scholarly journals Proteolytic processing of a protein involved in sperm-egg fusion correlates with acquisition of fertilization competence.

1990 ◽  
Vol 111 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-78 ◽  
Author(s):  
C P Blobel ◽  
D G Myles ◽  
P Primakoff ◽  
J M White

A protein located on the surface of guinea pig sperm (PH-30) has been implicated in the process of sperm-egg fusion (Primakoff, P., H. Hyatt, and J. Tredick-Kline. 1987. J. Cell Biol. 104:141-149). In this paper we have assessed basic biochemical properties of PH-30 and have analyzed the molecular forms of PH-30 present at different stages of sperm maturation. We show the following: (a) PH-30 is an integral membrane glycoprotein; (b) it is composed of two tightly associated and immunologically distinct subunits; (c) both subunits are made as larger precursors; (d) processing of the two subunits occurs at different developmental stages; (e) the final processing step occurs in the region of the epididymis where sperm become fertilization competent; (f) processing can be mimicked in vitro; (g) processing exposes at least two new epitopes on PH-30-one of the newly exposed epitopes is recognized by a fusion-inhibitory monoclonal antibody. These results are discussed in terms of the possible role of PH-30 in mediating fusion with the egg plasma membrane.

Zygote ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 329-338 ◽  
Author(s):  
D.K. Saxena ◽  
I. Tanii ◽  
T. Oh-oka ◽  
K. Yoshinaga ◽  
K. Toshimori

In this study we examined the behaviour and role of an intra-acrosomal antigenic molecule, acrin 3, during mouse fertilisation in vitro by assessing the effect of its pertinent monoclonal antibody mMC101. Experiments were designed to assess the effect of mMC101 on sperm–zona pellucida binding, the acrosome reaction, zona pellucida penetration, sperm–egg fusion, and fertilisation in vitro. mMC101 did not affect sperm motility or primary and secondary binding to the zona pellucida, but significantly inhibited fertilisation of zona-pellucida-intact oocytes in a dose-dependent manner. In the presence of mMC101 at 100 μg/ml concentration in TYH medium, none of the oocytes developed to pronuclear stage by 5 h after co-incubation of the gametes, but the pronucleus formation rate recovered to some extent (45.3%) after 8 h, indicating a delay of early embryonic development. mMC101 also delayed and significantly suppressed zona pellucida penetration by sperm. Acrin 3 dispersed and did not remain on completely acrosome-reacted sperm. Although mMC101 did not influence the zona-pellucida-induced acrosome reaction, it significantly inhibited fertilisation when acrosome-reacted sperm in the presence of mMC101 inseminated zona-pellucida-free oocytes. However, fertilisation remained unaffected when acrosome-reacted sperm in the absence of mMC101 inseminated zona-pellucida-free oocytes even in its presence. Thus, acrin 3 appears to facilitate zona pellucida penetration and is also likely to be involved in sperm–oocyte fusion by modifying the sperm plasma membrane during the acrosome reaction.


1997 ◽  
Vol 185 (3) ◽  
pp. 579-582 ◽  
Author(s):  
Davide Ferrari ◽  
Paola Chiozzi ◽  
Simonetta Falzoni ◽  
Stefania Hanau ◽  
Francesco Di  Virgilio

Microglial cells express a peculiar plasma membrane receptor for extracellular ATP, named P2Z/P2X7 purinergic receptor, that triggers massive transmembrane ion fluxes and a reversible permeabilization of the plasma membrane to hydrophylic molecules of up to 900 dalton molecule weight and eventual cell death (Di Virgilio, F. 1995. Immunol. Today. 16:524–528). The physiological role of this newly cloned (Surprenant, A., F. Rassendren, E. Kawashima, R.A. North and G. Buell. 1996. Science (Wash. DC). 272:735–737) cytolytic receptor is unknown. In vitro and in vivo activation of the macrophage and microglial cell P2Z/P2X7 receptor by exogenous ATP causes a large and rapid release of mature IL-1β. In the present report we investigated the role of microglial P2Z/P2X7 receptor in IL-1β release triggered by LPS. Our data suggest that LPS-dependent IL-1β release involves activation of this purinergic receptor as it is inhibited by the selective P2Z/P2X7 blocker oxidized ATP and modulated by ATP-hydrolyzing enzymes such as apyrase or hexokinase. Furthermore, microglial cells release ATP when stimulated with LPS. LPS-dependent release of ATP is also observed in monocyte-derived human macrophages. It is suggested that bacterial endotoxin activates an autocrine/paracrine loop that drives ATP-dependent IL-1β secretion.


