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

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.     

5''-S-(2-aminoethyl)-N6-(4-nitrobenzyl)-5''-thioadenosine (SAENTA), a novel ligand with high affinity for polypeptides associated with nucleoside transport. Partial purification of the nitrobenzylthioinosine-binding protein of pig erythrocytes by affinity chromatography.

Derivatives of N6-(4-aminobenzyl)adenosine (substituted at the aminobenzyl group) and 5'-linked derivatives of N6-(4-nitrobenzyl)adenosine (NBAdo) were evaluated as inhibitors of site-specific binding of [3H]nitrobenzylthioinosine (NBMPR) to pig erythrocyte membranes. Potent inhibitors were SAENTA [5'-S-(2-aminoethyl)-N6-(4-nitrobenzyl)-5'-thioadenosine] and acetyl-SAENTA (the 2-acetamidoethyl derivative of SAENTA). SAENTA was coupled to derivatized agarose-gel beads (Affi-Gel 10) to form an affinity matrix for chromatographic purification of NBMPR-binding polypeptides, which in pig erythrocytes are part of, or are associated with, the equilibrative nucleoside transporter. When pig erythrocyte membranes were solubilized with octyl glucoside (n-octyl beta-D-glucopyranoside) and applied to SAENTA-Affi-Gel 10 (SAENTA-AG10), polypeptides that migrated as a broad band on SDS/PAGE with an apparent molecular mass of 58-60 kDa were selectively retained by the affinity gel. These polypeptides were identified as components of the nucleoside transporter of pig erythrocytes by reactivity with a monoclonal antibody (mAb 11C4) that recognizes the NBMPR-binding protein of pig erythrocytes. Retention of the immunoreactive polypeptides by SAENTA-AG10 was blocked by NBAdo. The immunoreactive polypeptides were released from SAENTA-AG10 by elution under denaturing conditions with 1% SDS or by elution with detergent solutions containing competitive ligands (NBAdo or NBMPR). A 72-fold enrichment of the immunoreactive polypeptides was achieved by a single passage of solubilized, protein-depleted membranes through a column of SAENTA-AG10, followed by elution with detergent solutions containing NBAdo. These results demonstrate that polypeptide components of NBMPR-sensitive nucleoside-transport systems may be partly purified by affinity chromatography using gel media bearing SAENTA groups.     

A role for the migrating sperm surface antigen PH-20 in guinea pig sperm binding to the egg zona pellucida

After the acrosome reaction, the PH-20 surface antigen of guinea pig sperm migrates from its original location on the posterior head surface to a new location on the inner acrosomal membrane (Myles, D.G., and P. Primakoff, 1984, J. Cell Biol., 99:1634-1641). We have isolated three monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) of the IgG1 subclass, PH-20, PH-21, and PH-22, that bind to the PH-20 antigen. The PH-20 MAb strongly inhibited (approximately 90%) sperm binding to the guinea pig egg zona pellucida at saturating antibody concentrations (greater than 20 micrograms/ml). Half-maximal inhibition of sperm binding to the zona was obtained with approximately 2 micrograms/ml PH-20 MAb. The PH-21 MAb at saturating concentration (50 micrograms/ml) partially inhibited (approximately 45%) sperm-zona binding, and the PH-22 MAb (50 micrograms/ml) did not inhibit (0%) sperm-zona binding. Essentially the same amounts of the three MAbs were bound to sperm under the conditions where inhibition (PH-20, PH-21) or no inhibition (PH-22) of sperm-zona binding was observed, which indicates that the different levels of inhibition did not arise from different levels of MAb binding. Competition binding assays with 125I-labeled MAbs showed that PH-21 binding to sperm was not affected by the binding of PH-20 or PH-22. However, that PH-20 and PH-22 blocked each other's binding to sperm suggests that their recognized determinants may be relatively close to one another. The results indicate that the migrating PH-20 antigen has a required function in sperm binding to the zona pellucida and that the PH-20 MAb affects is active site.     

