Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
24
pubmed:dateCreated
2006-11-22
pubmed:abstractText
Fertilization typically involves membrane fusion between sperm and eggs. In Drosophila, however, sperm enter eggs with membranes intact. Consequently, sperm plasma membrane breakdown (PMBD) and subsequent events of sperm activation occur in the egg cytoplasm. We previously proposed that mutations in the sneaky (snky) gene result in male sterility due to failure in PMBD. Here we support this proposal by demonstrating persistence of a plasma membrane protein around the head of snky sperm after entry into the egg. We further show that snky is expressed in testes and encodes a predicted integral membrane protein with multiple transmembrane domains, a DC-STAMP-like domain, and a variant RING finger. Using a transgene that expresses an active Snky-Green fluorescent protein fusion (Snky-GFP), we show that the protein is localized to the acrosome, a membrane-bound vesicle located at the apical tip of sperm. Snky-GFP also allowed us to follow the fate of the protein and the acrosome during fertilization. In many animals, the acrosome is a secretory vesicle with exocytosis essential for sperm penetration through the egg coats. Surprisingly, we find that the Drosophila acrosome is a paternally inherited structure. We provide evidence that the acrosome induces changes in sperm plasma membrane, exclusive of exocytosis and through the action of the acrosomal membrane protein Snky. Existence of testis-expressed Snky-like genes in many animals, including humans, suggests conserved protein function. We relate the characteristics of Drosophila Snky, acrosome function and sperm PMBD to membrane fusion events that occur in other systems.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Dec
pubmed:issn
0950-1991
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
133
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
4871-9
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed-meshheading:17092953-Acrosome, pubmed-meshheading:17092953-Amino Acid Sequence, pubmed-meshheading:17092953-Animals, pubmed-meshheading:17092953-Cell Membrane, pubmed-meshheading:17092953-Drosophila, pubmed-meshheading:17092953-Drosophila Proteins, pubmed-meshheading:17092953-Female, pubmed-meshheading:17092953-Fertility, pubmed-meshheading:17092953-Fertilization, pubmed-meshheading:17092953-Green Fluorescent Proteins, pubmed-meshheading:17092953-Male, pubmed-meshheading:17092953-Membrane Proteins, pubmed-meshheading:17092953-Molecular Sequence Data, pubmed-meshheading:17092953-Ovum, pubmed-meshheading:17092953-Protein Structure, Tertiary, pubmed-meshheading:17092953-Rats, pubmed-meshheading:17092953-Sequence Alignment, pubmed-meshheading:17092953-Sperm Capacitation, pubmed-meshheading:17092953-Testis
pubmed:year
2006
pubmed:articleTitle
Sperm plasma membrane breakdown during Drosophila fertilization requires sneaky, an acrosomal membrane protein.
pubmed:affiliation
Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S., Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't