatorial segment (EQ) of the sperm head. Spermatozoa exhibiting the EQ pattern were more sensitive to progesterone than were those without it. We suggest that spermatozoa that are ready to undergo acrosomal exocytosis can be detected by real-time EGFP imaging. This offers a promising new method for identifying where spermatozoa undergo the AR in the female reproductive tract in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noritaka Hirohashi
- Oki Marine Biological StationEducation and Research Center for Biological Resources, Shimane University, 194 Kamo, Okinoshima-cho, Oki, Shimane 685-0024, JapanDepartment of Biological SciencesOchanomizu University, 2-1-1 Otsuka, Tokyo 112-8610, JapanInstituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME)National Research Council of Argentina (CONICET), Vuelta de Obligado 2490 (1428), Buenos Aires, Argentina Oki Marine Biological StationEducation and Research Center for Biological Resources, Shimane University, 194 Kamo, Okinoshima-cho, Oki, Shimane 685-0024, JapanDepartment of Biological SciencesOchanomizu University, 2-1-1 Otsuka, Tokyo 112-8610, JapanInstituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME)National Research Council of Argentina (CONICET), Vuelta de Obligado 2490 (1428), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Florenza A La Spina
- Oki Marine Biological StationEducation and Research Center for Biological Resources, Shimane University, 194 Kamo, Okinoshima-cho, Oki, Shimane 685-0024, JapanDepartment of Biological SciencesOchanomizu University, 2-1-1 Otsuka, Tokyo 112-8610, JapanInstituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME)National Research Council of Argentina (CONICET), Vuelta de Obligado 2490 (1428), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Ana Romarowski
- Oki Marine Biological StationEducation and Research Center for Biological Resources, Shimane University, 194 Kamo, Okinoshima-cho, Oki, Shimane 685-0024, JapanDepartment of Biological SciencesOchanomizu University, 2-1-1 Otsuka, Tokyo 112-8610, JapanInstituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME)National Research Council of Argentina (CONICET), Vuelta de Obligado 2490 (1428), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Mariano G Buffone
- Oki Marine Biological StationEducation and Research Center for Biological Resources, Shimane University, 194 Kamo, Okinoshima-cho, Oki, Shimane 685-0024, JapanDepartment of Biological SciencesOchanomizu University, 2-1-1 Otsuka, Tokyo 112-8610, JapanInstituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME)National Research Council of Argentina (CONICET), Vuelta de Obligado 2490 (1428), Buenos Aires, Argentina
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12
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Nonaka MI, Zsigmond E, Kudo A, Kawakami H, Yoshida K, Yoshida M, Kawano N, Miyado K, Nonaka M, Wetsel RA. Epididymal C4b-binding protein is processed and degraded during transit through the duct and is not essential for fertility. Immunobiology 2014; 220:467-75. [PMID: 25468721 DOI: 10.1016/j.imbio.2014.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2014] [Revised: 10/31/2014] [Accepted: 11/01/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
C4b-binding protein (C4BP) is known as one of the circulating complement regulators that prevents excessive activation of the host-defense complement system. We have reported previously that C4BP is expressed abundantly in the rodent epididymis, one of the male reproductive organs connecting the testis and vas deferens, where immature spermatozoa acquire their motility and fertilizing ability during their transit through the duct. Epididymal C4BP (EpC4BP) is synthesized androgen-dependently by the epithelial cells, secreted into the lumen, and bound to the outer membrane of the passing spermatozoa. In this study, we found that EpC4BP is secreted as a large oligomer, similar to the serum C4BP, but is digested during the epididymal transit and is almost lost from both the luminal fluid and the sperm surface in the vas deferens. Such a processing pattern is not known in serum C4BP, suggesting that EpC4BP and serum C4BP might have different functional mechanisms, and that there is a novel function of EpC4BP in reproduction. In addition, the disappearance of EpC4BP from the sperm surface prior to ejaculation suggests that EpC4BP works only in the epididymis and would not work in the female reproductive tract to protect spermatozoa from complement attack. Next, we generated C4BP-deficient (C4BP-/-) mice to examine the possible role of EpC4BP in reproduction. However, the C4BP-/- mice were fertile and no significant differences were observed between the C4BP-/- and wild-type mouse spermatozoa in terms of morphology, motility, and rate of the spontaneous acrosome reaction. These results suggest that EpC4BP is involved in male reproduction, but not essential for sperm maturation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayumi I Nonaka
