Title
Phosphoinositide-dependent pathways in mouse sperm are regulated by egg ZP3 and drive the acrosome reaction
PubMed ID
17258189
UMMS Affiliation
Department of Cell Biology
Date
1-30-2007
Document Type
Article
Subjects
Acrosome Reaction; Animals; Egg Proteins; Female; Fluorescent Antibody Technique; Immunoblotting; Lipids; Male; Membrane Glycoproteins; Mice; Phosphatidylinositol Phosphates; Receptors, Cell Surface; Signal Transduction; Spermatozoa
Disciplines
Cell Biology | Life Sciences | Medicine and Health Sciences
Abstract
Sperm of many animals must complete an exocytotic event, the acrosome reaction, in order to fuse with eggs. In mammals, acrosome reactions are triggered during sperm contact with the egg extracellular matrix, or zona pellucida, by the matrix glycoprotein ZP3. Here, we show that ZP3 stimulates production of phosphatidylinositol-(3,4,5)-triphosphate in sperm membranes. Phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase antagonists that prevent acrosome reactions and fertilization in vitro, while generation of this phosphoinositide in the absence of ZP3 triggered acrosome reactions. Downstream effectors of phosphatidylinositol-(3,4,5)-triphosphate in sperm include the protein kinases, Akt and PKCzeta. These studies outline a signal transduction pathway that plays an essential role in the early events of mammalian fertilization.
Rights and Permissions
Citation: Dev Biol. 2007 Apr 1;304(1):116-26. Epub 2006 Dec 15. Link to article on publisher's site