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2006 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

Molecular Mechanism of sperm-egg membrane fusion in fertilization

Research Project

Project/Area Number 16390480
Research Category

Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)

Allocation TypeSingle-year Grants
Section一般
Research Field Obstetrics and gynecology
Research InstitutionNational Center for Child Health and Development

Principal Investigator

MIYADO Kenji  National Center for Child Health and Development, Department of Reproductive Biology, Division Chief, 生殖医療研究部 生殖細胞機能研究室, 室長 (60324844)

Project Period (FY) 2004 – 2006
KeywordsFertilization / Membrane Fusion / CD9 / CD81 / Microvilli / Tubulin / Tetraspanin / Imaging
Research Abstract

Fertilization is an essential process that naturally produces a cell capable for developing into a new individual. However, a molecular mechanism that underlying membrane interaction of sperm and egg still remains a mystery in mammals. CD9, a tetraspan-membrane protein (tetraspanin), expressed in a wide variety of cells, is reported to function in many cellular events. CD9 associates with other tetraspanins and some kinds of membrane proteins to form complexes at the plasma membrane. In fertilization, CD9 is required for sperm-egg fusion, and also implicated in other fusion events. When inseminated, eggs from CD9-/-females bound sperm normally, but were greatly impaired in fusion with sperm, but not developmental processes. Since CD9 can associate with integrins, models of fertilization have posited that CD9 acts in association with alpha6betal in fusion. However, analyses of deficient eggs have sublated that integrins are essential for sperm-egg fusion. A new model in which CD9 acts by itself, or interacts with egg protein(s) other than integrins, to function in sperm-egg fusion, was proposed. CD9 was exclusively localized to microvilli, not concentrated of actin-filaments. Electron microscopy also revealed that CD9-/-eggs had a severe defect in microvilli formation. When a vector, expressing EGFP- tagged CD9 under oocyte-specific promoter, was transferred into CD9-/-females, both gametes fusion and microvilli formation were restored. Microvilli, visualized by EGFP-CD9, was vitally monitored and defined to function in gametes fusion. These results indicate that CD9 is a key element for the formation of microvilli required for sperm-egg fusion.

  • Research Products

    (10 results)

All 2007 2006 2004

All Journal Article (10 results)

  • [Journal Article] Menstrual blood-derived cells confer human dystrophin expression in the murine model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy via cell fusion and myogenic transdifferentiation.2007

    • Author(s)
      Cui CH, et al.
    • Journal Title

      Molecular Biology of the Cell 18(5)

      Pages: 1586-1594

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Journal Article] Possible involvement of CD81 in acrosome reaction of sperm in mice.2007

    • Author(s)
      Tanigawa, et al.
    • Journal Title

      Molecular Reproduction and Development (In press)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Journal Article] Hyaline cartilage formation and enchondral ossification modeled with KUM5 and OP9 chondroblasts.2007

    • Author(s)
      Sugiki T, et al.
    • Journal Title

      Journal of Cellular Biochemistry 100(5)

      Pages: 1240-1254

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Journal Article] Possible involvement of CD81 in acrosome reaction of sperm in mice.2007

    • Author(s)
      Tanigawa M, Miyamoto K, Kobayashi S, Sato M, Akutsu H, Okabe M, Mekada E, Sakakibara K, Miyado M, Umezawa A, Miyado K.
    • Journal Title

      Mol Reprod Dev. (in press)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Journal Article] Menstrual blood-derived cells confer human dystrophin expression in the murine model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy via cell fusion and myogenic transdifferentiation.2007

    • Author(s)
      Cui CH, Uyama T, Miyado K, Terai M, Kyo S, Kiyono T, Umezawa A.
    • Journal Title

      Mol Biol Cell. 18(5)

      Pages: 1586-94

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Journal Article] Hyaline cartilage formation and enchondral ossification modeled with KUM5 and OP9 chondroblasts.2007

    • Author(s)
      Sugiki T, Uyama T, Toyoda M, Morioka H, Kume S, Miyado K, Matsumoto K, Saito H, Tsumaki N, Takahashi Y, Toyama Y, Umezawa A.
    • Journal Title

      J Cell Biochem. 100(5)

      Pages: 1240-54

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Journal Article] Possible role of mouse poly(A) polymerase mGLD-2 during oocyte maturation.2006

    • Author(s)
      Nakanishi, et al.
    • Journal Title

      Developmental Biology 289(1)

      Pages: 115-126

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Journal Article] Possible role of mouse poly(A) polymerase mGLD-2 during oocyte maturation.2006

    • Author(s)
      Nakanishi T, Kubota H, Ishibashi N, Kumagai S, Watanabe H, Yamashita M, Kashiwabara S, Miyado K, Baba T.
    • Journal Title

      Dev Biol. 289(1)

      Pages: 115-26

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Journal Article] Tetraspanin protein CD9 is a novel paranodal component regulating paranodal junctional formation.2004

    • Author(s)
      Ishibashi T, et al.
    • Journal Title

      Journal of Neuroscience 24(1)

      Pages: 96-102

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Journal Article] Tetraspanin protein CD9 is a novel paranodal component regulating paranodal junctional formation.2004

    • Author(s)
      Ishibashi T, Ding L, Ikenaka K, Inoue Y, Miyado K, Mekada E, Baba H.
    • Journal Title

      J Neurosci. 24(1)

      Pages: 96-102

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より

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Published: 2008-05-27  

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