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
| | - Eva Zsigmond
- The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, USA
| | - Akihiko Kudo
- Department of Anatomy, Kyorin University School of Medicine, Mitaka, Japan
| | - Hayato Kawakami
- Department of Anatomy, Kyorin University School of Medicine, Mitaka, Japan
| | - Kaoru Yoshida
- Biomedical Engineering Center, Toin University of Yokohama, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Manabu Yoshida
- Misaki Marine Biological Station, The University of Tokyo, Miura, Japan
| | - Natsuko Kawano
- Department of Reproductive Biology, National Center for Child Health and Development, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kenji Miyado
- Department of Reproductive Biology, National Center for Child Health and Development, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masaru Nonaka
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Rick A Wetsel
- The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, USA
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13
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Hirohashi N, Gerton GL, Buffone MG. Video imaging of the sperm acrosome reaction during in vitro fertilization. Commun Integr Biol 2014. [DOI: 10.4161/cib.15636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
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14
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Buffone MG, Hirohashi N, Gerton GL. Unresolved questions concerning mammalian sperm acrosomal exocytosis. Biol Reprod 2014; 90:112. [PMID: 24671881 DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.114.117911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent years, the study of mammalian acrosomal exocytosis has produced some major advances that challenge the long-held, general paradigms in the field. Principally, the idea that sperm must be acrosome-intact to bind to the zona pellucida of unfertilized eggs, based largely on in vitro fertilization studies of mouse oocytes denuded of the cumulus oophorus, has been overturned by experiments using state-of-the-art imaging of cumulus-intact oocytes and fertilization experiments where eggs were reinseminated by acrosome-reacted sperm recovered from the perivitelline space of zygotes. In light of these results, this minireview highlights a number of unresolved questions and emphasizes the fact that there is still much work to be done in this exciting field. Future experiments using recently advanced technologies should lead to a more complete and accurate understanding of the molecular mechanisms governing the fertilization process in mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariano G Buffone
- Instituto de Biologia y Medicina Experimental, National Research Council of Argentina (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Noritaka Hirohashi
- Oki Marine Biological Station, Education and Research Center for Biological Resources, Shimane University, Shimane, Japan
| | - George L Gerton
- Center for Research on Reproduction and Women's Health, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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15
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Asano A, Nelson-Harrington JL, Travis AJ. Phospholipase B is activated in response to sterol removal and stimulates acrosome exocytosis in murine sperm. J Biol Chem 2013; 288:28104-15. [PMID: 23943622 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m113.450981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite a strict requirement for sterol removal for sperm to undergo acrosome exocytosis (AE), the mechanisms by which changes in membrane sterols are transduced into changes in sperm fertilization competence are poorly understood. We have previously shown in live murine sperm that the plasma membrane overlying the acrosome (APM) contains several types of microdomains known as membrane rafts. When characterizing the membrane raft-associated proteomes, we identified phospholipase B (PLB), a calcium-independent enzyme exhibiting multiple activities. Here, we show that sperm surface PLB is activated in response to sterol removal. Both biochemical activity assays and immunoblots of subcellular fractions of sperm incubated with the sterol acceptor 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (2-OHCD) confirmed the release of an active PLB fragment. Specific protease inhibitors prevented PLB activation, revealing a mechanistic requirement for proteolytic cleavage. Competitive inhibitors of PLB reduced the ability of sperm both to undergo AE and to fertilize oocytes in vitro, suggesting an important role in fertilization. This was reinforced by our finding that incubation either with protein concentrate released from 2-OHCD-treated sperm or with recombinant PLB peptide corresponding to the catalytic domain was able to induce AE in the absence of other stimuli. Together, these results lead us to propose a novel mechanism by which sterol removal promotes membrane fusogenicity and AE, helping confer fertilization competence. Importantly, this mechanism provides a basis for the newly emerging model of AE in which membrane fusions occur during capacitation/transit through the cumulus, prior to any physical contact between the sperm and the oocyte's zona pellucida.