title: Cigarette smoke affects posttranslational modifications and inhibits capacitation-induced changes in human sperm proteins.
abstract: Sperm are highly dependent on posttranslational modifications of proteins. Massive phosphorylation on tyrosine residue is required for sperm capacitation. Sumoylation has also been recently implicated in spermatogenesis and sperm functions. Cigarette smoke is known to cause oxidative stress in different tissues, and several studies suggest that it causes oxidative stress in sperm. Whether tobacco affects posttranslational modifications in human sperm is currently unknown. In this study, we show that a short exposure of human sperm to physiological concentrations of cigarette smoke extract (CSE) causes the partial de-sumoylation of many sperm proteins. Furthermore, the presence of a low concentration of CSE in the human tubal fluid during an induction of in vitro capacitation inhibits the capacitation-associated increase in protein phosphorylation. Collectively, changes in posttranslational modifications may be one of the mechanisms through which exposure to tobacco can negatively affect sperm functions and cause fertility problems.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Stern College, Yeshiva University, New York, NY, United States.
authors.forename: Vibha
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Shrivastava
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Stern College, Yeshiva University, New York, NY, United States.
authors.forename: Hannah
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Marmor
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Stern College, Yeshiva University, New York, NY, United States.
authors.forename: Sholom
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chernyak
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States.
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Goldstein
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States.
authors.forename: Miriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Feliciano
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Stern College, Yeshiva University, New York, NY, United States; Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Yeshiva University, Bronx, New York, United States. Electronic address: vigodner@yu.edu.
authors.forename: Margarita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vigodner
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D012906:Smoke / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013075:Sperm Capacitation / Q000187:drug effects; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D058207:Sumoylation / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D011506:Proteins; D012906:Smoke
keywords: Capacitation; Phophorylation; Sperm; Sumoylation; Tobacco