Jari Intra

Phylogenetic analyses suggest multiple changes of substrate specificity within the Glycosyl hydrolase 20 family

BackgroundBeta-N-acetylhexosaminidases belonging to the glycosyl hydrolase 20 (GH20) family are involved in the removal of terminal β-glycosidacally linked N-acetylhexosamine residues. These enzymes, widely distributed in microorganisms, animals and plants, are involved in many important physiological and pathological processes, such as cell structural integrity, energy storage, pathogen defence, viral penetration, cellular signalling, fertilization, development of carcinomas, inflammatory events and lysosomal storage diseases. Nevertheless, only limited analyses of phylogenetic relationships between GH20 genes have been performed until now.ResultsCareful phylogenetic analyses of 233 inferred protein sequences from eukaryotes and prokaryotes reveal a complex history for the GH20 family. In bacteria, multiple gene duplications and lineage specific gene loss (and/or horizontal gene transfer) are required to explain the observed taxonomic distribution. The last common ancestor of extant eukaryotes is likely to have possessed at least one GH20 family member. At least one gene duplication before the divergence of animals, plants and fungi as well as other lineage specific duplication events have given rise to multiple paralogous subfamilies in eukaryotes. Phylogenetic analyses also suggest that a second, divergent subfamily of GH20 family genes present in animals derive from an independent prokaryotic source. Our data suggest multiple convergent changes of functional roles of GH20 family members in eukaryotes.ConclusionThis study represents the first detailed evolutionary analysis of the glycosyl hydrolase GH20 family. Mapping of data concerning physiological function of GH20 family members onto the phylogenetic tree reveals that apparently convergent and highly lineage specific changes in substrate specificity have occurred in multiple GH20 subfamilies.

Interspecific analysis of the glycosidases of the sperm plasma membrane in Drosophila

We have studied the presence of four sperm glycosidases, α‐mannosidase, α‐l‐ fucosidase and two β‐hexosaminidase isoforms, in 11 species of the genus Drosophila spanning approximately an evolutionary 60 MY period, and in Scaptodrosophila lebanonensis, belonging to the ancestor genus Scaptodrosophila. These enzymes had been previously identified in Drosophila melanogaster as putative receptors for glycoconjugates of the egg surface. Alpha‐mannosidase and β‐hexosaminidases are intrinsic proteins of the sperm plasma membrane in species closely related to D. melanogaster as well as in the divergent species D. willistoni, D. hydei, D. virilis, and S. lebanonensis. Alpha‐l‐fucosidase is restricted to the species of the genus Drosophila. Alpha‐mannosidase and β‐hexosaminidases have been purified and characterized in all species. Their molecular masses and optimal pHs are similar in all the species, whereas interspecific differences in enzyme activities were detected. Cross‐species comparison of kinetic parameters indicated a relationship between enzyme efficiency and phylogenetic relatedness. Beta‐hexosaminidases were the most efficient enzymes. Lectin cytochemistry suggested the presence of carbohydrate residues complementary to the glycosidases on the eggshell at the site of sperm entry in all species. Bioinformatic analysis of the coding sequences of β‐hexosaminases and α‐l‐fucosidase and of their predicted products showed no evidence of positive selection of the genes coding for these enzymes and a high degree of sequence identity of the predicted polypeptides among the species of the genus Drosophila. Collectively, our findings indicate that the Drosophila sperm glycosidases are structurally and functionally conserved and strengthen the hypothesis of their involvement in the interactions with the egg surface. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 76: 85–100, 2009.

Glycosidases in the plasma membrane of Ceratitis capitata spermatozoa.

Fruit flies in the family Tephritidae are rated among the worlds most destructive agricultural pests. The Mediterranean fruit fly Ceratitis capitata is emerging as a model organism to study the fertilization in Insects. Three integral proteins with glycosidase activity are present in the plasma membrane of spermatozoa. The glycosidases have been purified and characterized. We have demonstrated the presence of three enzymes, a β-N-acetylhexosaminidase, an α-mannosidase and an α-l-fucosidase. The molecular mass of the native enzymes estimated by gel filtration was 160 kDa for β-N-acetylhexosaminidase, 310 kDa for α-mannosidase and 140 kDa for α-l-fucosidase. SDS-PAGE showed that β-N-acetylhexosaminidase is a dimer of a single protein of 73 kDa, α-mannosidase consists of six subunits with different molecular weights and α-l-fucosidase is a dimer made up by two different monomers. Characterization of the purified enzymes included glycosylation pattern, pI, optimal pH, substrate preference, kinetic properties and thermal stability. Soluble forms similar to the sperm associated glycosidases are present. Polyclonal antibodies raised against synthetic peptides designed from the predicted products of the Drosophila melanogaster genes encoding β-N-acetylhexosaminidase and α-l-fucosidase were used. Immunofluorescence labelling of spermatozoa showed that the enzymes are present in the sperm plasma membrane overlying the acrosome and the tail. This work represents the first report on the characterization in C. capitata of sperm proteins that are potentially involved in primary gamete recognition.