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atsushi Asano
- From the Baker Institute for Animal Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853
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Muro Y, Buffone MG, Okabe M, Gerton GL. Function of the acrosomal matrix: zona pellucida 3 receptor (ZP3R/sp56) is not essential for mouse fertilization. Biol Reprod 2012; 86:1-6. [PMID: 21998167 DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.111.095877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In mammalian fertilization, sperm-zona pellucida binding is considered to be a critical aspect of gamete interaction. In this study, we examine the mouse sperm acrosomal matrix protein zona pellucida 3 receptor (ZP3R; formerly called sp56) because of our interest in defining the function of the acrosomal matrix, the particulate compartment within the sperm secretory acrosome. Using targeted deletion of the Zp3r gene by homologous recombination, we examined the fertility of nullizygous animals. Our experiments showed that males and females homozygous for the affected gene exhibited no differences in litter sizes compared to wild-type and heterozygous animals. Testis weights of nullizygous males were equivalent to those of wild-type and heterozygous males, and no differences in the number of sperm produced by mice of three genotypes were found. In vitro fertilization rates using cumulus-intact and cumulus-free oocytes were also equivalent. Examination of sperm-binding zonae of unfertilized eggs and the ability of the sperm to undergo acrosomal exocytosis in response to calcium ionophore A23187 displayed no differences between wild-type, heterozygous, and nullizygous mouse sperm. These results provide further evidence that either ZP3R is not involved in sperm-zona pellucida binding or this process might be functionally redundant, involving multiple proteins for gamete interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuko Muro
- Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
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Kim KS, Foster JA, Kvasnicka KW, Gerton GL. Transitional states of acrosomal exocytosis and proteolytic processing of the acrosomal matrix in guinea pig sperm. Mol Reprod Dev 2011; 78:930-41. [PMID: 21919109 DOI: 10.1002/mrd.21387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2011] [Accepted: 08/18/2011] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
In this study, we adapted a FluoSphere bead-binding assay to study the exposure and release of guinea pig sperm acrosomal components during the course of capacitation and acrosomal exocytosis. Prior to capacitation or the initiation of exocytosis, acrosomal proteins were not accessible to FluoSpheres coated with antibodies against two acrosomal matrix (AM) proteins, AM67 and AM50; during the course of capacitation and ionophore-induced acrosomal exocytosis, however, we detected the transient exposure of the solid-phase AM proteins on the surface of guinea pig sperm using the antibody-coated fluorescent beads. Several different transitional stages leading to complete acrosomal exocytosis were classified, and we propose these represent true, functional intermediates since some of the AM proteins are orthologues of mouse proteins that bind the zona pellucida (ZP) of unfertilized eggs. In addition, we present evidence that implicates acrosin in the proteolytic processing of AM50 during AM disassembly. Thus, we propose that the transitional states of acrosomal exocytosis involve early binding of AM proteins to the ZP (by what visually appear to be "acrosome-intact" sperm), maintenance of ZP binding that coincides with the progressive exposure of AM proteins, and gradual proteolytic disassembly of the AM to allow sperm movement through the ZP. We feel this "transitional states" model provides a more refined view of acrosomal function that supports a move away from the widely held, overly simplistic, and binary "acrosome-reaction" model, and embraces a more dynamic view of acrosomal exocytosis that involves intermediate stages of the secretory process in ZP binding and penetration.
