TY - JOUR
T1 - Acrosome reaction is subfamily specific in sea star fertilization
AU - Nakachi, Mia
AU - Moriyama, Hideaki
AU - Hoshi, Motonori
AU - Matsumoto, Midori
N1 - Funding Information:
We thank Dr. Hiroyuki Minakata at the Suntory Institute for Bioorganic Research for providing the synthetic peptide of asterosap. We also thank Dr. U. Benjamin Kaupp and members of his laboratory for their kind assistance in our experiment. We are grateful to the directors and staff of the following universities and centers for their assistance in collecting sea stars: the Research Center for Marine Biology (Tohoku University, Asamushi, Japan), the International Coastal Research Center (the University of Tokyo, Otsuchi, Japan), the Ushimado Marine Laboratory (Okayama University, Japan), the Marine Research Laboratories (University of Tasmania, Australia), the University Marine Biological Station (Millport, Scotland), and the Marine Biological Laboratory (Woods Hole, USA). We thank Mr. Todd Gardner at Atlantis Marine World for discussions on the geological distribution of sea stars in the Shinnecock Bay area. This research was supported by a grant from the Ministry of Education, Culture Sports, Science and Technology of Japan (M.M. and M.H.) and by an Interdisciplinary grant from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (H.M). This research was partially supported by the Ministry of Education, Culture Sports, Science and Technology of Japan, Grant-in-Aid for the 21st Century Center of Excellence (COE) Program entitled ‘Understanding and Control of Life's Function via Systems Biology (Keio University)’ (M.N.).
PY - 2006/10/15
Y1 - 2006/10/15
N2 - In the fertilization process of sea stars, sperm is activated to go through the acrosome reaction before cell fusion. We focused on induction of the acrosome reaction as a key process in fertilization. Six species of sea stars were used in this study: Asterias amurensis, Asterias rubens, Asterias forbesi, Aphelasterias japonica, Distolasterias nipon, and Asterina pectinifera. Acrosome reaction assays indicate that the acrosome reaction can be induced across species within Asteriinae subfamily. However, cross-fertilization assays indicate that sea stars have species specificity in fertilization. Therefore, steps after the acrosome reaction are responsible for the species specificity. To explain acrosome reaction subfamily specificity at the molecular level, the sugar components of egg jelly were examined and analyzed by principal component analysis. A. amurensis and A. forbesi belong to the same induction group of the acrosome reaction. D. nipon and An. pectinifera are in a unique group. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays indicate that Asteriinae subfamily share a common glycan structure, the Fragment 1 of Acrosome Reaction-Inducing Substance from A. amurensis. Fragment 1 plays an important role in the subfamily specificity of acrosome reaction induction. In addition, A. amurensis sperm activating peptide was recognized by sperm from the same superorder. These results demonstrate that the specificity of acrosome reaction induction is present at the subfamily level in sea stars.
AB - In the fertilization process of sea stars, sperm is activated to go through the acrosome reaction before cell fusion. We focused on induction of the acrosome reaction as a key process in fertilization. Six species of sea stars were used in this study: Asterias amurensis, Asterias rubens, Asterias forbesi, Aphelasterias japonica, Distolasterias nipon, and Asterina pectinifera. Acrosome reaction assays indicate that the acrosome reaction can be induced across species within Asteriinae subfamily. However, cross-fertilization assays indicate that sea stars have species specificity in fertilization. Therefore, steps after the acrosome reaction are responsible for the species specificity. To explain acrosome reaction subfamily specificity at the molecular level, the sugar components of egg jelly were examined and analyzed by principal component analysis. A. amurensis and A. forbesi belong to the same induction group of the acrosome reaction. D. nipon and An. pectinifera are in a unique group. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays indicate that Asteriinae subfamily share a common glycan structure, the Fragment 1 of Acrosome Reaction-Inducing Substance from A. amurensis. Fragment 1 plays an important role in the subfamily specificity of acrosome reaction induction. In addition, A. amurensis sperm activating peptide was recognized by sperm from the same superorder. These results demonstrate that the specificity of acrosome reaction induction is present at the subfamily level in sea stars.
KW - Acrosome reaction
KW - Aphelasterias japonica
KW - Asterias amurensis
KW - Asterias forbesi
KW - Asterias rubens
KW - Asterina pectinifera
KW - Distolasterias nipon
KW - Egg jelly
KW - Fertilization
KW - Species specificity
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U2 - 10.1016/j.ydbio.2006.07.009
DO - 10.1016/j.ydbio.2006.07.009
M3 - Article
C2 - 16934796
AN - SCOPUS:33749155784
SN - 0012-1606
VL - 298
SP - 597
EP - 604
JO - Developmental Biology
JF - Developmental Biology
IS - 2
ER -