Journal
BMC GENOMICS
Volume 19, Issue -, Pages -Publisher
BMC
DOI: 10.1186/s12864-018-4980-7
Keywords
Spermiogenesis; Proteomics; Molecular evolution; Nematodes
Funding
- National Institutes of Health [T32 GM007413, R01 GM102511, R01 AG049396]
- ARCS Foundation Oregon Chapter
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Background: Nematode sperm have unique and highly diverged morphology and molecular biology. In particular, nematode sperm contain subcellular vesicles known as membranous organelles that are necessary for male fertility, yet play a still unknown role in overall sperm function. Here we take a novel proteomic approach to characterize the functional protein complement of membranous organelles in two Caenorhabditis species: C. elegans and C. remanei. Results: We identify distinct protein compositions between membranous organelles and the activated sperm body. Two particularly interesting and undescribed gene families-the Nematode-Specific Peptide family, group D and the here designated Nematode-Specific Peptide family, group F-localize to the membranous organelle. Both multigene families are nematode-specific and exhibit patterns of conserved evolution specific to the Caenorhabditis Glade. These data suggest gene family dynamics may be a more prevalent mode of evolution than sequence divergence within sperm. Using a CRISPR-based knock-out of the NSPF gene family, we find no evidence of a male fertility effect of these genes, despite their high protein abundance within the membranous organelles. Conclusions: Our study identifies key components of this unique subcellular sperm component and establishes a path toward revealing their underlying role in reproduction.
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