Development ◽  
1983 ◽  
Vol 75 (1) ◽  
pp. 259-270
Author(s):  
Stephen J. Gaunt

The rat sperm surface antigen 2D6, located over the entire surface of the spermatozoon, is shown by use of a monoclonal antibody in indirect immunofluorescence experiments to spread laterally over the surface of the egg after fusion of sperm and egg plasma membranes at fertilization. Freshly fertilized eggs, obtained from superovulated rats 14h after hCG injection, showed the 2D6 antigen to have spread in a gradient over a discrete fan-shaped area of the egg surface anterior to the protruding sperm tail. Eggs at a later stage of sperm incorporation, obtained 20 h after hCG injection, snowed that the spread of antigen had extended to cover most or all of their surfaces. By 40 h after hCG injection, the approximate time that fertilized eggs cleaved to form 2-cell embryos, most of the 2D6 antigen had been lost from the cell surface. Fertilized eggs, but not unfertilized eggs or 2-cell embryos, were lysed by 2D6 monoclonal antibody in the presence of guinea pig complement. A model for sperm-egg fusion is presented to account for the observed pattern of spreading shown by the 2D6 antigen. The possible role of sperm antigens on the egg surface is discussed.


2001 ◽  
Vol 114 (9) ◽  
pp. 1787-1794 ◽  
Author(s):  
G.Z. Zhu ◽  
D.G. Myles ◽  
P. Primakoff

Plasma membrane-anchored proteases have key roles in cell signaling, migration and refashioning the cell surface and its surroundings. We report the first example of a plasma membrane-anchored protease on mature sperm, testase 1 (ADAM 24). Unlike other studied sperm ADAMs (fertilin (α) and (β), cyritestin) whose metalloprotease domains are removed during sperm development, we found testase 1 retains an active metalloprotease domain, suggesting it acts as a protease on mature sperm. Testase 1 is a glycoprotein (molecular mass 88 kDa), localized to the equatorial region of the plasma membrane of cauda epididymal sperm. Typically, proteolytic removal of the pro-domain is an initial activation step for ADAM proteases. The pro-domain of the testase 1 precursor (108 kDa) is proteolytically removed as sperm transit the caput epididymis to produce processed (mature) testase 1 (88 kDa). Testase 1 is unique among all studied ADAMs in that its proteolytic processing occurs on the sperm plasma membrane instead of at an intracellular site (the Golgi). Using GST-fusion proteins and a synthetic testase 1 C-terminal peptide, we found that the cytoplasmic tail of testase 1 could be phosphorylated in vitro by protein kinase C (PKC). Thus testase 1 apparently has a cytoplasmic PKC phosphorylation site(s). Protein kinase C is known to stimulate other ADAMs' protease activity. Because events of the acrosome reaction include PKC activation, we speculate that testase 1 protease function could be important in sperm penetration of the zona pellucida after sperm PKC is activated during the acrosome reaction.


Blood ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 87 (6) ◽  
pp. 2513-2517 ◽  
Author(s):  
K Hamamura ◽  
H Matsuda ◽  
Y Takeuchi ◽  
S Habu ◽  
H Yagita ◽  
...  

Hematopoiesis requires specific interactions with the microenvironments, and VLA-4 has been implicated in these interactions based on in vitro studies. To study the role of VLA-4 in hematopoiesis in vivo, we performed in utero treatment of mice with an anti-VLA-4 monoclonal antibody. Although all hematopoietic cells in fetal liver expressed VLA-4, the treatment specifically induced anemia. It had no effect on the development of nonerythroid lineage cells, including lymphoids and myeloids. In the treated liver almost no erythroblast was detected, whereas the erythroid progenitors, which give rise to erythroid colonies in vitro, were present. These results indicate that VLA-4 plays a critical role in erythropoiesis, while it is not critical in lymphopoiesis in vivo.


