Journal
MOLECULAR HUMAN REPRODUCTION
Volume 11, Issue 1, Pages 43-51Publisher
OXFORD UNIV PRESS
DOI: 10.1093/molehr/gah126
Keywords
acrosome; exocytosis; NSF; alpha-SNAP; sperm
Funding
- NICHD NIH HHS [HD 38082] Funding Source: Medline
- EUNICE KENNEDY SHRIVER NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF CHILD HEALTH & HUMAN DEVELOPMENT [R01HD038082] Funding Source: NIH RePORTER
Ask authors/readers for more resources
The acrosome is a membrane-limited granule that overlies the nucleus of the mature spermatozoon. In response to physiological or pharmacological stimuli it undergoes a special type of Ca2+-dependent exocytosis termed the acrosome reaction (AR), which is an absolute prerequisite for fertilization. Aided by a streptolysin-O permeabilization protocol developed in our laboratory, we have previously demonstrated requirements for Rab3A, N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor (NSF), several soluble NSF-attachment protein receptor (SNARE) proteins, and synaptotagmin VI in the human sperm AR. Here, we show that alpha-soluble NSF-attachment protein (alpha-SNAP), a protein essential for most fusion events through its interaction with NSF and the SNARE complex, exhibits a direct role in the AR. First, the presence of alpha-SNAP is demonstrated by the Western blot of human sperm protein extracts. Immunostaining experiments reveal an acrosomal localization for this protein. Second, the Ca2+ and Rab3A-triggered ARs are inhibited by anti-alpha-SNAP antibodies. Third, bacterially expressed alpha-SNAP abolishes exocytosis in a fashion that depends on its interaction with NSF. Fourth, we show a requirement for alpha-SNAP/NSF in a prefusion step early in the exocytotic pathway, after the tethering of the acrosome to the plasma membrane and before the efflux of intra-acrosomal Ca2+. These results suggest a key role for alpha-SNAP/NSF in the AR, and strengthen our understanding of the molecular players involved in the vesicle-to-plasma membrane fusion taking place during exocytosis.
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