A Sperm Cytoskeletal Protein That Signals Oocyte Meiotic Maturation and Ovulation

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 291; no. 5511; pp. 2144 - 2147
• Main Authors: Miller, Michael A., Nguyen, Viet Q., Lee, Min-Ho, Kosinski, Mary, Schedl, Tim, Caprioli, Richard M., Greenstein, David
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Society for the Advancement of Science 16-03-2001; American Association for the Advancement of Science; The American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Subjects: Amino Acid Sequence; Animals; Antibodies; Biochemistry. Physiology. Immunology. Molecular biology; Biological and medical sciences; Caenorhabditis elegans; Caenorhabditis elegans - physiology; Carrier Proteins - chemistry; Carrier Proteins - physiology; Cells; Cytoskeletal proteins; Cytoskeleton - chemistry; Cytoskeleton - physiology; Disorders of Sex Development; Enzyme Activation; Evolution, Molecular; Female; Females; Fertilization (Biology); Fractions; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gonads; Gonads - cytology; Gonads - physiology; Helminth Proteins - chemistry; Helminth Proteins - immunology; Helminth Proteins - pharmacology; Helminth Proteins - physiology; Invertebrates; Male; MAP Kinase Signaling System; Mass spectroscopy; Meiosis; Membrane Proteins - chemistry; Membrane Proteins - physiology; Microinjections; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases - metabolism; Molecular Sequence Data; MSP protein; Nemathelminthia. Plathelmintha; Neurons; Oocyte donation; Oocytes; Oocytes - physiology; Ova; Ovulation; Phylogeny; Physiology. Development; Plants; Protein Folding; Protein Structure, Tertiary; Proteins; Pseudopodia - physiology; Recombinant Proteins - pharmacology; Reproductive system; Signal Transduction; Sperm; Sperm Motility; Spermatozoa; Spermatozoa - chemistry; Spermatozoa - physiology; Worms; Semen; Prophase; Contractile protein; Meiosis; Ovulation; Ripening; Caenorhabditis elegans; Signal transduction; Reproduction; Helmintha; Cytoskeleton; Nemathelminthia; Invertebrata; Nematoda; Oocyte
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.1057586

Caenorhabditis elegans oocytes, like those of most animals, arrest during meiotic prophase. Sperm promote the resumption of meiosis (maturation) and contraction of smooth muscle-like gonadal sheath cells, which are required for ovulation. We show that the major sperm cytoskeletal protein (MSP) is a bipartite signal for oocyte maturation and sheath contraction. MSP also functions in sperm locomotion, playing a role analogous to actin. Thus, during evolution, MSP has acquired extracellular signaling and intracellular cytoskeletal functions for reproduction. Proteins with MSP-like domains are found in plants, fungi, and other animals, suggesting that related signaling functions may exist in other phyla.