The WD40-protein CFAP52/WDR16 is a centrosome/basal body protein and localizes to the manchette and the flagellum in male germ cells

Constanza Tapia Contreras,Sigrid Hoyer-Fender

doi:10.1038/s41598-020-71120-9

Abstract

Development of spermatozoa requires remodelling and formation of particular structures. In elongating spermatids, the transient microtubular manchette contributes to the formation of the head–tail coupling apparatus (HTCA) and the sperm tail. The HTCA derives from the centrosome in that the proximal centriole inserts into the nuclear indentation and the distal centriole gives rise to the sperm flagellum. Although impairments in the formation of HTCA and sperm tail cause male infertility their molecular constituents are only partially known. The WD40-protein CFAP52 is implicated in motile cilia, but its relevance for male germ cell differentiation is not known. Here we show that CFAP52 is widespread expressed and localizes to a subset of microtubular structures. In male germ cells, CFAP52 is a component of the transient manchette and the sperm tail. However, expression of Cfap52 is not restricted to motile cilia-bearing cells. In NIH3T3 cells, CFAP52 localizes to the centrosome, the basal body, and the mitotic spindle poles, but not to the primary cilium. Our results demonstrate that CFAP52 is not restricted to motile cilia but instead most likely functions in constituting the centrosome/basal body matrix and the sperm tail.

Highlights

Development of spermatozoa requires remodelling and formation of particular structures
These results indicated that WDR16 is a marker for motile cilia-bearing cells
In order to figure out the protein interaction network responsible for head-to-tail coupling apparatus (HTCA) and sperm tail formation we focused here on the cilia and flagella associated protein 52 (CFAP52)

Summary

Introduction

Development of spermatozoa requires remodelling and formation of particular structures. WDR16, seems to be involved in the establishment of the left–right symmetry in humans as the homozygous deletion caused laterality d isorders[8] Taken together, these data indicated, that WDR16 is functionally associated with motile cilia, either in the ependym or in the embryonic node albeit cilia. Haploid spermatids derived from the second meiotic division differentiated into functional spermatozoa in spermiogenesis This process is characterized by reshaping of spermatids including elongation and condensation of the nucleus, and the development of specific structures as the acrosome, the transient manchette and the flagellum, and eventually the shedding of the cytoplasm[10,11]. The sperm flagellum, contains additional so-called accessory structures as the outer dense fibres (ODFs) that went laterally to the microtubule (MT) doublets of the axoneme and provide elasticity and stiffness to the flagellum[15,16]

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Results

Conclusion