SNF-10 connects male-derived signals to the onset of sperm motility inC. elegans

Abstract

Sperm from the nematode C. elegans gain motility during a process termed activation, which they initiate in response to specific environmental signals. During this process, a number of subcellular rearrangements occur, culminating in an altered morphology that allows the cell to crawl toward and fertilize oocytes. Both hermaphrodites and males produce sperm, and redundant, sex-biased pathways regulate the sperm's activation. The male-derived signal for sperm activation involves TRY-5, a trypsin-like serine protease in seminal fluid, but until recently it was unknown what factors were active downstream of TRY-5. In our recent paper, we reported the discovery of SNF-10, a solute carrier 6 (SLC6) family protein that is expressed by sperm and connects the activation signal to changes in sperm morphology and, ultimately, the onset of motility. Here, we review our recent results, focusing on potential models for SNF-10's function in C. elegans, and additionally discuss the role SLC6 transporters may play in male reproductive biology from invertebrates to mammals.

From TgO/GABA-AT, GABA, and T-263 Mutant to Conception of Toxoplasma

“…Recognition of this relationship arose from noting regulation of Tg O/GABA-AT by MORC 62 combined with culture and sequencing of Frenkel Live Vaccine strain T-263 and analysis of T-263 mutations 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 63 , 64 , 65 , 66 , 67 , 68 , 69 , 70 , 71 which occurred in genes responsible for capacitation and conception ( Tables 2 , 3 , and 4 , and in color Tables S4–S6 ; Figures 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , and 12 ). 72 , 73 , 74 , 75 , 76 , 77 , 78 , 79 , 80 , 81 , 82 , 83 , 84 , 85 , 86 , 87 , 88 , 89 , 90 , 91 , 92 , 93 , 94 , 95 , 96 , 97 , 98 , 99 , 100 , 101 , 102 , 103 , 104 , 105 , 106 , ...…”

“…Change in bicarbonate, pH, ionicity triggers development process. (∗GABA modulates all steps of capacitation) 45 , 73 , 74 , 75 , 84 AlphaFold2 predicts mutation could affect function TGME49_209985 -PKA + (cAMP-dependent protein kinase A) (Noted because mutation annotated as a single copy in ToxoDB- not certain mutated) (Rhoptry +other?) Cell signaling, capacitation, adenyl cyclase, male and female gamete, motility, cell volume, osmolality.…”

“…This provided a road map to relevant genes/proteins and regulatory mechanisms involved in genetics and mechanisms of failure of fusion of male and female gametes and infertility with key words “infertility,” “triggering,” “capacitating,” “building an acrosome,” “sperm motility”, Genes in this table were generated from the following ref. 43 , 72 , 73 , 74 , 75 , 76 , 77 , 78 , 79 , 80 , 81 , 82 , 83 , 84 , 85 , 86 , 87 , 88 , 89 , 90 , 91 , 92 , 93 , 94 , 95 , 96 , 97 , 98 , 99 , 100 , 101 , 102 , 103 , 104 , 105 , 106 , 107 , 108 , 109 , 110 , 111 , 112 , 113 , 114 , 115 , 116 , 117 , 118 , 119 , 120 ,…”

“…This assumption allowed us to down select our candidates to the genes shown in Tables 2 , 3 , and 4 supplemental MORC expression Tables from Farhat, Hakimi et al. , Figures S7 and S8 and identify genes that were further characterized by AlphaFold and to query whether mutations might alter functions 42 , 72 , 73 , 74 , 75 , 76 , 77 , 78 , 79 , 80 , 81 , 82 , 83 , 84 , 85 , 86 , 87 , 88 , 89 , 90 , 91 , 92 , 93 , 94 , 95 , 96 , 97 , 98 , 99 , 100 , 101 , 102 , 103 , 104 , 105 , 106 , 107 , 108 , 109 , 110 , 111 , 112 , 113 , 114 , 115 , 116 , 117 , …”

Transcriptome profile analysis of the accompanying migratory parasitic wasp Aenasius bambawalei (= Aenasius arizonensis girault) (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae): Genes related to fertilization involved at different stage of ovary development

“…For example, in the ES stage, putative proteolysis regulators (serine proteases 47 precursor and serine protease inhibitor 3/4) and heat shock proteins (HSPs) were highly expressed. These genes could cleave inactive molecules into their active forms (Fenker and Stanfield, 2015), participate in oogenesis (Ambrosio and Schedl, 1984;Neuer et al, 2000) and ovulation (LaFlamme et al, 2012), and enhance oogenesis (Pilpel et al, 2008) in a number of species. Therefore, these results could predict that the high expression levels of these genes in the ES stage might be relate to the oogenesis of A. bambawalei.…”