Proteasomal interference prevents zona pellucida penetration and fertilization in mammals.
The ubiquitin-proteasome pathway has been implicated in the penetration of ascidian vitelline envelope by the fertilizing spermatozoon (Sawada et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2002; 99:1223-1228). The present study provides experimental evidence demonstrating proteasome involvement in the penetration of mammalian zona pellucida (ZP). Using porcine in vitro fertilization as a model, penetration of ZP was completely inhibited by specific proteasomal inhibitors MG-132 and lactacystin. Three commercial rabbit sera recognizing 20S proteasomal core subunits beta-1i, beta-2i, alpha-6, and beta-5 completely blocked fertilization at a very low concentration (i.e., diluted 1/2000 to 1/8000 in fertilization medium). Neither proteasome inhibitors nor antibodies had any effects on sperm-ZP binding and acrosome exocytosis in zona-enclosed oocytes or on fertilization rates in zona-free oocytes, which were highly polyspermic. Consistent with a possible role of ubiquitin-proteasome pathway in ZP penetration, ubiquitin and various alpha and beta type proteasomal subunits were detected in boar sperm acrosome by specific antibodies, immunoprecipitated and microsequenced by MALDI-TOF from boar sperm extracts. Antiubiquitin-immunoreactive substrates were detected on the outer face of ZP by epifluorescence microscopy. This study therefore provides strong evidence implicating the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway in mammalian fertilization and zona penetration. This finding opens a new line of acrosome/ZP research because further studies of the sperm acrosomal proteasome can provide new tools for the management of polyspermia during in vitro fertilization and identify new targets for contraceptive development.
Sutovsky
Peter
P
Department of Animal Science, University of Missouri-Columbia, S141 ASRC, 920 East Campus Dr., Columbia, MO 65211-5300, USA. sutovskyp@missouri.edu
Manandhar
Gaurishankar
G
McCauley
Tod C
TC
Caamaño
Jose Nestor
JN
Sutovsky
Miriam
M
Thompson
Winston E
WE
Day
Billy N
BN
D000111:Acetylcysteine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D000177:Acrosome / Q000378:metabolism; D020101:Acrosome Reaction / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D005089:Exocytosis / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005306:Fertilization / Q000502:physiology*; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D007106:Immune Sera / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology; D007976:Leupeptins / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D046988:Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D061988:Proteasome Inhibitors; D013084:Sperm-Ovum Interactions / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000378:metabolism; D013552:Swine; D025801:Ubiquitin / Q000378:metabolism; D015044:Zona Pellucida / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*
D007106:Immune Sera; D007976:Leupeptins; D061988:Proteasome Inhibitors; D025801:Ubiquitin; C067713:lactacystin; D046988:Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex; C072553:benzyloxycarbonylleucyl-leucyl-leucine aldehyde; D000111:Acetylcysteine