A sperm cytoskeletal protein that signals oocyte meiotic maturation and ovulation |
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Authors: | Miller M A Nguyen V Q Lee M H Kosinski M Schedl T Caprioli R M Greenstein D |
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Institution: | Department of Cell Biology, Mass Spectrometry Research Center, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232, USA. |
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Abstract: | Caenorhabditis elegans oocytes, like those of most animals, arrest during meiotic prophase. Sperm promote the resumption of meiosis (maturation) and contraction of smooth muscle-like gonadal sheath cells, which are required for ovulation. We show that the major sperm cytoskeletal protein (MSP) is a bipartite signal for oocyte maturation and sheath contraction. MSP also functions in sperm locomotion, playing a role analogous to actin. Thus, during evolution, MSP has acquired extracellular signaling and intracellular cytoskeletal functions for reproduction. Proteins with MSP-like domains are found in plants, fungi, and other animals, suggesting that related signaling functions may exist in other phyla. |
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