Neural cadherin is present in bovine sperm and COC cells and participates in fertilization

MARIN BRIGGILER, CI; ARZONDO, MM; ALVAREZ, G; CABALLERO, J; CETICA, P; VAZQUEZ LEVIN, M

Chascomus

Congreso; XVI Reunión Anual de la Sociedad Argentina de Biología; 2014

Sociedad Argentina de Biologia

Neural cadherin (N-cadherin) is a Ca+2-dependent glycoprotein known to participate in cell-cell adhesion and signaling. The aim of this study was to immunodetect N-cadherin in bovine sperm and Cumulus Oocyte Complex (COC) cells and to evaluate its role in gamete interaction. The 135 kDa mature protein form was immunodetected in protein extracts from ejaculated frozen/thawed sperm, cumulus cells and immature/mature oocytes. N-cadherin was immunolocalized in the acrosomal and postacrosomal region of acrosome-intact non capacitated (83±6%) and heparin/capacitated sperm (64±5%) and in the equatorial segment of follicular fluid/acrosome-reacted sperm (73±1%) (n=21). In COC, cumulus cell projections into the zona pellucida (ZP) and the oolemma were immunoreactive to N-cadherin. Sperm and ZP-free oocyte preincubation with anti N-cadherin antibodies (200 mg/mL) resulted in a reduction in the % fertilized oocytes (PBS =57±6 %, anti N-cadherin=0±0 %; P<0.01, n=30 oocytes), and # sperm bound to oolemma (PBS =13±1, anti N-cadherin=3±1 bound sperm; P<0.01, n>30 ooytes). N-cadherin is expressed in bovine sperm and COC cells and would participate in events leading to gamete binding/fusion during fertilization.