{"id":8508,"date":"2024-09-03T11:26:25","date_gmt":"2024-09-03T02:26:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.med.osaka-u.ac.jp\/eng\/?page_id=8508"},"modified":"2024-09-03T14:13:49","modified_gmt":"2024-09-03T05:13:49","slug":"okamura2024-9-3","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.med.osaka-u.ac.jp\/eng\/activities\/results\/2024year\/okamura2024-9-3","title":{"rendered":"Takafumi Kawai, Yasushi Okamura \u226aIntegrative Physiology\u226b <span>Shocking revelation: an electrically-activated protein regulates spermatogenesis<\/span>"},"content":{"rendered":"<ul class=\"linkBar clearfix\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.med.osaka-u.ac.jp\/activities\/results\/2024year\/okamura2024-9-3\">Text in Japanese<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span class=\"lineFrame\">Nature Communications<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Researchers from Osaka University find that a voltage-dependent phosphatase is crucial for translating electrical signals into chemical signals that promote proper sperm maturation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"figure\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.med.osaka-u.ac.jp\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/kawai_fig1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-8509 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.med.osaka-u.ac.jp\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/kawai_fig1-400x208.jpg?_t=1724898662\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"208\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.med.osaka-u.ac.jp\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/kawai_fig1-400x208.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.med.osaka-u.ac.jp\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/kawai_fig1-768x399.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.med.osaka-u.ac.jp\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/kawai_fig1.jpg 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><br \/>Figure 1. Voltage-sensing mechanism of voltage-gated ion channels and voltage-sensing phosphatase (VSP).<br \/>Voltage-gated ion channels are general voltage-sensing proteins that permeates ions in response to the voltage. On the other hand, VSP changes the lipid environment of plasma membrane through the enzymic activity in response to the voltage.<\/p>\n<div class=\"TextBlock\">\n<p>Frankenstein\u2019s monster was brought to life by the judicious application of a little electricity; and a surprising number of processes in our bodies are regulated by electrical currents too. Now, researchers from Japan reveal that electricity just may play a key role in male fertility.<\/p>\n<p>In a study recently published in <em>Nature Communications<\/em>, researchers from Osaka University have revealed that a protein whose activity is dependent on electrical signals plays a crucial part in sperm development.<\/p>\n<p>Sperm go through a developmental process as they move through the male reproductive system that allows them to mature and acquire the ability to fertilize an egg. Part of this process involves changing the types of lipids, or fatty molecules, that are present in sperm cell membranes. These changes are enacted by enzymes, which have to be activated at a specific point in the sperm development timeline.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe recently identified the functional expression of an unusual voltage-sensing phosphatase (VSP) in spermatozoa. This unique protein shows phosphatase activity in response to changes in cell membrane potential,\u201d says lead author of the study Takafumi Kawai. \u201cHowever, it remained unclear whether VSP senses the membrane potential of spermatozoa, and if so, how this affects spermatozoa maturation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>To explore this, the researchers eliminated VSP expression in mouse sperm. They then evaluated the lipid content of the sperm cell membranes at different stages of sperm development in the cells without VSP compared with cells with VSP.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe results were very clear,\u201d states Yasushi Okamura, senior author. \u201cIn the absence of VSP, the certain membrane lipid composition was not completely matured in spermatozoa, suggesting that VSP is required for proper spermatozoa development.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Next, the researchers created a mutant version of VSP that changed its responsiveness to electrical stimulation and tested the effects of this mutant in mice. Compared with normal mice, sperm from the mice expressing the mutant protein were noticeably abnormal in motility.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur findings show that, in developing sperm, VSP responds to electrical signals by promoting appropriate maturation of the cell membrane,\u201d says Kawai.<\/p>\n<p>Given that proper sperm development and function are crucial to male fertility, the findings from this study could be used to help develop clinical treatments for infertility in the future. In addition, investigating the unique mechanism by which VSP converts electrical signals into chemical signals is likely to provide new insight into cell development.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>###<\/p>\n<p>The article, \u201cThe Significance of Electrical Signals in Maturing Spermatozoa for Phosphoinositide Regulation Through Voltage-Sensing Phosphatase,\u201d was published in <em>Nature Communications <\/em>at DOI: <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41467-024-51755-2\">https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41467-024-51755-2<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Summary:<\/strong> Researchers from Osaka University found that voltage-sensing phosphatase (VSP) is activated by electrical signals during sperm maturation and is crucial for establishing the optimal phosphoinositide environment to generate functional spermatozoa. Modulating VSP function to promote appropriate sperm maturation could be used to develop clinical treatments for infertility in the future.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Tweet<\/strong>: An #electrifying performance? A #voltage-sensing #phosphatase is crucial for #sperm #maturation and #function<\/p>\n<p><strong>Primary Keyword<\/strong>: Developmental biology<\/p>\n<p><strong>Additional Keyword<\/strong>:\u00a0Spermatogenesis,\u00a0Sperm,\u00a0Cell development,\u00a0Voltage clamp studies,\u00a0Membrane potentials<\/p>\n<p><strong>Method of Research<\/strong>: Experimental study<\/p>\n<p><strong>Subject of Research<\/strong>: Animals<\/p>\n<p class=\"figure\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-8510 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.med.osaka-u.ac.jp\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/kawai_fig2-400x157.jpg?_t=1724898675\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"157\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.med.osaka-u.ac.jp\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/kawai_fig2-400x157.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.med.osaka-u.ac.jp\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/kawai_fig2-768x302.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.med.osaka-u.ac.jp\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/kawai_fig2.jpg 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><br \/>Figure 2.\u00a0Maturing sperm sense \u201celectrical signals\u201d. <br \/>Immature spermatozoa sense \u201celectrical signals\u201d and the lipid composition of the cell membrane is appropriately regulated by the enzymic activity.<\/p>\n<p>Title: \u201cThe Significance of Electrical Signals in Maturing Spermatozoa for Phosphoinositide Regulation Through Voltage-Sensing Phosphatase\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Journal: <em>Nature Communications<\/em><em><br \/><\/em>Authors: Takafumi Kawai \u00a0Shin Morioka, HaruhikoMiyata, RizkiTsariAndriani, GabrielToma, Tatsuya Nakagawa,Yuki Oyama, Sharmin Akter, Rie Iida-Norita, Junko Sasaki, Masahiko Watanabe, KenjiSakimura, Masahito Ikawa, Takehiko Sasaki, Yasushi Okamura.<br \/>DOI: <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41467-024-51755-2\">10.1038\/s41467-024-51755-2<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS),<br \/>Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT),<br \/>Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED),<br \/>Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Text in Japanese Nature Communications Researchers from Osaka University find that a voltage-dependent phospha [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8509,"parent":8108,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.med.osaka-u.ac.jp\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8508"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.med.osaka-u.ac.jp\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.med.osaka-u.ac.jp\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.osaka-u.ac.jp\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.osaka-u.ac.jp\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8508"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.osaka-u.ac.jp\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8508\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8516,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.osaka-u.ac.jp\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8508\/revisions\/8516"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.osaka-u.ac.jp\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8108"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.med.osaka-u.ac.jp\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8509"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.med.osaka-u.ac.jp\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8508"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}