1991 ◽  
Vol 261 (6) ◽  
pp. F1026-F1032 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Vignery ◽  
M. J. Raymond ◽  
H. Y. Qian ◽  
F. Wang ◽  
S. A. Rosenzweig

The fusion of mononuclear phagocytes occurs spontaneously in vivo and leads to the differentiation of either multinucleated giant cells or osteoclasts in chronic inflammatory sites or in bone, respectively. Although osteoclasts are responsible for resorbing bone, the functional role of giant cells in chronic inflammatory reactions and tumors remains poorly understood. We recently reported that the plasma membrane of multinucleated macrophages is, like that of osteoclasts, enriched in Na-K-adenosinetriphosphatases (ATPases). We also observed that the localization of their Na-K-ATPases is restricted to the nonadherent domain of the plasma membrane of cells both in vivo and in vitro, thus imposing a functional polarity on their organization. By following this observation, we wished to investigate whether these cells also expressed, like osteoclasts, functional receptors for calcitonin (CT). To this end, alveolar macrophages were fused in vitro, and both their structural and functional association with CT was analyzed and compared with those of mononucleated peritoneal and alveolar macrophages. Evidence is presented that multinucleated alveolar macrophages express a high copy number of functional receptors for CT. Our results also indicate that alveolar macrophages, much like peritoneal, express functional receptors for calcitonin gene-related peptide. It is suggested that multinucleated rat alveolar macrophages offer a novel model system to study CT receptors and that calcitonin may control local immune reactions where giant cells differentiate.


Blood ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 118 (21) ◽  
pp. 2114-2114
Author(s):  
Shirley D Valentin-Berrios ◽  
Jose R Romero ◽  
Alicia Rivera

Abstract Abstract 2114 Disordered K+ efflux and osmotically induced water loss leads to red blood cell (RBC) dehydration and plays a role in the pathophysiology of Sickle Cell Disease. We previously reported that activation of endothelin-1 (ET-1) receptors in sickle erythrocyte was partially responsible for dense sickle cell formation. However, the mechanism by which ET-1 regulates RBC volume remains unclear. Serine/threonine kinases have been shown to regulate K+ transport in RBC. Casein Kinase II (CK2), a serine/threonine kinase, phosphorylates acidic proteins, regulates calmodulin activity and cytoskeletal proteins and is present in RBC. CK2 activity is blocked by apigenin, emodin, heparin, and ornithine decarboxylase. Previous reports have shown a role for flavonoids such as apigenin as substrates for erythrocyte plasma membrane oxidoreductases. We recently observed a role for Protein Disulfide Isomerase (PDI) in regulating cellular hydration and K+ efflux in human RBC. PDI catalyzes disulfide interchange reactions in the plasma membrane, mediates redox modifications and is up-regulated under hypoxic conditions. However the relationship between CK2 and PDI in the setting of cellular hydration status is un-explored. Our results indicate that erythrocyte membrane CK2 activity increases when sickle cells are incubated with 500 nM ET-1 for 30 min (2.8 ± 0.1 to 4.9 ± 0.01 nmol/min/mL * 106 cell) an event that is blunted by pre-incubation with the ET-1 B receptor blocker, BQ788 (2.5 ± 0.1 nmol/min/mL * 106 cell, n=3, p<0.04) and 20 μM apigenin (2.7 ± 0.4 nmol/min/mL * 106 cell, n=3, p<0.04). We examined the role of CK2 activation on cellular dehydration. We incubated sickle erythrocytes for 3 hours in deoxygenation-oxygenation cycles in the presence or absence of 20μM apigenin or 2μM 4,5,6,7-tetrabromobenzotriazole (TBB), a specific CK2 inhibitor, and measured the changes in erythrocyte density by phthalate oil density analysis. We observed that inhibition of CK2 led to reduced deoxygenation-stimulated cellular dehydration in sickle erythrocytes by apigenin (D50= 1.106 to 1.100 g/mL) or TBB (D50 =1.097 g/mL). We then studied the role of CK2 inhibitors on PDI activity by Insulin Turbidity Assay and observed that apigenin and TBB led to significant reductions in PDI activity in vitro (64% and 42% respectively). We also studied the effects of the flavonoids: naringenin, naringin, apigenin and rutin on PDI activity and observed reductions in PDI activity that were greater with apigenin>rutin>TBB>naringin>naringenin (n=2, P<0.05). Furthermore, we observed that K+ flux via Gardos channel activation is correlated with PDI activity in vitro in sickle erythrocytes. Taken together our results implicate CK2 and PDI as intermediate regulators of ET-1 stimulated cellular volume systems in red blood cells. Supported by NIH R01-HL09632 to AR. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