Membrane glycoproteins involved in neurite fasciculation

Lectin affinity chromatography combined with mAb production was used to identify chick neural cell surface molecules related to L1 antigen, a mouse neural glycoprotein implicated in cell-cell adhesion (Rathjen, F. G., and M. Schachner, 1984, EMBO (Eur. Mol. Biol. Organ.) J., 3:1-10). A glycoprotein, G4 antigen, isolated by mAb G4 from adult chick brain is described which comprises a major 135-kD component, a minor doublet at 190 kD, and diffusely migrating bands at 80 and 65 kD in SDS PAGE. This molecule is structurally related to mouse L1 antigen according to NH2-terminal amino acid sequence (50% identity) as well as the behavior of its components in two-dimensional IEF/SDS PAGE gels. A second chicken glycoprotein, F11 antigen, was isolated from adult chick brain using mAb F11. This protein has also a major 135-kD component and minor components at 170 kD and 120 kD. Both immunotransfer analysis with polyclonal antibodies to mAb G4 and to mAb F11 isolate and the behavior on IEF/SDS PAGE gels indicates that the major 135-kD component of F11 antigen is distinct from G4 antigen components. However, the 135-kD component of F11 antigen shares with G4 antigen and the neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) the HNK-1/L2 carbohydrate epitope. In immunofluorescence studies, G4 and F11 antigenic sites were found to be associated mainly with the surface of process-bearing cells, particularly in fiber-rich regions of embryonic brain. Although Fab fragments of polyclonal antibodies to mAbs G4 or F11 immunoaffinity isolate only weakly inhibit the Ca2+-independent aggregation of neural cells, they strongly inhibit fasciculation of retinal axons. Together these studies extend the evidence that bundling of axons reflects the combined effects of a group of distinct cell surface glycoproteins.     

Monoclonal antibody AG7 inhibits fertilization post sperm-zona binding.

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against sperm cells are currently being used in an effort to define spermatozoal antigens involved in the fertilization process. We have produced a number of anti-human sperm mAbs by immunization of female mice with the 100,000 x g supernatant of octylglycoside-solubilized washed human sperm. From a panel of mAbs, 1 antibody, AG7, was selected and characterized due to its fertilization-inhibiting characteristics. MAb AG7 defines a sperm acrosome antigen-1 (SAA-1) located in the acrosomal region of human sperm as evaluated by indirect immunofluorescence. Staining of life sperm cells indicated that the antigen is present on the sperm surface. SAA-1 was also found on sperm of several other mammalian species, implying evolutionary conservation of the antigen. SAA-1 was first observed on testicular sperm and can be followed through epididymal transit, ejaculation, and capacitation. When applied in a mouse in vitro fertilization assay, mAb AG7 inhibits fertilization by greater than 95%, and inhibition is dose dependent, with half-maximal inhibition at 0.8 micrograms/ml. The block to fertilization could not be attributed to sperm agglutination, inhibition of motility, interference with adhesion to the zona pellucida, or inhibition of fusion with the oocyte membrane. MAb AG7 was demonstrated to inhibit calcium influx in spermatozoa in vitro (measured using the fluorescent indicator fura 2), a prerequisite for the acrosome reaction. Initial biochemical characterization of the antigen suggests it is proteinlike in nature, with a molecular weight of approximately 220 kD. The results suggest that SAA-1, identified by mAb AG7, is a sperm antigen crucially involved in the fertilization process, possibly an atypical steroid receptor or ion channel located within the sperm plasma membrane.     

Solubilization and purification of a membrane-associated 3,3'',5-tri-iodo-L-thyronine-binding protein from rat erythrocytes.

3,3',5-Tri-iodo-L-thyronine (L-T3) binding sites from rat erythrocyte membranes were solubilized in an active form by using the zwitterionic detergent CHAPS or the anionic detergent lauroylsarcosine. The binding protein was successively purified by Sephadex G-200 and affinity chromatography. The purified material retained its binding activity and exhibited high affinity and specificity compared with those displayed in the original membrane. Yield was about 10% of the starting activity. The specific binding activity was enriched by approx. 100-fold, which represents a purity of only 0.1%. Analysis of the purified preparation on SDS/PAGE showed two major protein bands (Mr 64,000 and Mr 50,000), but these could not represent the binding protein since the purity obtained was low. However, affinity-labelling experiments with N-bromoacetyl-L-[125I]T3 in intact membranes showed that two proteins (also with Mr values of 64,000 and 50,000) bound the hormone specifically, suggesting a co-migration of hormone receptors and contaminants on gel electrophoresis.     

