Behaviour and role of an intra-acrosomal antigenic molecule, acrin 3, during mouse fertilisation in vitro

Zygote ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 329-338 ◽  
Author(s):  
D.K. Saxena ◽  
I. Tanii ◽  
T. Oh-oka ◽  
K. Yoshinaga ◽  
K. Toshimori

In this study we examined the behaviour and role of an intra-acrosomal antigenic molecule, acrin 3, during mouse fertilisation in vitro by assessing the effect of its pertinent monoclonal antibody mMC101. Experiments were designed to assess the effect of mMC101 on sperm–zona pellucida binding, the acrosome reaction, zona pellucida penetration, sperm–egg fusion, and fertilisation in vitro. mMC101 did not affect sperm motility or primary and secondary binding to the zona pellucida, but significantly inhibited fertilisation of zona-pellucida-intact oocytes in a dose-dependent manner. In the presence of mMC101 at 100 μg/ml concentration in TYH medium, none of the oocytes developed to pronuclear stage by 5 h after co-incubation of the gametes, but the pronucleus formation rate recovered to some extent (45.3%) after 8 h, indicating a delay of early embryonic development. mMC101 also delayed and significantly suppressed zona pellucida penetration by sperm. Acrin 3 dispersed and did not remain on completely acrosome-reacted sperm. Although mMC101 did not influence the zona-pellucida-induced acrosome reaction, it significantly inhibited fertilisation when acrosome-reacted sperm in the presence of mMC101 inseminated zona-pellucida-free oocytes. However, fertilisation remained unaffected when acrosome-reacted sperm in the absence of mMC101 inseminated zona-pellucida-free oocytes even in its presence. Thus, acrin 3 appears to facilitate zona pellucida penetration and is also likely to be involved in sperm–oocyte fusion by modifying the sperm plasma membrane during the acrosome reaction.

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (9) ◽  
pp. 4717
Author(s):  
Jin-Young Lee ◽  
Da-Ae Kim ◽  
Eun-Young Kim ◽  
Eun-Ju Chang ◽  
So-Jeong Park ◽  
...  

Lumican, a ubiquitously expressed small leucine-rich proteoglycan, has been utilized in diverse biological functions. Recent experiments demonstrated that lumican stimulates preosteoblast viability and differentiation, leading to bone formation. To further understand the role of lumican in bone metabolism, we investigated its effects on osteoclast biology. Lumican inhibited both osteoclast differentiation and in vitro bone resorption in a dose-dependent manner. Consistent with this, lumican markedly decreased the expression of osteoclastogenesis markers. Moreover, the migration and fusion of preosteoclasts and the resorptive activity per osteoclast were significantly reduced in the presence of lumican, indicating that this protein affects most stages of osteoclastogenesis. Among RANKL-dependent pathways, lumican inhibited Akt but not MAP kinases such as JNK, p38, and ERK. Importantly, co-treatment with an Akt activator almost completely reversed the effect of lumican on osteoclast differentiation. Taken together, our findings revealed that lumican inhibits osteoclastogenesis by suppressing Akt activity. Thus, lumican plays an osteoprotective role by simultaneously increasing bone formation and decreasing bone resorption, suggesting that it represents a dual-action therapeutic target for osteoporosis.


Author(s):  
Hongfang Wang ◽  
Jinlian Fu ◽  
Aiguo Wang

Obesity has become a global health problem. Research suggests that leptin, a hormone that responds to fat deposition, may be involved in mammalian reproduction; however, its precise role in embryo implantation is poorly understood. Here, primary porcine endometrium epithelium cells (PEECs) were cultured in vitro and used to evaluate the regulatory role of different leptin levels on β3-integrin, MMP9, HB-EGF, and IL-1β, which are, respectively, involved in four critical steps of embryo implantation. Results showed that only 0.01 nM leptin significantly improved β3-integrin mRNA expression (p < 0.05). MMP9 and HB-EGF mRNA expressions were upregulated by 0.10–10.00 nM leptin (p < 0.05). The IL-1β expression level was only increased by 10.00 nM leptin (p < 0.05). β3-integrin, MMP9, HB-EGF, and IL-1β mRNA and protein have a similar fluctuant response to increased leptin. Leptin’s influence on β3-integrin, MMP9, HB-EGF, and IL-1β disappeared when the JAK2, PI(3)K, or MAPK signaling pathways were blocked, respectively. In conclusion, leptin affected porcine implantation by regulating the expression of β3-integrin, MMP9, HB-EGF, and IL-1β in a dose-dependent manner. The signaling pathways of JAK2, PI(3)K, and MAPK may participate in this regulatory process. These findings will contribute to further understanding the mechanisms of reproductive disorders in obesity.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
António Galvão ◽  
Angela Tramontano ◽  
Maria Rosa Rebordão ◽  
Ana Amaral ◽  
Pedro Pinto Bravo ◽  
...  

Metabolic hormones have been associated with reproductive function modulation. Thus, the aim of this study was: (i) to characterize the immunolocalization, mRNA and protein levels of leptin (LEP), Ghrelin (GHR) and respective receptors LEPR and Ghr-R1A, throughout luteal phase; and (ii) to evaluate the role of LEP and GHR on progesterone (P4), prostaglandin (PG) E2and PGF2α, nitric oxide (nitrite), tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF); macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) secretion, and on angiogenic activity (BAEC proliferation), in equine corpus luteum (CL) from early and mid-luteal stages. LEPR expression was decreased in late CL, while GHR/Ghr-R1A system was increased in the same stage. Regarding secretory activity, GHR decreased P4in early CL, but increased PGF2α, nitrite and TNF in mid CL. Conversely, LEP increased P4, PGE2, angiogenic activity, MIF, TNF and nitrite during early CL, in a dose-dependent manner. Thein vitroeffect of LEP on secretory activity was reverted by GHR, when both factors acted together. The present results evidence the presence of LEP and GHR systems in the equine CL. Moreover, we suggest that LEP and GHR play opposing roles in equine CL regulation, with LEP supporting luteal establishment and GHR promoting luteal regression. Finally, a dose-dependent luteotrophic effect of LEP was demonstrated.


1990 ◽  
Vol 111 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-78 ◽  
Author(s):  
C P Blobel ◽  
D G Myles ◽  
P Primakoff ◽  
J M White

A protein located on the surface of guinea pig sperm (PH-30) has been implicated in the process of sperm-egg fusion (Primakoff, P., H. Hyatt, and J. Tredick-Kline. 1987. J. Cell Biol. 104:141-149). In this paper we have assessed basic biochemical properties of PH-30 and have analyzed the molecular forms of PH-30 present at different stages of sperm maturation. We show the following: (a) PH-30 is an integral membrane glycoprotein; (b) it is composed of two tightly associated and immunologically distinct subunits; (c) both subunits are made as larger precursors; (d) processing of the two subunits occurs at different developmental stages; (e) the final processing step occurs in the region of the epididymis where sperm become fertilization competent; (f) processing can be mimicked in vitro; (g) processing exposes at least two new epitopes on PH-30-one of the newly exposed epitopes is recognized by a fusion-inhibitory monoclonal antibody. These results are discussed in terms of the possible role of PH-30 in mediating fusion with the egg plasma membrane.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sophie H. L. Austin ◽  
Lachlan Harris ◽  
Oana Paun ◽  
Piero Rigo ◽  
François Guillemot ◽  
...  

AbstractAdult mouse hippocampal neural stem cells (NSCs) generate new neurons that integrate into existing hippocampal networks and modulate mood and memory. These NSCs are largely quiescent and are stimulated by niche signals to activate and produce neurons. Wnt/β-catenin signalling acts at different steps along the hippocampal neurogenic lineage and has been shown to promote the proliferation of intermediate progenitor cells. However, whether it has a direct role in the regulation of NSCs still remains unclear. Here we used Wnt/β-catenin reporters and transcriptomic data from in vivo and in vitro models to show that both active and quiescent adult NSCs respond to Wnt/β-catenin signalling. Wnt/β-catenin stimulation instructed neuronal differentiation of active NSCs and promoted the activation or differentiation of quiescent NSCs in a dose-dependent manner. However, we found that inhibiting NSCs response to Wnt, by conditionally deleting β-catenin, did not affect their activation or maintenance of their stem cell characteristics. Together, our results indicate that whilst NSCs do respond to Wnt/β-catenin stimulation in a dose-dependent and state-specific manner, Wnt/β-catenin signalling is not cell-autonomously required to maintain NSC homeostasis, which could reconcile some of the contradictions in the literature as to the role of Wnt/β-catenin signalling in adult hippocampal NSCs.


2005 ◽  
Vol 17 (7) ◽  
pp. 733 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jui-Te Wu ◽  
Pei-Shiue Tsai ◽  
Shuang-Lin Lee ◽  
Feng-Pang Cheng

The present study was conducted to characterise and localise the progesterone receptor (PR) on canine spermatozoa. Using a progesterone–bovine serum albumin–fluorescein isothiocyanate conjugate (PBF) and different monoclonal antibodies (C262 and NCL-PGR against the steroid binding domain and N-terminus of intracellular PR, respectively, and h151 against the hinge domain of the intracellular oestrogen receptor), the PR was identified on the plasma membrane over the acrosomal region. Two proteins (54 kDa and 65 kDa) were detected by recognition of the three monoclonal antibodies using Western blotting. PBF labelling was observed in the majority of cauda epididymal spermatozoa (63 ± 4%), but this labelling was markedly reduced (33 ± 17%) after the addition of canine seminal plasma. Over a 7-h capacitation, the proportion of ejaculated spermatozoa exhibiting PBF labelling (indicating the presence of the PR) increased from 18 ± 10% (onset) to 59 ± 7% by 5 h, where it plateaued. Progesterone (P4) induced the acrosome reaction (AR) in a dose-dependent manner (0, 0.1, 1 and 10 µg/mL P4 corresponding to 10 ± 5%, 16 ± 9%, 23 ± 7% and 30 ± 7%). Pre-treatment of capacitated spermatozoa with canine seminal plasma reduced the incidence of the P4-induced AR (12 ± 5%). In addition, treatment with the monoclonal antibodies significantly reduced the incidence of the P4-induced AR (10 µg/mL) in capacitated ejaculated spermatozoa from 19 ± 6% to 11 ± 4% (h151, 1 : 10) and 12 ± 6% (C262, 1 : 10), respectively. A typical Scatchard plot revealed one binding with high affinity and low capacity, and another binding with low affinity and high capacity, suggesting at least two different characteristic PR. Taken together, these results demonstrate that P4 induced the AR in a dose-dependent manner via functional transmembranal receptors in the acrosomal region of the canine sperm plasma membrane. The characteristics of this membrane receptor seem similar to those of other mammalian spermatozoa, and it shows structural homology to the intracellular PR.


Blood ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 104 (11) ◽  
pp. 2504-2504 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xia Tong ◽  
Georgios V. Georgakis ◽  
Long Li ◽  
O’Brien Susan ◽  
Younes Anas ◽  
...  

Abstract B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is characterized by in vivo accumulation of long-lived CD5+ B cells. However when cultured in vitro CLL cells die quickly by apoptosis. Protection from apoptosis in vivo is believed to result from supply of survival signals provided by cells in the microenvironment. We and others have previously reported that CLL cells express CD40 receptor, and that CD40 stimulation of CLL cells may rescue CLL cells from spontaneous and drug-induced apoptosis in vitro. These observations suggested that blocking CD40-CD40L pathway might deprive CLL cells from survival signals and induce apoptosis. To test this hypothesis, we have generated a fully human anti-CD40 blocking monoclonal antibody in XenoMousemice (Abgenix, Inc.). The antibody CHIR-12.12 was first evaluated for its effect on normal human lymphocytes. Lymphocytes from all 10 healthy blood donors did not proliferate in response to CHIR-12.12 at any concentration tested (0.0001 mg/ml to 10 mg/ml range). In contrast, activating CD40 on normal B-lymphocytes by CD40L induced their proliferation in vitro. Importantly, CHIR-12.12 inhibited CD40L- induced proliferation in a dose dependent manner with an average IC50 of 51 ± 26 pM (n=10 blood donors). The antagonistic activity of CHIR-12.12 was then tested in primary CLL samples from 9 patients. CHIR-12.12 alone did not induce CLL cell proliferation. In contrast, primary CLL cells incubated with CD40L, either resisted spontaneous cell death or proliferated. This effect was reversed by co-incubation with CHIR-12.12 antibody, restoring CLL cell death (n=9). CHIR-12.12 was then examined for its ability to lyse CLL cell line EHEB by antibody dependent cell mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC). Freshly isolated human NK cells from normal volunteer blood donors were used as effector cells. CHIR-12.12 showed lysis activity in a dose dependent manner and produced maximum lysis levels at 0.1 mg/ml. When compared with rituximab, CHIR-12.12 mediated greater maximum specific lysis (27.2 % Vs 16.2 %, p= 0.007). The greater ADCC by CHIR-12.12 was not due to higher density of CD40 molecules on CLL cell line compared to CD20 molecules. The CLL target cells expressed 509053 ±13560 CD20 molecules compared to 48416 ± 584 CD40 molecules. Collectively, these preclinical data suggest that CHIR-12.12 monoclonal antibody may have a therapeutic role in patients with CLL.


2011 ◽  
Vol 30 (5) ◽  
pp. 546-550 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin E. Dowty ◽  
George Hu ◽  
Fengmei Hua ◽  
F. Barclay Shilliday ◽  
Heather V. Dowty

In the process of drug design, it is important to consider potential structural alerts that may lead to toxicosis. This work illustrates how using trifluoroethane as a part of a novel chemical entity led to cytochrome P450 – mediated N-dealkylation and the formation of trifluoroacetaldehyde, a known testicular toxicant, in exploratory safety studies in rats. Testicular toxicosis was noted microscopically in a dose-dependent manner as measured by testicular spermatocytic degeneration and necrosis and excessive intratubular cellular debris in the epididymis. This apparent toxic effect correlated well with the dose-dependent formation of trifluoroacetaldehyde, identified from in vitro rat liver microsome metabolism studies. A similar safety study performed with an N-tetrazole substitution in place of the N-trifluoroethane showed no evidence of testicular injury, implicating further the role of trifluoroacetaldehyde in the testicular lesion observed. These results highlight the relevance of early metabolic and safety testing in assessing potential structural alerts in drug design.


2002 ◽  
Vol 22 (7) ◽  
pp. 2398-2409 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suparna Mazumder ◽  
Bendi Gong ◽  
Quan Chen ◽  
Judith A. Drazba ◽  
Jeffrey C. Buchsbaum ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Cyclin E/Cdk2 is a critical regulator of cell cycle progression from G1 to S in mammalian cells and has an established role in oncogenesis. Here we examined the role of deregulated cyclin E expression in apoptosis. The levels of p50-cyclin E initially increased, and this was followed by a decrease starting at 8 h after treatment with genotoxic stress agents, such as ionizing radiation. This pattern was mirrored by the cyclin E-Cdk2-associated kinase activity and a time-dependent expression of a novel p18-cyclin E. p18-cyclin E was induced during apoptosis triggered by multiple genotoxic stress agents in all hematopoietic tumor cell lines we have examined. The p18-cyclin E expression was prevented by Bcl-2 overexpression and by the general caspase and specific caspase 3 pharmacologic inhibitors zVAD-fluoromethyl ketone (zVAD-fmk) and N-acetyl-Asp-Glu-Val-Asp-aldehyde (DEVD-CHO), indicating that it was linked to apoptosis. A p18-cyclin E276-395 (where cyclin E276-395 is the cyclin E fragment containing residues 276 to 395) was reconstituted in vitro, with mutagenesis experiments, indicating that the caspase-dependent cleavage was at amino acid residues 272 to 275. Immunoprecipitation analyses of the ectopically expressed cyclin E1-275, cyclin E276-395 deletion mutants, and native p50-cyclin E demonstrated that caspase-mediated cyclin E cleavage eliminated interaction with Cdk2 and therefore inactivated the associated kinase activity. Overexpression of cyclin E276-395, but not of several other cyclin E mutants, specifically induced phosphatidylserine exposure and caspase activation in a dose-dependent manner, which were inhibited in Bcl-2-overexpressing cells or in the presence of zVAD-fmk. Apoptosis and generation of p18-cyclin E were significantly inhibited by overexpressing the cleavage-resistant cyclin E mutant, indicating a functional role for caspase-dependent proteolysis of cyclin E for apoptosis of hematopoietic tumor cells.


Blood ◽  
1986 ◽  
Vol 67 (6) ◽  
pp. 1675-1679 ◽  
Author(s):  
DS Snyder ◽  
JF Desforges

Abstract Lipoxygenase (LPO) metabolites of arachidonic acid participate in the activation and/or proliferation of a variety of cell types. In this study, we examined the role of LPO metabolites in controlling myelopoiesis and erythropoiesis in vitro. Monocyte depleted cells (MDC) prepared from human whole blood or whole mononuclear cells from human bone marrow were cultured in methylcellulose in the presence of various growth factors. Conditioned media containing human colony stimulating factors (CSF) or the tumor-promoting phorbol ester, phorbol myristate acetate (PMA), were added to induce myelopoiesis. Semipurified human erythropoietin (EPO) was added along with an endogenous source of burst- promoting activity (BPA) to induce erythropoiesis. The LPO inhibitor BW755C blocked all types of colony formation in a dose-dependent manner, with ID50 of 20 and 5 micrograms/mL for myeloid and erythroid colonies, respectively. MDC depleted of T cells were similarly inhibited by BW755C. Similar results were seen with two other LPO inhibitors, 1-phenyl-3-pyrazolidone and butylated hydroxyanisole. A fourth LPO inhibitor, nordihydroguaiaretic acid, inhibited at higher concentrations. Indomethacin, at concentrations that inhibit cyclooxygenase, had no significant effect, either alone or in combination with the LPO inhibitors. These results suggest that certain LPO products may be important mediators of both CSF- and PMA-induced myelopoiesis, and of BPA/EPO-induced erythropoiesis.


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