TY - JOUR
T1 - TMEM95 is a sperm membrane protein essential for mammalian fertilization.
AU - Lamas-Toranzo, Ismael
AU - Hamze, Julieta G
AU - Bianchi, Enrica
AU - Fernández-Fuertes, Beatriz
AU - Pérez-Cerezales, Serafín
AU - Laguna-Barraza, Ricardo
AU - Fernández-González, Raúl
AU - Lonergan, Pat
AU - Gutiérrez-Adán, Alfonso
AU - Wright, Gavin J
AU - Jiménez-Movilla, María
AU - Bermejo-Álvarez, Pablo
PY - 2020/6/2
Y1 - 2020/6/2
N2 - The fusion of gamete membranes during fertilization is an essential process for sexual reproduction. Despite its importance, only three proteins are known to be indispensable for sperm-egg membrane fusion: the sperm proteins IZUMO1 and SPACA6, and the egg protein JUNO. Here we demonstrate that another sperm protein, TMEM95, is necessary for sperm-egg interaction. TMEM95 ablation in mice caused complete male-specific infertility. Sperm lacking this protein were morphologically normal exhibited normal motility, and could penetrate the zona pellucida and bind to the oolemma. However, once bound to the oolemma, TMEM95-deficient sperm were unable to fuse with the egg membrane or penetrate into the ooplasm, and fertilization could only be achieved by mechanical injection of one sperm into the ooplasm, thereby bypassing membrane fusion. These data demonstrate that TMEM95 is essential for mammalian fertilization. © 2020, Lamas-Toranzo et al.
AB - The fusion of gamete membranes during fertilization is an essential process for sexual reproduction. Despite its importance, only three proteins are known to be indispensable for sperm-egg membrane fusion: the sperm proteins IZUMO1 and SPACA6, and the egg protein JUNO. Here we demonstrate that another sperm protein, TMEM95, is necessary for sperm-egg interaction. TMEM95 ablation in mice caused complete male-specific infertility. Sperm lacking this protein were morphologically normal exhibited normal motility, and could penetrate the zona pellucida and bind to the oolemma. However, once bound to the oolemma, TMEM95-deficient sperm were unable to fuse with the egg membrane or penetrate into the ooplasm, and fertilization could only be achieved by mechanical injection of one sperm into the ooplasm, thereby bypassing membrane fusion. These data demonstrate that TMEM95 is essential for mammalian fertilization. © 2020, Lamas-Toranzo et al.
KW - staffpaper
U2 - 10.7554/eLife.53913
DO - 10.7554/eLife.53913
M3 - Article
VL - 9
JO - eLife
JF - eLife
SN - 2050-084X
M1 - e53913
ER -