title: SLC6 family transporter SNF-10 is required for protease-mediated activation of sperm motility in C. elegans.
abstract: Motility of sperm is crucial for their directed migration to the egg. The acquisition and modulation of motility are regulated to ensure that sperm move when and where needed, thereby promoting reproductive success. One specific example of this phenomenon occurs during differentiation of the ameboid sperm of Caenorhabditis elegans as they activate from a round spermatid to a mature, crawling spermatozoon. Sperm activation is regulated by redundant pathways to occur at a specific time and place for each sex. Here, we report the identification of the solute carrier 6 (SLC6) transporter protein SNF-10 as a key regulator of C. elegans sperm activation in response to male protease activation signals. We find that SNF-10 is present in sperm and is required for activation by the male but not by the hermaphrodite. Loss of both snf-10 and a hermaphrodite activation factor render sperm completely insensitive to activation. Using in vitro assays, we find that snf-10 mutant sperm show a specific deficit in response to protease treatment but not to other activators. Prior to activation, SNF-10 is present in the plasma membrane, where it represents a strong candidate to receive signals that lead to subcellular morphogenesis. After activation, it shows polarized localization to the cell body region that is dependent on membrane fusions mediated by the dysferlin FER-1. Our discovery of snf-10 offers insight into the mechanisms differentially employed by the two sexes to accomplish the common goal of producing functional sperm, as well as how the physiology of nematode sperm may be regulated to control motility as it is in mammals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, 15 North 2030 East, Room 6110B, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.
authors.forename: Kristin E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Fenker
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, 15 North 2030 East, Room 6110B, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.
authors.forename: Angela A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, 15 North 2030 East, Room 6110B, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.
authors.forename: Conrad A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Chong
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, 15 North 2030 East, Room 6110B, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.
authors.forename: Molly C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Jud
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, 15 North 2030 East, Room 6110B, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.
authors.forename: Brittany A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Duffy
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, 15 North 2030 East, Room 6110B, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.
authors.forename: J Paul
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Norton
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, 15 North 2030 East, Room 6110B, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.
authors.forename: Jody M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, 15 North 2030 East, Room 6110B, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA. Electronic address: gillians@genetics.utah.edu.
authors.forename: Gillian M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Stanfield
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D050485:GABA Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D057850:Hermaphroditic Organisms; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009024:Morphogenesis; D009154:Mutation; D013081:Sperm Motility / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D013091:Spermatogenesis; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000166:cytology*
chemical_list: D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; C106933:FER-1 protein, C elegans; D050485:GABA Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C515185:SWM-1 protein, C elegans; C000592847:Snf-10 protein, C elegans
keywords: C. elegans; Cell motility; Reproduction; SLC6 transporter; Signaling; Sperm