Fusion as the result of sperm-somatic cell interaction.
Reproduction
; 138(4): 679-87, 2009 Oct.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-19584174
ABSTRACT
The research has been designed to investigate whether acrosome-reacted spermatozoa can fuse with somatic cells and to check whether this event may involve the molecular machinery implicated in the sperm-egg fusion. Boar spermatozoa were capacitated in vitro and then treated with A23187 to induce acrosome reaction and activate their fusogenic potential. Reacted spermatozoa, loaded with the membrane-permeant fluorescent dye calcein AM, were incubated with plated granulosa cells or cells derived from stable cell lines CRFK, VERO, and ESK4. The fusion between spermatozoa and somatic cells was revealed by the diffusion of the fluorescent dye from the sperm to the cell as membrane fusion and cytoplasmic continuity between the two cells were established. The involvement of integrin alpha6 and tetraspanin CD9 in the process of fusion was assessed by carrying out the experiment in the presence of antibodies against these molecules. Moreover, the incidence of fusion displayed by the different cell types used was analyzed in relation to their content in the above molecules assessed by western blot and immunostaining. The role of CD9 was additionally investigated by using CD9-negative cells. The data presented demonstrate that boar spermatozoa can fuse with different somatic cell types derived from different species and the process requires the combined presence of both integrin and tetraspanin molecules on the cell plasma membrane.
Texto completo:
1
Banco de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Espermatozoides
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Comunicación Celular
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Células Híbridas
Tipo de estudio:
Evaluation_studies
Límite:
Animals
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Female
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Humans
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Male
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Reproduction
Asunto de la revista:
MEDICINA REPRODUTIVA
Año:
2009
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Italia