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First published online 17 December 2008
doi: 10.1242/dev.030858

Development 136, 373-382 (2009)
Published by The Company of Biologists 2009
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RIM-BP3 is a manchette-associated protein essential for spermiogenesis

Jing Zhou1,*, Ya-Rui Du1,*, Wei-Hua Qin1,{dagger}, Ye-Guang Hu1, Yan-Nv Huang1, Lan Bao2, Daishu Han3, Ahmed Mansouri4 and Guo-Liang Xu1,{ddagger}

1 The State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yueyang Road, Shanghai 200031, China.
2 The Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yueyang Road, Shanghai 200031, China.
3 Department of Cell Biology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 5 Dong Dan San Tiao, Beijing 100005, China.
4 Max Planck Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Am Fassberg, 37077 Goettingen, Germany.

{ddagger} Author for correspondence (e-mail: glxu{at}sibs.ac.cn)

Accepted 19 November 2008

During spermiogenesis, round spermatids are converted into motile sperm in mammals. The mechanisms responsible for sperm morphogenesis are poorly understood. We have characterized a novel protein, RIM-BP3, with a specialized function in spermatid development in mice. The RIM-BP3 protein is associated with the manchette, a transient microtubular structure believed to be important for morphogenesis during spermiogenesis. Targeted deletion of the RIM-BP3 gene resulted in male infertility owing to abnormal sperm heads, which are characterized by a deformed nucleus and a detached acrosome. Consistent with its role in morphogenesis, the RIM-BP3 protein physically associates with Hook1, a known manchette-bound protein required for sperm head morphogenesis. Interestingly, RIM-BP3 does not interact with the truncated Hook1 protein characterized in azh (abnormal spermatozoon head) mutant mice. Moreover, RIM-BP3 and Hook1 mutant mice display several common abnormalities, in particular with regard to the ectopic positioning of the manchette within the spermatid, a presumed cause of sperm head deformities. These observations suggest an essential role for RIM-BP3 in manchette development and function through its interaction with Hook1. As the occurrence of deformed spermatids is one of the common abnormalities leading to malfunctional sperm, identification of RIM-BP3 might provide insight into the molecular cue underlying causes of male infertility in humans.

Key words: RIM-BP3 (Rimbp3), Hook1, Spermatid manchette, Spermiogenesis, Mouse


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