A sperm motility-controlling protein adapted to the urodele mode of internal fertilization and its diversity among amphibian species

2011 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21570236
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Evolutionary biology
• Research Institution: Yamagata University
• Principal Investigator: WATANABE Akihiko 山形大学, 理学部, 教授 (30250913)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): NAKAUCHI Yuni 山形大学, 理学部, 助教 (60250908)
• Project Period (FY): 2009 – 2011
• Keywords: 体内受精 / 精子運動 / 機能進化 / 両生類 / 輸卵管

Research Abstract

Sperm motility-initiating substance is a nonglycosilated protein that acts specifically in the mode of internal fertilization of the urodele amphibian, Cynops pyrrhogaster. In the present study, a cDNA encoding SMIS protein was identified. It coded a sequence of 151 amino acids that contained a cysteine knot domain. The expression of the SMIS gene was oviduct-specific and independent of the stimuli of ovulation. The active site of the SMIS was detected in a hydrophilic loop of the cysteine knot domain using synthetic peptides having partial amino acid sequences of the SMIS. Immunoblotting and southernblotting revealed that proteins homologous to SMIS were widely conserved among anuran and urodele amphibians but those homologues showed different isoelectric points ranging from 4 to 7. These results suggest that the molecular feature of the SMIS may be changed in adaptation to the diversified fertilization modes among amphibian species.

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Sperm motility-initiating substance in newt egg-jelly induces differential initiation of sperm motility based on sperm intracellular calcium levels (2011)
  • Author(s): A. Watanabe, E. Takayama-Watanabe, C. A. Vines, G. N. Cherr
  • Journal Title: Develop. Growth Differ Volume: 53 Pages: 9-17
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Sperm motility-initiating activity in the egg jelly of the externally-fertilizing urodele amphibian (2010)
  • Author(s): M. Ohta, H. Kubo, Y. Nakauchi, A. Watanabe
  • Journal Title: Hynobius lichenatus. Zool. Sci Volume: 27 Pages: 875-879
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Identification of the sperm motility-initiating substance in the newt, Cynops pyrrhogaster, and its possible relation with the acrosome reaction during internal fertilization (2010)
  • Author(s): T. Watanabe, H. Kubo, S. Takeshima, M. Nakagawa, M. Ohta, S. Kamimura, E. Takayama-Watanabe, A. Watanabe, K. Onitake
  • Journal Title: Int. J. Dev. Biol Volume: 54 Pages: 591-597
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Sperm motility of the Anuran Discoglossus pictus is triggered by Homologous Proteins of the Sperm Motility-Initiating Substance of the Newt Cynops pyrrhogaster
  • Author(s): E. Takayama-Watanabe, C. Campanella, H. Kubo, A. Watanabe
  • Journal Title: Zygote Volume: (印刷中)
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Presentation] イモリ精子におけるセリンプロテアーゼ活性の局在 (2011)
  • Author(s): 横江美里, 柴田大輔, 稲葉一男, 渡邉明彦
  • Organizer: 日本動物学会第82回大会
  • Place of Presentation: 旭川市大雪クリスタルホール(旭川市)
  • Year and Date: 2011-09-22
• [Presentation] イモリ精子の超活性化した運動における細胞内Ca^<2+>とcAMPの役割 (2011)
  • Author(s): 高橋智恵, 渡邉明彦
  • Organizer: 日本動物学会第82回大会
  • Place of Presentation: 旭川市大雪クリスタルホール(旭川市)
  • Year and Date: 2011-09-21
• [Presentation] Discoglossus卵ジェリー層に含まれるイモリSMIS相同タンパク質 (2011)
  • Author(s): 渡辺絵理子, 豊田将, 久保英夫, キアラ・カンパネラ, 渡邉明彦
  • Organizer: 日本動物学会第82回大会
  • Place of Presentation: 旭川市大雪クリスタルホール(旭川市)
  • Year and Date: 2011-09-21
• [Presentation] アカハライモリ精子運動開始因子の活性化はセリンプロテアーゼを介して起こる (2010)
  • Author(s): 渡邉明彦, 沓澤恵, 荒木俊幸, 佐野寛
  • Organizer: 日本動物学会第81回大会
  • Place of Presentation: 東京大学
  • Year and Date: 2010-09-25
• [Presentation] イモリ研究のキーテクノロジー人工授精のトラブルシューティング (2010)
  • Author(s): 渡邉明彦
  • Organizer: 日本動物学会第81回大会関連集会
  • Place of Presentation: 東京大学
  • Year and Date: 2010-09-23
• [Presentation] A new mechanism for sperm motility initiation in the mode of internal fertilization of the urodele amphibian (2010)
  • Author(s): A. Watanabe, M, Kutsuzawa, E. Takayama-Watanabe
  • Organizer: Cynops pyrrhogaster. 11th International Symposium on Spermatology
  • Place of Presentation: 沖縄コンベンションセンター(宜野湾市)
  • Year and Date: 2010-06-27
• [Presentation] イモリ精子貯蔵における輸精管液の役割に関する研究 (2009)
  • Author(s): 渡邉明彦, 谷野俊平
  • Organizer: 日本動物学会第80回大会
  • Place of Presentation: 静岡県コンベンションセンターグランシップ(静岡市)
  • Year and Date: 2009-09-18
• [Presentation] Characterization of carbohydrate moieties that contribute to the activity of acrosome reaction-inducing substance in the newt, Cynops pyrrhogaster (2009)
  • Author(s): M. Ohta, A. Watanabe
  • Organizer: 日本発生生物学会第42回大会
  • Place of Presentation: 朱鷺メッセ新潟コンベンションセンター(新潟市)
  • Year and Date: 2009-05-29
• [Remarks]
  • URL: http://www-sbiol.kj.yamagata-u.ac.jp/~oni_labo/gaiyou_J1.html