Biochemical characterization of an Fc gamma receptor purified from human neutrophils

The Fc receptor identified by mAb 3G8 (Fc gamma RIII) was isolated by mAb affinity chromatography from 0.5 to 2 x 10(10) neutrophils yielding 33 to 149 micrograms of protein. Iodination of the purified protein identified a polypeptide of broad electrophoretic mobility from Mr 47 to 70 kDa and occasionally a fainter polypeptide at 100 to 130 kDa, which may be dimerized receptor. Two-dimensional isoelectric focusing gel electrophoresis illustrated multiple diffuse polypeptides ranging from a pI of less than 4.7 to 6.5. Treatment of the purified receptor with neuraminidase shifted the mobility of these polypeptides to a more basic pI, ranging from 6 to 8, illustrating the presence of sialic acid residues on Fc gamma RIII. The glycoprotein nature of Fc gamma RIII was characterized by several criteria. The receptor bound to Con A-Sepharose. Treatment of Fc gamma RIII with endoglycosidase H or F, which cleave high mannose and biantennary complex N-linked oligosaccharides, respectively, failed to alter the electrophoretic mobility of the Fc gamma R. Peptide N:glycosidase F, which cleaves all classes of N-linked oligosaccharides, reduced the Mr of Fc gamma RIII by 60% to reveal two poorly resolved polypeptides centered at Mr 25 kDa and ranging from Mr 16 to 28 kDa. Chemical deglycosylation with trifluoromethanesulfonic acid, which cleaves O- and N-linked oligosaccharides except for the asparagine-linked N-acetylglucosamine, reduced the Mr of Fc gamma RIII to 21 to 36 kDa. These results demonstrate that Fc gamma RIII is an acidic complex sialoglycoprotein and suggest that there may be 8 to 15 N-linked oligosaccharide chains on Fc gamma RIII.     

None of the integrins known to be present on the mouse egg or to be ADAM receptors are essential for sperm-egg binding and fusion

Antibody inhibition and alpha6beta1 ligand binding experiments indicate that the egg integrin alpha6beta1 functions as a receptor for sperm during gamete fusion; yet, eggs null for the alpha6 integrin exhibit normal fertilization. Alternative integrins may be involved in sperm-egg binding and fusion and could compensate for the absence of alpha6beta1. Various beta1 integrins and alphav integrins are present on mouse eggs. Some of these integrins are also reported to be receptors for ADAMs, which are expressed on sperm. Using alpha3 integrin null eggs, we found that the alpha3beta1 integrin was not essential for sperm-egg binding and fusion. Oocyte-specific, beta1 integrin conditional knockout mice allowed us to obtain mature eggs lacking all beta1 integrins. We found that the beta1 integrin null eggs were fully functional in fertilization both in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, neither anti-mouse beta3 integrin function-blocking monoclonal antibody (mAb) nor alphav integrin function-blocking mAb inhibited sperm binding to or fusion with beta1 integrin null eggs. Thus, function of beta3 or alphav integrins does not seem to be involved in compensating for the absence of beta1 integrins. These results indicate that none of the integrins known to be present on mouse eggs or to be ADAM receptors are essential for sperm-egg binding/fusion, and thus, egg integrins may not play the role in gamete fusion previously attributed to them.     

Analysis of Toxoplasma gondii proteins after Triton X-114 solubilization and hydrophobic chromatography

The distribution of the surface proteins of Toxoplasma gondii radiodinated were studied using the phase separation technique and ability of binding in the phenyl-Sepharose column. Eight polypeptides with Mr 22 to 180 distributed exclusively in the detergent rich-phase, while six polypeptides with mol. wt. 15,000 to 76,000 distributed exclusively in the detergent poor-phase. Two polypeptides with 15,000 and 70,000 distributed in both phase. All the polypeptides present in the detergent rich-phase binding in the phenyl-Sepharose column, and can be isolated in two peak according with their relative hydrophobicities. Two polypeptides hydrophobic with Mr 60 and 66 recognized by human serum were isolated by the association of the two technique. Our result showed that the surface proteins of T. gondii present different degrees of hydrophobicity and that the use of hydrophobic interaction chromatography after Triton X-114 extraction may be an important isolation method of membrane proteins.     