1992 ◽  
Vol 1 (5) ◽  
pp. 347-353 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew C. Issekutz ◽  
Nancy Lopes ◽  
Thomas B. Issekutz

The cytokines IL-1 and TNF-α are involved in inflammation and their production is stimulated by various agents, especially endotoxin (LPS). Here, using the human IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RA) and a new monoclonal antibody (mAb 7F11) to rabbit TNF, the role of endogenous IL-l and TNF production in acute (3h) leukocyte (PMNL) recruitment to dermal inflammation in rabbits has been studied. IL-1RA inhibited by 27% the PMNL accumulation in reactions induced by killed Escherichia coli (p < 0.05) but not by LPS. The monoclonal antibody to TNF inhibited by 27% and 38% (p < 0.002) the PMNL accumulation in LPS and E. coli reactions respectively, but a combination of the mAb with IL-1RA was not more effective. Treatment of human umbilical vein endothelium with LPS for 3 h activated endothelium to induce PMNL transendothelial migration in vitro, which was not inhibited by IL-1RA, antibody to TNF-α, IL-1 or to IL-8. In conclusion, TNF and IL-1 may partially mediate acute PMNL infiltration in vivo to LPS and Gram negative bacteria, but there is a major IL-1/TNF independent mechanism, at least in dermal inflammation, which may be due to direct LPS activation of the microvasculature or perhaps the generation of cytokines other than IL-1 and TNF.


2017 ◽  
Vol 45 (3) ◽  
pp. 845-854 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie-Claude Gingras ◽  
Jalal M. Kazan ◽  
Arnim Pause

Sustained cellular signalling originated from the receptors located at the plasma membrane is widely associated with cancer susceptibility. Endosomal sorting and degradation of the cell surface receptors is therefore crucial to preventing chronic downstream signalling and tumorigenesis. Since the Endosomal Sorting Complexes Required for Transport (ESCRT) controls these processes, ESCRT components were proposed to act as tumour suppressor genes. However, the bona fide role of ESCRT components in tumorigenesis has not been clearly demonstrated. The ESCRT member HD-PTP/PTPN23 was recently identified as a novel haplo-insufficient tumour suppressor in vitro and in vivo, in mice and humans. In this mini-review, we outline the role of the ESCRT components in cancer and summarize the functions of HD-PTP/PTPN23 in tumorigenesis.


1993 ◽  
Vol 178 (1) ◽  
pp. 257-264 ◽  
Author(s):  
K H Grabstein ◽  
T J Waldschmidt ◽  
F D Finkelman ◽  
B W Hess ◽  
A R Alpert ◽  
...  

The effects of interleukin 7 (IL-7) on the growth and differentiation of murine B cell progenitors has been well characterized using in vitro culture methods. We have investigated the role of IL-7 in vivo using a monoclonal antibody that neutralizes IL-7. We find that treatment of mice with this antibody completely inhibits the development of B cell progenitors from the pro-B cell stage forward. We also provide evidence that all peripheral B cells, including those of the B-1 and conventional lineages, are derived from IL-7-dependent precursors. The results are consistent with the rapid turnover of B cell progenitors in the marrow, but a slow turnover of mature B cells in the periphery. In addition to effects on B cell development, anti-IL-7 treatment substantially reduced thymus cellularity, affecting all major thymic subpopulations.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document