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Receptor guanylyl cyclase‐G is a mouse sperm surface receptor involved in modulating sperm motility
Author(s) -
Yang RueyBing,
Wu BoTsung,
Tu ChengFen,
Tsai MingTzu,
Huang YenHua
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.20.4.a542
Subject(s) - sperm , acrosome reaction , motility , receptor , acrosome , sperm motility , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , chemotaxis , chemistry , biochemistry , botany
Sea urchin sperm receptor guanylyl cyclases (GCs) modulate sperm motility and chemotaxis in response to egg‐associated factors. However, analogous ligand‐receptor interactions have not been identified in mammals. We have recently identified a novel testis‐enriched receptor GC in the mouse, designated mGC‐G. Here, we showed that mGC‐G is predominantly expressed in round and elongated spermatids in mouse testis at both mRNA and protein levels. Confocal immunofluorescence confirmed that mGC‐G is a cell‐surface protein restricted to the plasma membrane overlying the acrosome and the midpiece of the flagellum in mature sperm. By utilizing Fluo‐3 cytometrical analysis and computer‐assisted sperm assay, we found that albumin‐induced elevation of [Ca2+]i level and the percentage of motile cells are markedly reduced by pre‐incubation of an anti‐mGC‐G neutralizing antibody. However, this blocking antibody has no effect on albumin‐plus‐A23187 (a Ca2+ ionophore)‐induced acrosome reaction. This study is the first to demonstrate that mammalian receptor GC (i.e., mGC‐G) is expressed in mature sperm and may play a critical role in controlling motility and, perhaps, in fertility.