IMR Press / FBL / Volume 28 / Issue 8 / DOI: 10.31083/j.fbl2808160
Open Access Original Research
Rab2 and Rab6 are Implicated in Acrosome Formation during Spermatogenesis in Eriocheir sinensis: Based on Sperm Proteome
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1 College of Life Science, Hebei University, 071000 Baoding, Hebei, China
2 Institute of Life Science and Green Development, Hebei University, 071000 Baoding, Hebei, China
3 Department of Reproductive Medicine, Baoding First Central Hospital, 071000 Baoding, Hebei, China
4 Hebei Province Innovation Center for Bioengineering and Biotechnology, Hebei University, 071000 Baoding, Hebei, China
*Correspondence: xjkang218@126.com (Xianjiang Kang)
Front. Biosci. (Landmark Ed) 2023, 28(8), 160; https://doi.org/10.31083/j.fbl2808160
Submitted: 31 January 2023 | Revised: 26 March 2023 | Accepted: 20 April 2023 | Published: 7 August 2023
Copyright: © 2023 The Author(s). Published by IMR Press.
This is an open access article under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Abstract

Background: Rab proteins are GTP-dependent small proteins that function as regulators of intracellular vesicle transport, fusion, and localization. However, few studies have investigated their function in Decapoda reproduction. The Eriocheir sinensis sperm has no tail and the nuclei are uncondensed. With the acrosome forming the majority of the sperm mass, it provides an ideal model for studying acrosome formation. Methods: We firstly analyzed the sperm proteome using LC-MS/MS. To study the functions of Rab2 and Rab6, related to the Golgi apparatus, in the acrosome formation during spermatogenesis, the genes of Rab2 and Rab6 were cloned based on the testis transcriptome of E.sinensis and poly-clonal antibodies were prepared. The presence of 2 Rab proteins was confirmed in the testis and sperm by western blot. We further observed the characteristics of target 2 Rab proteins using immunofluorescence (IF). Results: A total of 1247 proteins including 7 Rab proteins, Rab1, Rab2, Rab5, Rab6, Rab11, Rab14, and Rab18 were identified in the sperm proteome. The IF results showed that Rab2 co-localizes with GM130, a cis-Golgi matrix protein, in the spermatagonia and spermatocytes. In the early spermatids, Rab2 and Rab6 participate in the formation of pre-acrosomal vesicles. In maturing spermatids, both Rab2 and Rab6 settle on the acrosomal membrane but present different characteristics wrapping the pre-acrosome. In the mature sperm, Rab2 localizes in the perinuclear theca surrounding the nuclei cup, while Rab6 remains on the acrosomal membrane. Conclusions: Our research found 7 Rab proteins based on the analysis of the sperm proteome in E.sinensis, and confirmed the involvement of Rab2 and Rab6 in acrosome formation. These findings provide a foundation for studying the functions of Rab proteins during spermatogenesis in Decapoda animals.

Keywords
Eriocheir sinensis
sperm proteome
LC-MS/MS
Rab2
Rab6
acrosome formation
spermatogenesis
Funding
31572269/National Natural Science Foundation of China
Figures
Fig. 1.
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