SPAM1/HYAL5 double deficiency in male mice leads to severe male subfertility caused by a cumulus-oocyte complex penetration defect.

The glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored sperm hyaluronidases (Hyals), sperm adhesion molecule 1 (SPAM1) and HYAL5, have long been believed to assist in sperm penetration through the cumulus-oocyte complex (COC), but their role in mammalian fertilization remains unclear. Previously, we have shown that mouse sperm devoid of either Spam1 or Hyal5 are still capable of penetrating the COC and that the loss of either Spam1 or Hyal5 alone does not cause male infertility in mice. In the present study, we found that Spam1/Hyal5 double knockout (dKO) mice produced significantly fewer offspring compared with wild-type (WT) mice, and this was due to defective COC dispersal. A comparative analysis between WT and Spam1/Hyal5 dKO epididymal sperm revealed that the absence of these 2 sperm Hyals resulted in a marked accumulation of sperm on the outside of the COC. This impaired sperm activity is likely due to the deficiency in the sperm Hyals, even though other somatic Hyals are expressed normally in the dKO mice. The fertilization ability of the Spam1/Hyal5 dKO sperm was restored by adding purified human sperm Hyal to the in vitro fertilization medium. Our results suggest that Hyal deficiency in sperm may be a significant risk factor for male sterility.-Park, S., Kim, Y.-H., Jeong, P.-S., Park, C., Lee, J.-W., Kim, J.-S., Wee, G., Song, B.-S., Park, B.-J., Kim, S.-H., Sim, B.-W., Kim, S.-U., Triggs-Raine, B., Baba, T., Lee, S.-R., Kim, E. SPAM1/HYAL5 double deficiency in male mice leads to severe male subfertility caused by a cumulus-oocyte complex penetration defect.

Development of a New Type of Recombinant Hyaluronidase Using a Hexahistidine; Possibilities and Challenges in Commercialization.

Hyaluronidases enhance therapeutic drug transport by breaking down the hyaluronan barrier to lymphatic and capillary vessels, facilitating their tissue absorption. Commercially available hyaluronidases are bovine in origin; however, they pose risks such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy. The present study aimed to develop a novel, highly active hyaluronidase and assess its function. Therefore, in order to find the most efficient active hyaluronidase, we produced several shortened hyaluronidases with partial removal of the N- or C-terminal regions. Moreover, we created an enzyme that connected six histidines onto the end of the hyaluronidase C-terminus. This simplified subsequent purification using Ni2+ affinity chromatography, making it feasible to industrialize this highly active recombinant hyaluronidase which exhibited catalytic activity equal to that of the commercial enzyme. Therefore, this simple and effective isolation method could increase the availability of recombinant hyaluronidase for research and clinical purposes.

Characterization of Recombinant Bovine Sperm Hyaluronidase and Identification of an Important Asn-X-Ser/Thr Motif for Its Activity.

Hyaluronidases are a family of enzymes that catalyse the breakdown of hyaluronic acid, which is abundant in the extracellular matrix and cumulus oocyte complex. To investigate the activity of recombinant bovine sperm hyaluronidase 1 (SPAM1) and determine the effect of the Asn-X-Ser/Thr motif on its activity, the bovine SPAM1 open reading frame was cloned into the mammalian expression vector pCXN2 and then transfected to the HEK293 cell line. Expression of recombinant bovine hyaluronidase was estimated using a hyaluronidase activity assay with gel electrophoresis. Recombinant hyaluronidase could resolve highly polymeric hyaluronic acid and also caused dispersal of the cumulus cell layer. Comparative analysis with respect to enzyme activity was carried out for the glycosylated and deglycosylated bovine sperm hyaluronidase by N-glycosidase F treatment. Finally, mutagenesis analysis revealed that among the five potential N-linked glycosylation sites, only three contributed to significant inhibition of hyaluronic activity. Recombinant bovine SPAM1 has hyaluronan degradation and cumulus oocyte complex dispersion ability, and the N-linked oligosaccharides are important for enzyme activity, providing a foundation for the commercialization of hyaluronidase.

Down-regulation of microglial activity attenuates axotomized nigral dopaminergic neuronal cell loss.

BACKGROUND: There is growing evidence that inflammatory processes of activated microglia could play an important role in the progression of nerve cell damage in neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease which harbor features of chronic microglial activation, though the precise mechanism is unknown. In this study, we presented in vivo and ex vivo experimental evidences indicating that activated microglia could exacerbate the survival of axotomized dopaminergic neurons and that appropriate inactivation of microglia could be neuroprotective. RESULTS: The transection of medial forebrain bundle (MFB) of a rat induced loss of dopaminergic neurons in a time-dependent manner and accompanied with microglial activation. Along with microglial activation, production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was upregulated and TH/OX6/hydroethidine triple-immunofluorescence showed that the microglia mainly produced ROS. When the activated microglial cells that were isolated from the substantia nigra of the MFB axotomized animal, were transplanted into the substantia nigra of which MFB had been transected at 7 days ago, the survival rate of axotomized dopaminergic neurons was significantly reduced as compared with sham control. Meanwhile, when the microglial activation was attenuated by administration of tuftsin fragment 1-3 (microglia inhibitory factor) into the lateral ventricle using mini-osmotic pump, the survival rate of axotomized dopaminergic neurons was increased. CONCLUSION: The present study suggests that activated microglia could actively produce and secrete unfavorable toxic substances, such as ROS, which could accelerate dopaminergic neuronal cell loss. So, well-controlled blockade of microglial activation might be neuroprotective in some neuropathological conditions.

Role of activating transcription factor 3 in ischemic penumbra region following transient middle cerebral artery occlusion and reperfusion injury.

The activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) is expressed by various types of cellular insults. It has been suggested to serve diverse functions in both cellular survival and death signal cascades, but the exact role of ATF3 in brain ischemia is little known so far. Thus, the authors examined the expression pattern of ATF3 following middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) and reperfusion injury. At 1-2 days after MCAO and reperfusion injury, numerous number of ATF3-immunoreacitive (-ir) nuclei was observed in the ipsilateral peri-infarct cortex, but declined rapidly at 3 days. Almost all ATF3-ir nuclei were co-localized with NeuN-ir neurons. Neither GFAP- nor OX42-ir neuroglia were co-localized with ATF3. Double labeling of Fluoro-Jade B with ATF3 showed that ATF3-ir nuclei mismatched with Fluoro-Jade B-ir neurons. To further examine the role of ATF3 in ischemic peri-infarct regions, double immunofluorescent labeling of ATF3/caspase 3, ATF3/Bcl-xl, and ATF3/HSP27 was conducted. Semiquantitive estimation showed that about 15% of ATF3-ir neurons also expressed caspase 3. However, about only 0.4% and 2.6% of ATF3-ir neurons were double-stained with Bcl-xl and Hsp27, respectively. Consequently, it would be suggested that ATF3 seem to play an important role in caspase-dependent neuronal apoptotic signal transduction pathways caused by focal cerebral ischemia and reperfusion injury.