Analysis of loss of adhesive function in sperm lacking cyritestin or fertilin beta.
We produced mice lacking the sperm surface protein cyritestin (ADAM 3) and found mutant males are infertile. Similar to fertilin beta (ADAM 2) null sperm (C. Cho et al., 1998, Science 281, 1857-1859), cyritestin null sperm are drastically deficient in adhesion to the egg zona pellucida (0.3% of wild type) and to the egg plasma membrane (9% of wild type). Thus sperm from male mice with a gene deletion of either ADAM have a loss of adhesive function in at least two steps of fertilization. We found deletion of either ADAM gene resulted in the loss of multiple gene products. This loss of multiple gene products (sperm membrane proteins) appears to result from a novel, developmental mechanism during sperm differentiation. Because the altered sperm protein expression must be responsible for the fertilization defects, our data suggest new models for the molecular basis of the affected steps in fertilization.
Nishimura
H
H
Section of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, California 95616, USA.
Cho
C
C
Branciforte
D R
DR
Myles
D G
DG
Primakoff
P
P
D051722:ADAM Proteins; D000818:Animals; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D005260:Female; D000072196:Fertilins; D007248:Infertility, Male; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000172:deficiency*; D021962:Membrane Microdomains / Q000737:chemistry; D008666:Metalloendopeptidases / Q000032:analysis / Q000172:deficiency*; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000032:analysis; D013084:Sperm-Ovum Interactions; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000502:physiology*; D013737:Testis / Q000737:chemistry; D015044:Zona Pellucida
D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D011498:Protein Precursors; D051722:ADAM Proteins; C000606454:ADAM2 protein, human; C499566:ADAM3A protein, human; C000606458:Adam2 protein, mouse; C485429:Adam3 protein, mouse; D000072196:Fertilins; D008666:Metalloendopeptidases