First published online November 21, 2006
Development 133, 2401e (2006)
© The Company of Biologists Limited
Sneaky egg entry for sperm
In many species, sperm and egg membranes fuse during fertilization to allow
the parental genomes to combine. This membrane fusion requires exocytosis of
the acrosome, an organelle located apical to the sperm nucleus.
Drosophila sperm, however, enter eggs with their membranes intact and
then undergo plasma membrane breakdown (PMBD). How this is accomplished has
been a mystery, but on p.
4871 Wilson and coworkers report that Sneaky, a new acrosomal
protein, is required for PMBD. The researchers show that the plasma membrane
persists around sneaky mutant sperm after egg penetration, which
results in male sterility. Using GFP-tagged Sneaky and an acrosomal marker,
they demonstrate that normal sperm donate intact acrosomes to eggs. They
propose, therefore, that the Drosophila acrosome acts as a signalling
vesicle that elicits change in the overlying sperm plasma membrane, a novel
role that requires Sneaky. If the human Sneaky-like proteins that have been
identified are also required for sperm function, the researchers add, they may
provide new targets for male contraceptives.
Related articles in Development:
- Sperm plasma membrane breakdown during Drosophila fertilization requires Sneaky, an acrosomal membrane protein
- Kathleen L. Wilson, Karen R. Fitch, Blaine T. Bafus, and Barbara T. Wakimoto
Development 2006 133: 4871-4879.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
