During mammalian fertilization, the exposure of the inner acrosomal membrane (IAM) after acrosomal exocytosis is essential for the secondary binding between sperm and zona pellucida (ZP) of the oocyte, a prerequisite for sperm penetration through the ZP. The identification of the sperm protein(s) responsible for secondary binding has posed a challenge for researchers. We were able to isolate a sperm head fraction in which the IAM was exposed. Attached to the IAM was an electon dense layer, which we termed the IAM extracellular coat (IAMC). The IAMC was also observable in acrosome reacted sperm. High salt extraction removed the IAMC including a prominent 38 kDa polypeptide, referred to as IAM38. Antibodies raised against IAM38 confirmed its presence in the IAMC of intact, sonicated, and acrosome-reacted sperm. Sequencing of IAM38 revealed it as the ortholog of porcine SP38, a protein that was found to bind specifically to ZP2 but whose intra-acrosomal location was not known. We showed that IAM38 occupied the leading edge of sperm contact with the zona pellucida during fertilization, and that secondary binding and fertilization were inhibited in vitro by antibodies directed against IAM38. As for the mechanism of secondary sperm-zona binding by IAM38, we provided evidence that the synthetic peptide derived from the ZP2-binding motif of IAM38 had a competitive inhibitory effect on both sperm-zona binding and fertilization while its mutant form was ineffective. In summary, our study provides a novel approach to obtain direct information on the peripheral and integral protein composition of the IAM and consolidates IAM38 as a genuine secondary sperm-zona binding protein. In addition, our investigation also provides an ultrastructural description of the origin, expression and assembly of IAM38 during spermatogenesis. It shows that IAM38 is originally secreted by the Golgi apparatus as part of the dense contents of the proacrosomic granules but later, during acrosome capping phase of spermiogenesis, is redistributed to the inner periphery of the acrosomal membrane. This relocation occurs at the time of acrosomal compaction, an obligatory structural change that fails to occur in Zpbp1-/- knockout mice, which do not express IAM38 and are infertile. / Thesis (Ph.D, Anatomy & Cell Biology) -- Queen's University, 2008-11-27 15:33:50.226

La protéine TAT1 (Testis Anion Transporter 1 ; SLC26A8) appartient à la famille des SLC26, une famille de transporteurs d’anions qui contribuent dans différents épithelia à l’homéostasie cellulaire. La protéine TAT1 s’exprime exclusivement dans les cellules germinales mâles, chez l’homme et chez la souris. Sur le spermatozoïde mature, la protéine TAT1 est localisée à la jonction des pièces intermédiaire (PI) et principale (PP) du flagelle, au niveau de l’annulus, une structure en forme d’anneau composée de différents polymères de Septines (1, 4, 6, 7 et 12).Le modèle murin d’invalidation du gène Tat1 présente une infertilité mâle par asthénozoospermie totale (absence de mobilité des spermatozoïdes) et des défauts de capacitation associés à des anomalies structurales du flagelle (plicature du flagelle, disjonction entre la PI et la PP, atrophie de l’annulus). Ce modèle indique que la protéine TAT1 pourrait avoir un rôle structural dans le maintien de l’annulus et dans la mise en place du flagelle. Par ailleurs, la protéine TAT1 possédant une activité de transport d’anions, il est vraisemblable qu’elle puisse influer directement sur la régulation de la mobilité et de la capacitation puisqu’il est bien établi que les échanges ioniques sont essentiels au contrôle de ces deux processus.En effet, les ions chlorure, bicarbonate et calcium participent à l’activation de la voie de signalisation AMPc/PKA, au cours des processus de mobilité et de capacitation (i.e. processus de maturation ayant lieu dans le tractus génital féminin et conférant au spermatozoïde un mouvement hyperactivé et la capacité à interagir avec l’ovocyte).Plusieurs travaux ont montré une interaction physique et fonctionnelle des membres de la famille SLC26 avec le canal chlorure/bicarbonate CFTR (Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane conductance Regulator) dont les mutations sont responsables de la mucoviscidose. De manière intéressante des données récentes ont montré l’expression de CFTR dans le spermatozoïde et son rôle dans la régulation des flux de chlorure au cours de la capacitation. Au cours de ma thèse, nous avons testé la coopération entre les protéines TAT1 et CFTR ; nous avons pu montrer que la protéine TAT1 est capable d’interagir physiquement avec CFTR et de stimuler son activité de transport d’anions, suggérant qu’in vivo les deux protéines forment un complexe moléculaire impliqué dans la régulation des flux de chlorure et de bicarbonate dans le spermatozoïde.Tout comme TAT1, plusieurs membres de la famille SLC26 ont une expression tissulaire spécifique. Par ailleurs, les mutations génétiques de certains SLC26 sont associées à des pathologies humaines (surdité, diarrhée chlorurée congénitale et chondrodysplasie). De par le phénotype du modèle murin Tat1 et l’importance des SLC26 en pathologie humaine, TAT1 constitue un bon candidat dans la recherche des causes génétiques des asthénozoospermies humaines.Le laboratoire a mis en place au cours de ma thèse, un