title: Transcript levels of the soluble sperm factor protein phospholipase C zeta 1 (PLCζ1) increase through induced spermatogenesis in European eel.
abstract: Activation at fertilization of the vertebrate egg is triggered by Ca(2+) waves. Recent studies suggest the phospholipase C zeta (PLCζ), a sperm-specific protein, triggers egg activation by an IP3-mediated Ca(2+) release and allow Ca(2+) waves at fertilization. In the present study we cloned, characterized, and phylogenetically positioned the European eel PLCζ (PLCζ1). It is 1521 bp long, with 10 exons encoding an open reading frame of 506 amino acids. The amino acid sequence contains an EF-hand domain, X and Y catalytic domains, and a carboxy-terminal C2 domain, all typical of other PLCζ orthologous. The tissue distribution was studied, and the gene expression was determined in testis during induced sexual maturation at three different thermal regimes. Also, brain and pituitary expression was studied through sex maturation at constant temperature. plcζ1 was expressed in brain of male and female, in testis but not in ovaries. By first time in vertebrates, it is reported plcζ1 expression in the pituitary gland. Testis plcζ1 expression increased through spermatogenesis under all the thermal regimes, but being significantly elevated at lower temperatures. It was very low when testis contained only spermatogonia or spermatocytes, while maximum expression was found during spermiogenesis. These results support the hypothesis for an eel sperm-specific PLCζ1 inducing egg activation, similarly to mammals and some teleosts, but different from some other teleost species, which express this protein in ovaries, but not in testes.
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Acuicultura y Biodiversidad, Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología Animal, Universitat Politècnica de València, Camino de Vera s/n, 46022 Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Morini
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Acuicultura y Biodiversidad, Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología Animal, Universitat Politècnica de València, Camino de Vera s/n, 46022 Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: David S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Peñaranda
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Acuicultura y Biodiversidad, Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología Animal, Universitat Politècnica de València, Camino de Vera s/n, 46022 Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: María C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Vílchez
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Acuicultura y Biodiversidad, Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología Animal, Universitat Politècnica de València, Camino de Vera s/n, 46022 Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Víctor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gallego
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic Sciences and Aquatic Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences-Campus Adamstuen, P.O. Box 8146 Dep, 0033 Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Rasoul
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nourizadeh-Lillabadi
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Acuicultura y Biodiversidad, Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología Animal, Universitat Politècnica de València, Camino de Vera s/n, 46022 Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Juan F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Asturiano
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic Sciences and Aquatic Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences-Campus Adamstuen, P.O. Box 8146 Dep, 0033 Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Finn-Arne
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Weltzien
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Acuicultura y Biodiversidad, Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología Animal, Universitat Politècnica de València, Camino de Vera s/n, 46022 Valencia, Spain. Electronic address: mlpereig@dca.upv.es.
authors.forename: Luz
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pérez
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D004524:Eels / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics*; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013091:Spermatogenesis; D010738:Type C Phospholipases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D010738:Type C Phospholipases
keywords: Anguilla anguilla; Fertilization; Reproduction; Spermatozoa; Teleost