Expression study of an α-l-fucosidase gene in the Drosophilidae family

The plasma membrane of Drosophila (Sophophora) melanogaster spermatozoa contains an alpha-l-fucosidase that might be involved in fertilization by interacting with alpha-l-fucose residues on the micropyle of the eggshell. D. (S.) melanogaster has a single gene called CG6128 or Fuca encoding for a putative alpha-l-fucosidase. Two transcripts have been annotated, RA of 3514 bp, and RB of 1673 bp. While both transcripts encode an alpha-l-fucosidase, RA contains an upstream open reading frame, translated into a polypeptide containing a predicted BTB/POZ domain. We demonstrate that Fuca is expressed in male and female germ lines. RT-PCR analysis indicated a broader tissue expression. Homologous genes are expressed in the same tissues in several drosophilid flies belonging to the genera Drosophila and Scaptodrosophila. However, the long transcript is restricted to species belonging to the subgenus Sophophora. The presence of two transcripts in species of the subgenus Sophophora and only one in species belonging to the subgenus Drosophila might be related to the phylogenetic relationships of these subgenera. Immunofluorescence demonstrated that the gene product, localized to the sperm plasma membrane, is absent from Scaptodrosophila lebanonensis spermatozoa. These findings support the hypothesis that the enzyme is involved in the molecular events of primary gamete interactions that are conserved among drosophilids belonging to Drosophila genus.

Identification and expression profiling of Ceratitis capitata genes coding for β-hexosaminidases.

The goal of this study was to identify the genes coding for β-N-acetylhexosaminidases in the Mediterranean fruit fly (medfly) Ceratitis capitata, one of the most destructive agricultural pests, belonging to the Tephritidae family, order Diptera. Two dimeric β-N-acetylhexosaminidases, HEXA and HEXB, have been recently identified on Drosophila sperm. These enzymes are involved in egg binding through interactions with complementary carbohydrates on the surface of the egg shell. Three genes, Hexosaminidase 1 (Hexo1), Hexosaminidase 2 (Hexo2) and fused lobes (fdl), encode for HEXA and HEXB subunits. The availability of C. capitata EST libraries derived from embryos and adult heads allowed us to identify three sequences homologous to the D. melanogaster Hexo1, Hexo2 and fdl genes. Here, we report the expression profile analysis of CcHexo1, CcHexo2 and Ccfdld in several tissues, organs and stages. Ccfdl expression was highest in heads of both sexes and in whole adult females. In the testis and ovary the three genes showed distinct spatial and temporal expression patterns. All the mRNAs were detectable in early stages of spermatogenesis; CcHexo2 and Ccfdl were also expressed in early elongating spermatid cysts. All three genes are expressed in the ovarian nurse cells. CcHexo1 and Ccfdl are stage specific, since they have been observed in stages 12 and 13 during oocyte growth, when programmed cell death occurs in nurse cells. The expression pattern of the three genes in medfly gonads suggests that, as their Drosophila counterparts, they may encode for proteins involved in gametogenesis and fertilization.

Drosophila sperm surface alpha-L-fucosidase interacts with the egg coats through its core fucose residues.

Sperm-oocyte interaction during fertilization is multiphasic, with multicomponent events, taking place between eggs glycoproteins and sperm surface receptors. Protein-carbohydrate complementarities in gamete recognition have observed in cases throughout the whole evolutionary scale. Sperm-associated α-L-fucosidases have been identified in various organisms. Their wide distribution and known properties reflect the hypothesis that fucose and α-L-fucosidases have fundamental function(s) during gamete interactions. An α-L-fucosidase has been detected as transmembrane protein on the surface of spermatozoa of eleven species across the genus Drosophila. Immunofluorescence labeling showed that the protein is localized in the sperm plasma membrane over the acrosome and the tail, in Drosophila melanogaster. In the present study, efforts were made to analyze with solid phase assays the oligosaccharide recognition ability of fruit fly sperm α-L-fucosidase with defined carbohydrate chains that can functionally mimic egg glycoconjugates. Our results showed that α-L-fucosidase bound to fucose residue and in particular it prefers N-glycans carrying core α1,6-linked fucose and core α1,3-linked fucose in N-glycans carrying only a terminal mannose residue. The ability of sperm α-L-fucosidase to bind to the micropylar chorion and to the vitelline envelope was examined in in vitro assays in presence of α-L-fucosidase, either alone or in combination with molecules containing fucose residues. No binding was detected when α-L-fucosidase was pre-incubated with fucoidan, a polymer of α-L-fucose and the monosaccharide fucose. Furthermore, egg labeling with anti-horseradish peroxidase, that recognized only core α1,3-linked fucose, correlates with α-L-fucosidase micropylar binding. Collectively, these data support the hypothesis of the potential role of this glycosidase in sperm-egg interactions in Drosophila.

