Abstract
Spermatogenesis is a complicated process during which spermatogonia undergo proliferation and divisions leading, after a series of dramatic changes, to the production of mature spermatozoa. Many molecular motors are involved in this process. KIFC1, a C-terminal kinesin motor, participates in acrosome biogenesis and nuclear shaping. We report here the expression profile of KIFC1 during spermatogenesis in the Chinese mitten crab, Eriocheir sinensis. KIFC1 mainly localizes around the nucleus but is also present within the nucleus of the spermatogonium and spermatocyte. At the early spermatid stage, KIFC1 begins to be distributed on the nuclear membrane at the region where the proacrosomal vesicle is located. By the late spermatid stage, KIFC1 is found on the acrosome. Immunocytochemical and ultrastructural analyses have shown that KIFC1 localizes on the perforatorium, which is composed of an apical cap and an acrosomal tubule. We demonstrate that, during spermatogenesis in E. sinensis, KIFC1 probably plays important roles in the biogenesis of the acrosome and in its maintenance. KIFC1 may also be essential for the eversion of the acrosome during fertilization.
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Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful to Dr. Hans-Uwe Dahms and Prof. Junda Lin (Florida Institute of Technology, USA) for their critical reading and English improvement of this paper and to members of the Sperm Laboratory for many helpful discussions.
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This work was supported in part by the following projects: the National Natural Science Foundation of China (nos. 30671606 and 40776079) and the National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program; grant no. 2007CB948104).
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Yu, K., Hou, L., Zhu, JQ. et al. KIFC1 participates in acrosomal biogenesis, with discussion of its importance for the perforatorium in the Chinese mitten crab Eriocheir sinensis . Cell Tissue Res 337, 113–123 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00441-009-0800-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00441-009-0800-3