THE FUCUS (PHAEOPHYCEAE) SPERM RECEPTOR FOR EGGS. II. ISOLATION OF A BINDING PROTEIN WHICH PARTIALLY ACTIVATES EGGS1

An in vitro binding assay involving egg plasma membrane vesicles (PMVs) of Fucus serratus L. and proteins contained in a KCl extract of sperm has been used to identify a sperm protein involved in egg binding. High-performance gel filtration (HPGF) separated the sperm KCl extract into several major fractions, and a protein (apparent M, 60 kDa) was identified as being involved in binding to the egg PMVs. This protein ran on denaturing sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)gels with an apparent molecular weight of 27 kDa. This suggests that either the native form of the protein is a dimer or the molecular weight on HPGF is an artifact caused by high ionic strength buffer promoting hydrophobic interactions. When KCl-sol-uble proteins were separated by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE), blotted onto nitrocellulose, and incubated with biotinylated egg PMVs, these bound to a band at 27 kDa, confirming the role of this protein. Addition of the Fucus sperm extract or HPGF fractions containing the binding protein to eggs in the absence of sperm induced the release of polysaccharides onto the egg cell surface. This labeling was patchy, in contrast to the uniform release of polysaccharides observed when sperm were added to eggs. The monoclonal antibody (MAb) FS17 was raised against the 27-kDa sperm protein. It labeled the sperm body and both flagella by immunofluorescence, though the sperm had to he permeabilized to observe labeling, suggesting that the epitope recognized is not exposed at the cell surface. Addition of FS17 to the KCl extract in the binding assay reduced subsequent binding of egg PMVs. Removal of the 27-kDa protein recognized by FS17 from the sperm extract prevented the binding of egg PMVs in the binding assay and the triggering of the patchy release of polysaccharides when added to eggs. Overall the results suggest that the 27-kDa sperm protein is involved in binding to the egg plasma membrane and can trigger partial activation of the egg .     

Changing localizations of site-specific surface antigens during sea urchin spermiogenesis

Whole mount preparations of dissociated testicular cells from the sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, were exposed to monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) directed against sperm surface proteins. Indirect immunofluorescence microscopy and Western immunoblot analysis show that mAb J18/29 binds to the entire surface of the mature spermatozoon and membrane proteins ranging in relative molecular masses from 25 to 340 kDa. MAb J18/2 binds to the acrosomal and tail regions of the mature spermatozoon and mainly to a 210-kDa membrane protein. MAb J17/30 binds to the midpiece and tail regions and monospecifically to a 60-kDa membrane protein. MAb J16/33 binds specifically to the sperm midpiece but does not bind to Western immunoblots of sperm membrane proteins. With the exception of J16/33, which shows a punctate binding pattern, all of these mAbs show uniform binding over the entire surface of the early spermatid. This uniform and complete surface binding is observed through all stages of spermiogenesis for mAb J18/29. By the midspermatid stage, when tail formation first begins, but before the nucleus condenses and the cytoplasm decreases in volume, localized binding patterns of mAbs J17/30 and J16/33 become evident. Localized binding of mAb J18/2 is not observed until the late spermatid stage. These results show that the sea urchin sperm surface is composed of at least four different domains and provide the first insight into differentiation of the cell surface during sea urchin spermatogenesis.     