Cloning, sequence identification and expression profile analysis of α-l-fucosidase gene from the Mediterranean fruit fly Ceratitis capitata

The Mediterranean fruit fly Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae) is one of the most destructive agricultural pests, a polyphagus insect of relevant economic importance and is widespread in many regions around the world. It is the best-studied fruit fly pest at genetic and molecular level and much has been learned on its ecology and behaviour. An α-L-fucosidase has been recently hypothesized to be involved in sperm-egg interactions in Drosophila melanogaster and in other Drosophila species. Here, a complete cDNA encoding a putative α-L-fucosidase of the medfly was amplified using the reverse polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) with degenerate based on the conserved coding sequence information of several insect α-L-fucosidases, cloned and sequenced (GenBank accession no. FJ177429). The coding region consisted of 1482 bp which encoded a 485-residues protein (named CcFUCA) with a predicted molecular mass of 56.1 kDa. The deduced protein sequence showed 75% amino acid identity to D. melanogaster α-L-fucosidase, and in fact the phylogenetic tree analysis revealed that CcFUCA had closer relationships with the α-L-fucosidases of drosophilid species. The tissue expression analysis indicated that CcFuca was expressed in a single transcript in all tissues, suggesting a ubiquitous localization pattern of the encoded protein. Our findings provide novel insights on a gene encoding a protein potentially involved in primary gamete interactions in C. capitata.

In vitro evidence for the participation of Drosophila melanogaster sperm β‐N‐acetylglucosaminidases in the interactions with glycans carrying terminal N‐acetylglucosamine residues on the egg's envelopes

Fertilization is a complex and multiphasic process, consisting of several steps, where egg-coating envelopes glycoproteins and sperm surface receptors play a critical role. Sperm-associated β-N-acetylglucosaminidases, also known as hexosaminidases, have been identified in a variety of organisms. Previously, two isoforms of hexosaminidases, named here DmHEXA and DmHEXB, were found as intrinsic proteins in the sperm plasma membrane of Drosophila melanogaster. In the present work, we carried out different approaches using solid-phase assays in order to analyze the oligosaccharide recognition ability of D. melanogaster sperm hexosaminidases to interact with well-defined carbohydrate chains that might functionally mimic egg glycoconjugates. Our results showed that Drosophila hexosaminidases prefer glycans carrying terminal β-N-acetylglucosamine, but not core β-N-acetylglucosamine residues. The capacity of sperm β-N-acetylhexosaminidases to bind micropylar chorion and vitelline envelope was examined in vitro assays. Binding was completely blocked when β-N-acetylhexosaminidases were preincubated with the glycoproteins ovalbumin and transferrin, and the monosaccharide β-N-acetylglucosamine. Overall, these data support the hypothesis of the potential role of these glycosidases in sperm-egg interactions in Drosophila.

Recombinant expression of Drosophila melanogaster α-l-fucosidase in Trichoplusia ni cells

A cDNA encoding an α-l-fucosidase from Drosophila melanogaster was obtained from the recombinant plasmid named pGEM-DmFuca and inserted into the pBacHTeGFPT vector to construct the recombinant donor plasmid which was transposed to the target AcBacmid in Escherichia coli (DH10) by Tn7 transposition function. The AcBacmid-GFP-DmFuca plasmid was used to transfect Tn-5B1-4 cells of the Cabbage looper Trichoplusia ni. SDS-PAGE analysis revealed a band of about 80kDa. Using a polyclonal antiserum raised against α-l-fucosidase protein from D. melanogaster Western blotting analysis confirmed that the fusion protein eGFP-DmFuca has been successfully expressed in a biologically active form in Tn-5B1-4 cells. The recombinant protein, containing the histidine-tag motif, was purified using an affinity chromatography column. In vitro binding assays the purified eGFP-DmFuca interacts with α-l-fucose residues present on the micropyle of the D. melanogaster eggshell, confirming that the α-l-fucosidase is a good candidate as receptor involved in gamete interactions in fruit fly.