projet de recherche de mutations du gène TAT1 dans les asthénozoospermies humaines. Le séquençage des régions codantes du gène TAT1 dans une cohorte de 147 hommes infertiles par asthénozoospermie a ainsi permis d’identifier des variations de séquence inédites du gène chez 7 sujets. L’étude in vitro de certains variants indique pour trois d’entre eux une instabilité des formes mutantes associée à un défaut de stimulation du canal CFTR, in vitro. Par ailleurs, les spermatozoïdes de ces patients présentent d’importantes anomalies flagellaires dans la mise en place de la pièce intermédiaire, compatible avec un rôle de la protéine TAT1 et de ses partenaires (les septines) dans la genèse du flagelle / TAT1 (Testis Anion Transporter 1 ; SLC26A8) belongs to the SLC26 family of anion transporters, which is implicated in cellular homeostasis of different epithelia. TAT1 is exclusively expressed in male germ cells, in human and mouse. On mature spermatozoa, TAT1 is located at the annulus, a ring-shaped structure composed of different septins polymers (1, 4, 6, 7 and 12), at the junction of the midpiece (MP) and principal piece (PP) of the flagellum.The knock-out mouse model of Tat1 gene shows a male infertility by complete asthenozoospermia (lack of sperm motility) and capacitation defects combined with flagellar structural abnormalities (flagella bending, MP and PP disjunction and atrophy of the annulus). This model suggests that the TAT1 protein could fulfill structural roles in the annulus and during flagellum biogenesis. Moreover TAT1 displayind an anion transport activity, it could also be implicated in the control of sperm motility and capacitation by regulating anions exchannges, which are well known to be essential for both processes.Indeed, chloride, bicarbonate and calcium ions are involved in the activation of the cAMP/PKA pathway, controlling sperm motility and capacitation processes (i.e. maturation events occuring in the female genital tract and providing the spermatozoa an hyperactivation movement and the ability to interact with oocyte).Several publications have reported a physical and functionnal interaction between SLC26 family members and the chloride/bicarbonate CFTR channel (Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane conductance Regulator), which mutations are responsible of cystic fibrosis. Interestingly, recent data showed CFTR expression in spermatozoa and its role in the regulation of chloride fluxes during capacitation. During my thesis, we tested TAT1 and CFTR cooperation; we showed that TAT1 can interact physically with CFTR and stimulate its anion transport activity, suggesting that in vivo they form a molecular complex involved in the regulation of chloride and bicarbonate fluxes during sperm capacitation.Like TAT1, several SLC26 family members have a tissue specific expression. Furthermore genetic mutations in several SLC26 members result in human pathology such as deafness, congenital chloride diarrhea and chondrodysplasia. According to the phenotype of the KO Tat1 mouse model and the role of SLC26 members in human pathology, TAT1 constitutes a good candidate for the search of genetic causes of human asthenozoospermia.During my thesis, the laboratory has set up, a research project aiming at identifying mutations in the TAT1 gene that are responsible for human asthenozoospermia.Sequencing of the TAT1 gene coding regions in a cohort of 147 infertile men presenting with asthenozoospermia allowed us to identify several new sequence variations in in the TAT1 gene. In vitro study of these variants shows that 3 of them are associated with protein instability and abrogate CFTR stimulation. Besides, patients sperm show important flagellar abnormalities in the midpiece, consistent with a role of TAT1 and its partners (septins) in flagellum biogenesis.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:26:05Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2011-07-29Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T20:14:37Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 pereira_llv_me_sjrp.pdf: 1182871 bytes, checksum: 6053df49fe569dc60c6513fafdffaa9d (MD5) / No presente trabalho verificamos que os testículos possuem morfologias diferentes podendo ser arredondados, arredondados/espiralados ou alongados/espiralados. Com relação à morfometria das células em prófase I, B. micantulum e R. zela foram as que apresentaram as menores células, G. f. flavus foi a que apresentou maior tamanho e R. c. crassifemur e M. brasiliensis apresentaram tamanho intermediário. A avaliação da espermatogênese nos permitiu concluir que as características observadas são semelhantes às das outras espécies de Heteroptera, descritas na literatura, diferindo apenas com relação à morfologia dos testículos, o número de cromossomos e o sistema cromossômico do sexo. A análise das ultraestruturas observadas durante a espermatogênese de Gelastocoris flavus flavus e Martarega uruguayensis mostraram a presença de várias mitocôndrias pequenas e uniformemente distribuidas pelo citoplasma em células em profase I, de ambas espécies, que foram se unindo formando o complexo mitocondrial, que possui no seu interior as mitocôndrias enoveladas, posteriormente este complexo mitocondrial se divide em duas estruturas denominadas derivados mitocondriais, que se dispõem bilateralmente