Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: During spermiogenesis, early round spermatids differentiate into specialized spermatozoa through an extensive reshaping of the nucleus driven by coordinated cytoskeletal and chromatin-based mechanisms. In mammals, this process critically relies on the transient manchette, a microtubule-based structure that remodels the spermatid nucleus and serves a track to transport material required for flagellum assembly. However, the existence, organization, and molecular composition of such a structure in other vertebrates have remained poorly investigated. Here, we establish that an organized microtubule network is present in Xenopus spermatids and shares key architectural and molecular hallmarks of the mammalian manchette. We further uncover a large structural heterogeneity of spermatid microtubules, with variable protofilament numbers, skew angles, and lattice organizations. We reveal the presence of a Spaca9–Saxo2 internal scaffold in spermatid microtubules, suggesting an internal reinforcement mechanism necessary for extensive nuclear reshaping and cytoplasm remodeling.
Institutions: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut de génétique et de développement de Rennes, Université de Rennes, Inserm, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nantes, Center for Research in Transplantation and Translational Immunology, Nantes Université, Structure Fédérative de Recherche en Biologie et Santé de Rennes, École des Hautes Études en Santé Publique, Institut de Recherche en Santé, Environnement et Travail
Language: English
Subfield: Cell Biology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
Funders: Infrastructures en Biologie Santé et Agronomie, European Commission, Agence Nationale de la Recherche, Ministerstvo Školství, Mládeže a Tělovýchovy, Ministère de l'Education Nationale, de l'Enseignement Superieur et de la Recherche, Conseil Régional de Bretagne, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Central European Institute of Technology, Région Bretagne, European Regional Development Fund
Awards: G1190173965, Donor-recipient bacteria interaction during antibiotic resistance spread, G1935710221, G2173752762, G2450198060, G291036901, G3735356012, G3810236772, G381665449, G3850027771, Infrastructure for NMR, EM and X-rays for translational research, G4396925471, G4683787787, G5216102641, G5652504370, G675437911, G6793552992, G6807155651, EmpoWering EDUC for Inclusive Development of the ERA, G7240651115, G7534432959, G7662032182, G7777646733, G7799207878, G8140083606, Czech Infrastructure for Integrative Structural Biology
OpenAlex ID: W7204581376