title: Sperm-associated antigen-17 gene is essential for motile cilia function and neonatal survival.
abstract: Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD), resulting from defects in cilia assembly or motility, is caused by mutations in a number of genes encoding axonemal proteins. PCD phenotypes are variable, and include recurrent respiratory tract infections, bronchiectasis, hydrocephaly, situs inversus, and male infertility. We generated knockout mice for the sperm-associated antigen-17 (Spag17) gene, which encodes a central pair (CP) protein present in the axonemes of cells with "9 + 2" motile cilia or flagella. The targeting of Spag17 resulted in a severe phenotype characterized by immotile nasal and tracheal cilia, reduced clearance of nasal mucus, profound respiratory distress associated with lung fluid accumulation and disruption of the alveolar epithelium, cerebral ventricular expansion consistent with emerging hydrocephalus, failure to suckle, and neonatal demise within 12 hours of birth. Ultrastructural analysis revealed the loss of one CP microtubule in approximately one quarter of tracheal cilia axonemes, an absence of a C1 microtubule projection, and other less frequent CP structural abnormalities. SPAG6 and SPAG16 (CP proteins that interact with SPAG17) were increased in tracheal tissue from SPAG17-deficient mice. We conclude that Spag17 plays a critical role in the function and structure of motile cilia, and that neonatal lethality is likely explained by impaired airway mucociliary clearance.
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA.
authors: Maria Eugenia
authors: ME
authors: Teves
authors: Zhibing
authors: Z
authors: Zhang
authors: Richard M
authors: RM
authors: Costanzo
authors: Scott C
authors: SC
authors: Henderson
authors: Frank D
authors: FD
authors: Corwin
authors: Jamal
authors: J
authors: Zweit
authors: Gobalakrishnan
authors: G
authors: Sundaresan
authors: Mark
authors: M
authors: Subler
authors: Fadi N
authors: FN
authors: Salloum
authors: Bruce K
authors: BK
authors: Rubin
authors: Jerome F
authors: JF
authors: Strauss
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D054468:Axoneme / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002465:Cell Movement; D002923:Cilia / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005260:Female; D007619:Kartagener Syndrome / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D008868:Microtubule Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009154:Mutation; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism; D010641:Phenotype; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D014132:Trachea / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D008868:Microtubule Proteins; C504274:SPAG6 protein, mouse