兔阑尾中一种新的21kD的钙结合蛋白的纯化与鉴定

纯化与鉴定了Ｂ淋巴细胞中一种新的分子量为２１ｋＤ的钙结合蛋白（ＣａＢＰ２１）。兔阑尾淋巴细胞匀浆经热变性,Ｐｈｅｎｙｌ－Ｓｅｐｈａｒｏｓｅ与ＤＥＡＥ－Ｓｅｐｈａｒｏｓｅ柱层析,自每１ｋｇ细胞沉积物中获得ＳＤＳ－ＰＡＧＥ均一的ＣａＢＰ２１５．３ｍｇ。ＨＣｌ水解后的酸性氨基酸（Ａｓｐ＋Ｇｌｕ）含量为２６％。如同大多数钙结合蛋白一样,Ｎ末端封闭阻止其进行Ｅｄｍａｎ降解。ＣａＢＰ２１中疏水性氨基酸（计Ｇｌｙ,不计Ｔｒｐ）约占４６％,碱性氨基酸１０％,酸性氨基酸与极性氨基酸约４４％。ＣａＢＰ２１有较高的Ｓｅｒ、Ｔｙｒ含量。肽谱分析等确证ＣａＢＰ２１为２个相同或相似亚基二聚体。以ＡｒｓｅｎａｚｏⅢ作Ｃａ２＋结合分析表明每分子ＣａＢＰ２１可结合４分子Ｃａ２＋,对Ｃａ２＋的结合常数约为１０－５ｍｏｌ／Ｌ。各种性质表明ＣａＢＰ２１是一种不同于其他已知钙结合蛋白的新钙结合蛋白。     

Antiidiotypic antibody related to the 84 kD human sperm membrane protein

Wistar rats were inoculated with purified YWK-I antibody.The anti-idiotypic antibodies were isolated from rat sera by successive passage over affinity chromatography columns of YWK-I mAb and normal mouse Igs.Specificity of anti-Id antibody was established by ELISA.The 84kD protein inhibited the binding of anti-Id to YWK-I mAb,but failed to repress antibody against normal mouse Ig binding to YWK-I mAb.In competitive inhibition assay,84kD protein had shown the ability to compete with anti-Id binding to YWK-I mAb in a dose-dependent manner.Crude sperm extract showed a lower competitive ability.No effect was found with the irrelevant 36kD sperm protein.The antisera from the Balb/C micr immunized with AId contained Ab3 that reacted with 84kD sperm protein.The binding of anti-Id to YWK-I mAb was inhibited by Ab3 in a dose-dependent fashion and Ab3 was shown to be able to induce human sperm agglutination.These results indicate that anti-Id which may mimic an epitope of the 84kD protein could be exploited as an antigen to raise antibodies against sperm protein.     

Zinc-binding proteins from boar seminal plasma -- isolation, biochemical characteristics and influence on spermatozoa stored at 4°C

Affinity chromatography on Chelating Sepharose Fast Flow Gel-Zn(2+) was used for fractionation of boar seminal plasma proteins. Approximately 30% of total boar seminal plasma proteins showed affinity for zinc ions (ZnBP fraction). Native electrophoresis (PAGE) of ZnBP revealed six protein fractions which separated into 27 bands under denaturing conditions (SDS/PAGE). Two-dimensional electrophoresis (2D PAGE) showed 148 polypeptides with isoelectric points mostly in the basic and neutral pH range. The zinc-binding proteins comprise mainly 10-20 kDa polypeptides which are probably members of the spermadhesin family. ZnBP present in the incubation mixture of spermatozoa stored for 1 or 24 h at 4 °C allowed preservation of a higher percentage of cells exhibiting linear motility in comparison to a control sample stored in PBS. Presented results indicate that proteins binding Zn(2+) ions have a shielding effect on the sperm plasma membrane and acrosome of spermatozoa, protecting these structures against consequences of cold shock.     

Equine sperm-oocyte interaction: the role of sperm surface hyaluronidase.

The plasma membrane over the sperm head of several mammalian species has been shown to express a glycerolphosphatidylinositol-linked hyaluronidase known as PH-20. This protein has been associated with the sperm's interaction with the oocyte cumulus matrix and zona pellucida. The characteristics of PH-20 in equine sperm have not been clearly defined. In this study, ejaculated gel-free semen from five stallions and epididymal sperm from isolated epididymis from 10 stallions was used to characterize the PH-20 activity in equine sperm. Affinity purified anti-equine PH-20 polyclonal antibody was used to immunodetect sperm surface-associated PH-20 and immunolabel whole sperm. The intracellular calcium indicator, Fluo-3, was used to assess sperm intracellular calcium. Stallion sperm express a surface-associated hyaluronidase localized to the posterior sperm head region in ejaculated sperm. Following in vitro capacitation and acrosomal exocytosis, the inner acrosomal membrane (IAM) displays intense hyaluronidase fluorescence suggesting that the IAM and hyaluronidase plays a significant role in zona penetration by sperm. Sperm incubated in hyaluronan (HA)-containing capacitation medium display an elevated intracellular calcium concentration (P<0.01) that is associated with translocation of PH-20 antigenic sites on the sperm surface in addition to increases in protein tyrosine phosphorylation. Caput- and cauda-derived sperm display developmentally unique PH-20 immunofluorescence expression patterns. These data suggest that the differential expression of PH-20 in ejaculated and epididymal sperm could be involved in cumulus penetration, sperm-egg recognition, and oolemmal fusion in this species.     