ao axonema. O axonema dessas espécies possui o padrão de 9+9+2. A formação do acrossomo inicia-se nos primeiros estágios da espermiogênese sendo composto de muitas vesículas acrossomais que se unem formando uma única estrutura, sendo observada regiões e algumas estruturas mais coradas em seu interior. Basicamente o processo de espermiogênese não diferiu entre as duas espécies analisadas / In this study, we found different morphologies for testes of the Heteroptera species Belostoma anurum, B. micantulum, Gelastocoris angulatus, G. flavus flavus, Rheumatobates crassifemur crassifemur, Buenoa amnigenus, B. unguis, Martarega brasiliensis, M. membranacea, M. uruguayensis, Rhagovelia tenuipes and R. zela. They can by round, round/spiral and elongated/spiral. The size of prophase I cells also varied, being the smallest ones detected in B. micantulum and R. zela, the largest in G. f. flavus, and the intermediate in R. c. crassifemur and M. brasiliensis. The analyses of spermatogenesis allowed us to conclude that, in the studied species, the features are similar to those of other previously described Heteroptera species, differing only as to the testicular morphology, the chromosome number, and the sex chromosome system. Ultrastructural analysis of the spermatogenesis showed several small mitochondrias evenly distributed throughout the cytoplasm, in cells at prophase I of G. f. flavus and M. uruguayensis. The small mitochondrias joined to form the mitochondrial complex. Later, this mitochondrial complex divided into two structures called mitochondrial derivatives, located bilaterally to the axoneme. The axoneme of these species showed the flagellar pattern 9+9+2. The acrosome started to be formed in the early stages of spermiogenesis, being composed of many acrosome vesicles that join to form a single structure. Some regions within this structure were more strongly stained. Basically the process of spermiogenesis did not differ between the species G. f. flavus and M. uruguayensis

Orientador: Mary Massumi Itoyama / Banca: Fernanda Cristina Alcantara dos Santos / Banca: Sandra Regina de Carvalho Marchesin / Resumo: No presente trabalho verificamos que os testículos possuem morfologias diferentes podendo ser arredondados, arredondados/espiralados ou alongados/espiralados. Com relação à morfometria das células em prófase I, B. micantulum e R. zela foram as que apresentaram as menores células, G. f. flavus foi a que apresentou maior tamanho e R. c. crassifemur e M. brasiliensis apresentaram tamanho intermediário. A avaliação da espermatogênese nos permitiu concluir que as características observadas são semelhantes às das outras espécies de Heteroptera, descritas na literatura, diferindo apenas com relação à morfologia dos testículos, o número de cromossomos e o sistema cromossômico do sexo. A análise das ultraestruturas observadas durante a espermatogênese de Gelastocoris flavus flavus e Martarega uruguayensis mostraram a presença de várias mitocôndrias pequenas e uniformemente distribuidas pelo citoplasma em células em profase I, de ambas espécies, que foram se unindo formando o complexo mitocondrial, que possui no seu interior as mitocôndrias enoveladas, posteriormente este complexo mitocondrial se divide em duas estruturas denominadas derivados mitocondriais, que se dispõem bilateralmente ao axonema. O axonema dessas espécies possui o padrão de 9+9+2. A formação do acrossomo inicia-se nos primeiros estágios da espermiogênese sendo composto de muitas vesículas acrossomais que se unem formando uma única estrutura, sendo observada regiões e algumas estruturas mais coradas em seu interior. Basicamente o processo de espermiogênese não diferiu entre as duas espécies analisadas / Abstract: In this study, we found different morphologies for testes of the Heteroptera species Belostoma anurum, B. micantulum, Gelastocoris angulatus, G. flavus flavus, Rheumatobates crassifemur crassifemur, Buenoa amnigenus, B. unguis, Martarega brasiliensis, M. membranacea, M. uruguayensis, Rhagovelia tenuipes and R. zela. They can by round, round/spiral and elongated/spiral. The size of prophase I cells also varied, being the smallest ones detected in B. micantulum and R. zela, the largest in G. f. flavus, and the intermediate in R. c. crassifemur and M. brasiliensis. The analyses of spermatogenesis allowed us to conclude that, in the studied species, the features are similar to those of other previously described Heteroptera species, differing only as to the testicular morphology, the chromosome number, and the sex chromosome system. Ultrastructural analysis of the spermatogenesis showed several small mitochondrias evenly distributed throughout the cytoplasm, in cells at prophase I of G. f. flavus and M. uruguayensis. The small mitochondrias joined to form the mitochondrial complex. Later, this mitochondrial complex divided into two structures called mitochondrial derivatives, located bilaterally to the axoneme. The axoneme of these species showed the flagellar pattern 9+9+2. The acrosome started to be formed in the early stages of spermiogenesis, being composed of many acrosome vesicles that join to form a single structure. Some regions within this structure were more strongly stained. Basically the process of spermiogenesis did not differ between the species G. f. flavus and M. uruguayensis / Mestre