Journal
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY
Volume 216, Issue 12, Pages 2229-2237Publisher
COMPANY OF BIOLOGISTS LTD
DOI: 10.1242/jeb.081885
Keywords
Octopus vulgaris; chemoattractant peptide; sperm swimming behavior
Categories
Funding
- Regione Campania in the research program entitled 'Fertilisation in Octopus vulgaris: oocyte maturation and chemical communication between sperms and eggs' [LR 5, ex 41/94]
- Rete di Spettrometria di Massa della Campania (RESMAC)
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Marine invertebrates exhibit both chemokinesis and chemotaxis phenomena, induced in most cases by the release of water-borne peptides or pheromones. In mollusks, several peptides released during egg-laying improve both male attraction and mating. Unlike other cephalopods, Octopus vulgaris adopts an indirect internal fertilization strategy. We here report on the identification and characterization of a chemoattractant peptide isolated from mature eggs of octopus females. Using two-chamber and time-lapse microscopy assays, we demonstrate that this bioactive peptide is able to increase sperm motility and induce chemotaxis by changing the octopus spermatozoa swimming behavior in a dose-dependent manner. We also provide evidence that chemotaxis in the octopus requires the presence of extracellular calcium and membrane protein phophorylation at tyrosine. This study is the first report on a sperm-activating factor in a non-free-spawning marine animal.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available