Purification of the guinea pig sperm PH-20 antigen and detection of a site-specific endoproteolytic activity in sperm preparations that cleaves PH-20 into two disulfide-linked fragments

Previous work has indicated that the guinea pig sperm membrane protein, PH-20, functions in sperm-egg adhesion and that its surface expression is regulated by the acrosome reaction. The PH-20 protein was purified by monoclonal antibody affinity chromatography. Sixty-seven to one hundred percent of the PH-20 antigenic activity present in an octylglucoside (OG) extract of sperm was recovered in the purified protein. From 10(10) sperm, approximately 0.4 mg of PH-20 protein was obtained, which was about 0.24% of the total protein in the OG extract. The purified protein retained the ability to bind the three anti-PH-20 monoclonal antibodies we have isolated. Silver staining of purified PH-20 on overloaded sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) gels allowed the estimate that silver-stainable contaminants were present at a level of one part in 2000. The purified PH-20 protein exists in three forms separable on SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis: a major form with a molecular mass of 64 kDa, a minor form of 56 kDa, and an endoproteolytically cleaved form composed of two disulfide-linked fragments of 41-48 kDa and 27 kDa. Cleveland digests of the 64 kDa and 56 kDa polypeptides indicated that they were structurally related. A proportion of the 64 kDa polypeptide in each purified preparation had undergone endoproteolysis at a specific site, so that it was cleaved into the two disulfide-linked fragments, 41-48 kDa and 27 kDa. It is speculated that the site-specific endoproteolysis of PH-20 may occur during the acrosome reaction and have biological significance.     

Interaction of seminal plasma proteins with cell surface antigens: Presence of a CD4-binding glycoprotein in human seminal plasma

We report in this paper the presence in the human seminal plasma of a glycoprotein capable of binding to CD4, a surface antigen expressed on the surface of T-cells, macrophages, and sperm cells, which acts as a coreceptor in antigen-mediated T-cell activation and as a receptor for the AIDS virus, HIV-1. This protein, namely gp17 (apparent MW = 17,500 Da), was purified by affinity chromatography and characterized by SDS/PAGE analysis. Its binding to CD4 was inhibited by anti-CD4 mAbs directed against V1, a region of CD4 implicated in the binding to MHC class II antigens and to the HIV-1 envelope protein gp120, but not by mAbs directed against other CD4 determinants. The presence of a CD4-masking factor in human seminal plasma may be relevant to the modulation of maternal immunity at insemination and to the control of sexual transmission of HIV-1.     

Evidence that proteolysis of the surface is an initial step in the mechanism of formation of sperm cell surface domains

On terminally differentiated sperm cells, surface proteins are segregated into distinct surface domains that include the anterior and posterior head domains. We have analyzed the formation of the anterior and posterior head domains of guinea pig sperm in terms of both the timing of protein localization and the mechanism(s) responsible. On testicular sperm, the surface proteins PH-20, PH-30 and AH-50 were found to be present on the whole cell (PH-20) or whole head surface (PH- 30, AH-50). On sperm that have completed differentiation (cauda epididymal sperm), PH-20 and PH-30 proteins were restricted to the posterior head domain and AH-50 was restricted to the anterior head domain. Thus these proteins become restricted in their distribution late in sperm differentiation, after sperm leave the testis. We discovered that the differentiation process that localizes these proteins can be mimicked in vitro by treating testicular sperm with trypsin. After testicular sperm were treated with 20 micrograms/ml trypsin for 5 min at room temperature, PH-20, PH-30, and AH-50 were found localized to the same domains to which they are restricted during in vivo differentiation. The in vitro trypsin-induced localization of PH-20 to the posterior head mimicked the in vivo differentiation process quantitatively as well as qualitatively. The quantitative analysis showed the process of PH-20 localization involves the migration of surface PH-20 from other regions to the posterior head domain. Immunoprecipitation experiments confirmed that there is protease action in vivo on the sperm surface during the late stages of sperm differentiation. Both the PH-20 and PH-30 proteins were shown to be proteolytically cleaved late in sperm differentiation. These findings strongly implicate proteolysis of surface molecules as an initial step in the mechanism of formation of sperm head surface domains.     