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Green spermatozoa illuminate a 30-year-old model: sperm-egg adhesion involves intra-acrosomal proteins. Asian J Androl 2011; 13:665-6. [PMID: 21743481 DOI: 10.1038/aja.2011.95] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
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Hirohashi N, Gerton GL, Buffone MG. Video imaging of the sperm acrosome reaction during in vitro fertilization. Commun Integr Biol 2011; 4:471-6. [PMID: 21966575 DOI: 10.4161/cib.4.4.15636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2011] [Accepted: 03/25/2011] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Mammalian spermatozoa become competent for fusion with oocytes while traveling through the female reproductive tract and the oocyte's extracellular investments. Recent studies highlighted the molecular mechanism of the sperm's interactions with the zona pellucida (ZP), the extracellular coat surrounding the oocyte. Fertilizing spermatozoa initiate the sperm acrosome reaction (AR), essential for zona penetration and fusion with the oocyte plasma membrane, before they reach the ZP. However, the exact condition of spermatozoa that leads to successful penetration of the ZP remains unknown. We performed microscopic observations of in vitro fertilization with genetically (EGFP) and chemically (antibody and lectin) labeled spermatozoa to monitor the progression of the AR. Spermatozoa exhibiting EGFP(-)/PNA(+) prior to binding to the ZP initiated zona penetration. This result suggests that spermatozoa that have undergone the AR are still capable of binding and penetrating the ZP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noritaka Hirohashi
- Department of Biological Sciences; Graduate School of Humanities and Sciences; Ochanomizu University; Bunkyo, Tokyo Japan
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Tardif S, Akrofi AS, Dass B, Hardy DM, MacDonald CC. Infertility with impaired zona pellucida adhesion of spermatozoa from mice lacking TauCstF-64. Biol Reprod 2010; 83:464-72. [PMID: 20463354 DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.109.083238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Fertilization is a multistep process requiring spermatozoa with unique cellular structures and numerous germ cell-specific molecules that function in the various steps. In the highly coordinated process of male germ cell development, RNA splicing and polyadenylation help regulate gene expression to assure formation of functional spermatozoa. Male germ cells express tauCstF-64 (Cstf2t gene product), a paralog of the X-linked CstF-64 protein that supports polyadenylation in most somatic cells. We previously showed that loss of tauCstF-64 causes male infertility because of major defects in mouse spermatogenesis. Surprisingly, although Cstf2t(-/-) males produce very few recognizable spermatozoa, some of the spermatozoa produced are motile. This led us to ask whether these Cstf2t(-/-) sperm were fertile. A motile cell-enriched population of spermatozoa from Cstf2t-null males dispersed cumulus cells of cumulus-oocyte complexes normally. However, motile spermatozoa from Cstf2t-null males failed to fertilize cumulus-intact mouse eggs in vitro. In addition, sperm adhesion to the zona pellucida (ZP) of cumulus-free eggs was significantly decreased, indicating tauCstF-64 is required for production of spermatozoa capable of ZP interaction. Acrosomal proteins involved in sperm-ZP recognition, including zonadhesin, proacrosin, SPAM1/PH-20, and ZP3R/sp56, were normally distributed in the apical head of Cstf2t(-/-) spermatozoa. We conclude that tauCstF-64 is required not only for expression of genes involved in morphological differentiation of spermatids but also for genes having products that function during interaction of motile spermatozoa with eggs. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration that a gene involved in polyadenylation has a negative consequence on sperm-ZP adhesion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steve Tardif
- Department of Cell Biology & Biochemistry, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, Texas 79430, USA.
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Yoshida K, Ito C, Yamatoya K, Maekawa M, Toyama Y, Suzuki-Toyota F, Toshimori K. A model of the acrosome reaction progression via the acrosomal membrane-anchored protein equatorin. Reproduction 2010; 139:533-44. [DOI: 10.1530/rep-09-0434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
It is important to establish a reliable and progressive model of the acrosome reaction. Here, we present a progression model of the acrosome reaction centering around the acrosomal membrane-anchored protein equatorin (MN9), comparing the staining pattern traced by MN9 antibody immunofluorescence with that traced by Arachis hypogaea agglutinin (PNA)–FITC. Prior to the acrosome reaction, equatorin was present in both the anterior acrosome and the equatorial segment. Since sperm on zona pellucida showed various staining patterns, MN9-immunostaining patterns were classified into four stages: initial, early, advanced, and final. As the acrosome reaction progressed from the initial to the early stage, equatorin spread from the peripheral region of the anterior acrosome toward the center of the equatorial segment, gradually over the entire region of the equatorial segment during the advanced stage, and finally uniformly at the equatorial segment at the final stage. In contrast, the PNA–FITC signals spread more quickly from the peripheral region of the acrosome toward the entire equatorial segment, while decreasing in staining intensity, and finally became weak at the final stage. MN9-immunogold electron microscopy showed equatorin on the hybrid vesicles surrounded by amorphous substances at advanced stage of acrosome reaction. Equatorin decreased in molecular mass from 40–60 to 35 kDa, and the signal intensity of 35 kDa equatorin increased as the acrosome reaction progressed. Thus, the established equatorin-based progression model will be useful for analyzing not only the behavior of equatorin but also of other molecules of interest involved in the acrosome reaction.
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