IBYME   02675
INSTITUTO DE BIOLOGIA Y MEDICINA EXPERIMENTAL
Unidad Ejecutora - UE
congresos y reuniones científicas
Título:
Studies on the expression of neural cadherin in murine gametes and its participation in fertilization
Autor/es:
MARIN BRIGGILER, CI; VEIGA, FLORENCIA; LAPYCKYJ, L; EDELSZTEIN, NY; VAZQUEZ LEVIN, M
Lugar:
San Juan
Reunión:
Congreso; 2da Reunión Conjunta de las Sociedades de Biología de la República Argentina; 2011
Institución organizadora:
Sociedades de Biología
Resumen:
STUDIES ON THE EXPRESSION OF NEURAL CADHERIN IN MURINE GAMETES AND ITS PARTICIPATION IN FERTILIZATION. Marín Briggiler CI*, Veiga MF*, Lapyckyj L, Edelsztein N,  Vazquez-Levin MH. IBYME - CONICET-UBA. Buenos Aires, Argentina. mhvazl@gmail.com* equal contribution to the work Neural cadherin (Ncad) participates in cell-cell adhesion in a calcium-dependent manner. Since fertilization involves cellular adhesion and requires calcium ions, we propose the participation of Ncad in fertilization. The aims of the study were: 1) to assess Ncad expression in murine reproductive tissues and gametes, 2) to evaluate its participation in fertilization. Methods involved Western immunoblotting, immunocytochemistry and gamete interaction assays with anti Ncad antibodies. Ncad (135 kDa) was immunodetected in protein extracts from sperm, unfertilized eggs, granulosa cells, testis and ovary. Ncad was localized to the acrosomal region alone (A pattern) or with the equatorial segment (A+ES pattern) of non-capacitated (A: 40±8% and A+ES: 52±6%; mean±SEM, n=7) and capacitated (A: 42±8% and A+ES: 39±7%) intact sperm. The signal was found in the equatorial segment (ES pattern) in sperm that underwent acrosomal exocytosis (ES: 56±6%). Ncad was also immunolocalized in the egg plasma membrane (EPM). Sperm preincubation with anti Ncad antibodies (20 mg/ml) did not affect sperm binding to the EPM (IgG: 19±2, anti Ncad: 16±1 bound sperm), although it resulted in a reduction in the % of eggs with fused sperm (IgG: 74±4%, anti Ncad: 44±10; p<0.05). In conclusion, Ncad is expressed in murine reproductive tissues and gametes and would participate in events leading to sperm fusion with the egg.