Hyaluronic acid and the cumulus extracellular matrix induce increases in intracellular calcium in macaque sperm via the plasma membrane protein PH-20.

The hyaluronic acid (HA)-rich extracellular matrix (ECM) of the cumulus oophorus is known to facilitate fertilization. It has been suggested that HA may enhance fertilisation in a number of species, and in macaque sperm, HA has been shown to increase the number of acrosome reactions that follow sperm binding to the zona pellucida. In this study, we investigated the effects of HA on intracellular Ca2+ in capacitated cynomolgus macaque sperm. Fluorometry studies using the intracellular Ca2+ indicator Fluo-3 showed that addition of 100 micrograms/ml of HA induced a rapid increase in intracellular Ca2+. This Ca2+ increase (approximately 2-3 times above basal levels) was inhibited by preincubation of sperm with Fab fragments of anti-recombinant PH-20 IgG. The frequency of acrosome reactions in sperm exposed to HA was not above control levels. A synthetic gel was prepared with similar viscosity to the cumulus and with HA trapped in its matrix. Video imaging of individual sperm was used to demonstrate that capacitated sperm swimming into the HA gel had increased intracellular Ca2+ levels. Preincubation of sperm with Fab fragments of anti-PH-20 IgG inhibited the increased intracellular Ca2+ levels induced by the HA gel. Sperm in control gel (no HA) did not show increased intracellular Ca2+, while sperm in gel containing anti-PH-20 IgG showed increased Ca2+ (positive control). Sperm loaded with Fluo-3 were allowed to interact with cynomolgus macaque cumulus masses, and sperm within the cumulus ECM clearly showed increased intracellular Ca2+ that was inhibited when sperm were preincubated in anti-PH-20 Fab. Fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-HA was found to bind to sperm over the acrosomal region, corresponding to PH-20 localisation, and this binding could be inhibited by preincubation of sperm with anti-PH-20 fragments. The results of this study show that HA increases intracellular Ca2+ in macaque sperm through interaction with plasma membrane PH-20. We propose that HA binding to plasma membrane PH-20 induces an aggregation of receptors that in turn results in intracellular signalling. As a result, sperm have higher basal CA2+ levels and are more responsive to induction of the acrosome reaction after binding to the zona pellucida.     

Identification and characterization of a novel mammalian intermediate filament-associated protein

A novel monoclonal antibody, designated M1.4, recognizes the high molecular weight microtubule-associated protein MAP1A (ca. Mr 380 kD) in both bovine and rat brain. In HeLa cells, however, M1.4 binds to a 240 kD polypeptide on immunoblots and co-localizes with both vimentin and cytokeratin filaments using double-label immunofluorescence microscopy. Immunoelectron microscopy indicates that the 240 kD polypeptide localizes along bundled intermediate filaments in a periodic manner. Two-dimensional electrophoretic analysis indicates that the 240 kD polypeptide has a basic pI of 7.7. When HeLa cell intermediate filaments are isolated using standard non-ionic detergent/high-salt conditions the 240 kD polypeptide does not sediment with the intermediate filaments, unlike the established intermediate filament-associated protein plectin. Immunoblot analysis with M1.4 shows the 240 kD polypeptide is expressed in a number of mammalian cell lines. Additionally, double-label immunofluorescence shows the 240 kD polypeptide to associate with vimentin filaments in African Green Monkey kidney (CV-1) and JC neuroblastoma cells. Due to its unique biochemical and biological characteristics, the 240 kD polypeptide is clearly a novel intermediate filament-associated protein for which we have proposed the designation gyronemin (Gr. gyros: around; nemin: filament).