A sperm cytoskeletal protein that signals oocyte meiotic maturation and ovulation.
Caenorhabditis elegans oocytes, like those of most animals, arrest during meiotic prophase. Sperm promote the resumption of meiosis (maturation) and contraction of smooth muscle-like gonadal sheath cells, which are required for ovulation. We show that the major sperm cytoskeletal protein (MSP) is a bipartite signal for oocyte maturation and sheath contraction. MSP also functions in sperm locomotion, playing a role analogous to actin. Thus, during evolution, MSP has acquired extracellular signaling and intracellular cytoskeletal functions for reproduction. Proteins with MSP-like domains are found in plants, fungi, and other animals, suggesting that related signaling functions may exist in other phyla.
Department of Cell Biology, Mass Spectrometry Research Center, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.
M A
MA
Miller
V Q
VQ
Nguyen
M H
MH
Lee
M
M
Kosinski
T
T
Schedl
R M
RM
Caprioli
D
D
Greenstein
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000502:physiology*; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology; D012734:Disorders of Sex Development; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005260:Female; D006066:Gonads / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D015801:Helminth Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System; D008297:Male; D008540:Meiosis; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology; D008845:Microinjections; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009865:Oocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D010060:Ovulation; D010802:Phylogeny; D017510:Protein Folding; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D011554:Pseudopodia / Q000502:physiology; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013081:Sperm Motility; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*
D002352:Carrier Proteins; D015801:Helminth Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C050602:major sperm protein, nematode; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases