The Slingshot phosphatase 2 is required for acrosome biogenesis during spermatogenesis in mice
Year: 2023
Type: article
Abstract: The acrosome is a membranous organelle positioned in the anterior portion of sperm head and is essential for male fertility. Acrosome biogenesis requires the dynamic cytoskeletal shuttling of vesicles towards nascent acrosome which is regulated by a series of accessory proteins. However, much remains unknown about the molecular basis underlying this process. Here, we generated Ssh2 knock-out (KO) mice and show that Slingshot phosphatase 2 (SSH2), a regulator of actin remodeling, is essential for acrosome biogenesis and male fertility. In Ssh2 KO males, spermatogenesis was arrested at the early spermatid stage with enhanced germ cell apoptosis and the impaired acrosome biogenesis was characterized by defective transport/fusion of proacrosomal vesicles. Moreover, disorganized F-actin structures accompanied by excessive phosphorylation of COFILIN were observed in testes of Ssh2 KO mice. Collectively, our data reveal a modulatory role for SSH2 in acrosome biogenesis through COFILIN-mediated actin remodeling and the indispensability of this phosphatase in male fertility in mice.
Source: eLife
DOI: 10.7554/elife.83129
Institutions: Shandong University, Hospital for Reproductive Medicine Affiliated to Shandong University, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Shandong First Medical University, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science
Language: English
Subfield: Reproductive Medicine
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,500
Funders: Shandong University, Department of Science and Technology of Shandong Province, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Taishan Scholar Project of Shandong Province, Shandong First Medical University, Major Scientific and Technological Innovation Project of Shandong Province, Key Technology Research and Development Program of Shandong, Natural Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars of Shandong Province, National Key Research and Development Program of China
OpenAlex ID: W4328049679