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.
Publication types
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Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
MeSH terms
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Amino Acid Sequence
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Animals
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Caenorhabditis elegans / physiology*
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Carrier Proteins / chemistry
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Carrier Proteins / physiology
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Cytoskeleton / chemistry
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Cytoskeleton / physiology
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Disorders of Sex Development
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Enzyme Activation
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Evolution, Molecular
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Female
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Gonads / cytology
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Gonads / physiology
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Helminth Proteins / chemistry
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Helminth Proteins / immunology
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Helminth Proteins / pharmacology
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Helminth Proteins / physiology*
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MAP Kinase Signaling System
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Male
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Meiosis*
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Membrane Proteins / chemistry
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Membrane Proteins / physiology
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Microinjections
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Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / metabolism
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Molecular Sequence Data
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Oocytes / physiology*
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Ovulation
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Phylogeny
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Protein Folding
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Protein Structure, Tertiary
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Pseudopodia / physiology
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Recombinant Proteins / pharmacology
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Signal Transduction
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Sperm Motility
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Spermatozoa / chemistry
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Spermatozoa / physiology*
Substances
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Carrier Proteins
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Helminth Proteins
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Membrane Proteins
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Recombinant Proteins
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major sperm protein, nematode
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Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases