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Digestive aspartic protease of Colorado beetle
Srp, Jaroslav ; Jonáková, Věra (referee) ; Konvalinka, Jan (advisor)
Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata) is an economically important herbivorous pest. Cathepsin D-like aspartic peptidase (LdCD) plays an important role during protein degradation in the midgut of Colorado potato beetle. This work describes the preparation of two expression systems, namely in Escherichia coli and Pichia pastoris, for the production of recombinant LdCD. The protocol for refolding of denatured LdCD was designed and optimized. Activation of the inactive LdCD zymogen and cleavage of the propetide (activation peptide) were investigated. This process proceeds autocatalytically at acidic pH or with the assistance of the cysteine peptidase legumain. The proteolytic activity of LdCD was characterized using fluorogenic peptidic substrate and protein substrates, and kinetic parameters and pH optimum were determined. The inhibition specificity of LdCD was analyzed using a panel of peptidase inhibitors. LdCD was significantly inhibited by PDI (potato cathepsin D inhibitor), a protein inhibitor produced in potato leaves. This suggests that PDI is a natural defense protein, which is directed against LdCD in the midgut of Colorado potato beetle in order to block the digestion. The potential application of PDI in the construction of transgenic crops resistant against insects is discussed.
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The Separation of Gastric Aspartic Proteases Using Affinity Chromatography
Frýdlová, Jana ; Kučerová, Zdenka (advisor) ; Barthová, Jana (referee) ; Jonáková, Věra (referee)
Human gastric juice contains mainly aspartic proteases - pepsin A and pepsin C. Both pepsins are produced by gastric mucosa as inactive pepsinogens (pepsinogen A and pepsinogen C) that differ in their physico-chemical and immunological properties. Both pepsinogens consist of molecular variants, isozymogens. Pepsinogens are activated to the corresponding pepsins in the acidic environment of the gastric lumen. (...) A subject of this Ph.D. thesis is a part of a long-term investigation that focuses on the elaboration of methods for the separation of gastric aspartic proteases that would be suitable for monitoring of their changes in mentioned diseases. This thesis was mainly focused on preparation of affinity sorbents suitable for separation of pepsins and pepsinogens. The choice of ligands was based on the substrate N-acetyl-L-phenylalanyl-3,5-diiodo-L-tyrosine that is used to differentiate pepsin A and pepsin C. The following three affinity sorbents were prepared: iodinated L-tyrosine-Sepharose, 3,5-diiodo-L-tyrosine- Sepharose, and N-acetyl-L-phenylalanine-Sepharose. The basic characteristics of the prepared affinity sorbents were determined using the model enzyme (porcine pepsin A). The comparison of the chromatographic behavior of porcine pepsin A and its complex with pepstatine A showed that the enzyme...
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Sperm acrosomal reactien in selected species of mammals
Frolíková, Michaela ; Stopka, Pavel (advisor) ; Jonáková, Věra (referee) ; Petr, Jaroslav (referee)
Mammalian sperm must undergo the process of capacitation - series of physiological and biochemical modifications prior fertilization. In last stage of capacitation sperm undergoes acrosome reaction (AR). During AR the cell membrane of the sperm fuses with the outer acrosomal membrane and the contents of acrosomal vesicle are released into extracellular space. Sperm which did not undergo AR or sperm missing acrosome at all are unable to fertilize. AR results into dramatical changes in the sperm head. Most of the proteins present in plasmatic and outer acrosomal membrane are reorganized or lost. There are also significant changes in cytoskeletal and intraacrosomal proteins are released to extracellular space uncovering new surface domains. Some sperms undergo AR even without presence of inductor of AR during capacitation in vitro. This event is called spontaneous (accelerated) AR. The latest research indicates that spontaneous AR is natural part of the process of fertilization. Field mice (Apodemus) show high level of promiscuity leading to significant risk of sperm competition. Unique reproduction strategy where the sperms form so-called sperm trains was evolved in field mice. Spontaneous AR is probably enabling the dissociation of sperms from the sperm train. The spontaneous AR rate is dependent on...
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Biochemical methods as tool for study of reproductive proteins
Postlerová, Pavla ; Zigo, Michal ; Pohlová, Alžběta ; Jonáková, Věra
Study of molecular mechanisms in reproduction is essential for the understanding of this outstanding process. Our lab studies proteins secreted by reproductive organs and sperm using various biochemical methods for a long time. We have expertise in protein extraction from spermatic cells using different approaches, and by kits for proteins from the sperm surface and distinct subcellular compartments. The proteins of reproductive organ fluids are separated by chromatographic methods, such as size exclusion chromatography, high-performance liquid chromatography with reverse phase (RP-HPLC) and affinity chromatography on matrices with various ligands. Proteins are subjected to SDS- or 2D-electrophoresis for their characterization and comparison of various extraction methods, different mammalian species, and sperm in different functional development. Electrophoretically separated proteins may be transferred onto nitrocellulose membrane (Western blot) for antibody detection or binding studies with lectin-labelled ligands (lectins, polysaccharides, zona pellucida glycoproteins). We use immunoprecipitation method with specific antibody for protein determination followed by the MALDI identification. Proteins are localized by immunofluorescent techniques on/in spermatic cells and tissue sections of reproductive organs. Isolation of proteins from reproductive tissues and fluids, and the antibody detection is crucial for the studying of reproductive protein origin.
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Epididymal maturation – a crucial step in the post-testicular sperm development
Postlerová, Pavla ; Pohlová, Alžběta ; Zigo, Michal ; Jonáková, Věra
Mammalian spermatozoa after their development in testis undergo the post-testicular maturation in epididymis where acquire their fertilization ability and competence of movement. The epididymis is tissue with very active fluid-absorbing and fluid-secreting activity. Epididymal fluid contains ions and small molecules, proteins, glycoproteins and enzymes. The surface of spermatozoa is exposed directly to the epididymal fluid, and the sperm plasma membrane is significantly changed. Some testicular proteins are altered, masked, or replaced by new proteins/glycoproteins of epididymal origin. Several proteins produced by epididymis have been described in various mammalian species and shown to be associated with spermatozoa suggesting a role in the sperm maturation and/or sperm-egg binding and fusion. We isolated proteins from fluid, tissue and sperm of boar epididymis, and separated them by chromatographic and electrophoretic methods. We searched for known proteins using panel of antibodies and tested proteins of epididymal fluid for binding abilities. In the epididymis, we found proteins described as proteins of seminal plasma and associated with the sperm surface, such as spermadhesins, beta-microseminoprotein and acrosin inhibitor. These proteins were detected in epididymal sperm, fluid and tissue. We showed that some epididymal proteins may bind the spermatozoa and change the binding sites on the sperm surface. We determined and identified some proteins from boar epididymal fluid with affinity to heparin, hyaluronan and zona pellucida glycoproteins. These phenomena indicate that epididymal fluid proteins bind to the sperm surface during epididymal maturation and might subsequently play role in the sperm capacitation or sperm-zona pellucida binding.
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Sperm protein profiles of different mammalian species
Pohlová, Alžběta ; Zigo, Michal ; Jonáková, Věra ; Postlerová, Pavla
Proteins are a substantial equipment of the spermatic cell; therefore, the characterization of sperm proteins is crucial for explanation of molecular mechanisms in the reproduction process. We isolated sperm proteins from different mammalian species - pig, bull, human, mouse, dog and cat. Extracted proteins were separated by SDS-electrophoresis and protein/glycoprotein profiles from epididymal or ejaculated sperm were compared. Additionally, we tested cross-reactivity of antibodies prepared to sperm boar proteins on spermatozoa of other mammalian species using immunofluorescent technique. Our future plan is to compare the protein profiles of sperm during their functional development (epididymal, ejaculated, capacitated) in various mammalian species and identify species-specific sperm proteins with zona pellucida binding activity.
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Biochemical methods as tool for study of reproductive proteins
Postlerová, Pavla ; Zigo, Michal ; Pohlová, Alžběta ; Jonáková, Věra
Study of molecular mechanisms in reproduction is essential for the understanding of this outstanding process. Our lab studies proteins secreted by reproductive organs and sperm using various biochemical methods for a long time. We have expertise in protein extraction from spermatic cells using different approaches, and by kits for proteins from the sperm surface and distinct subcellular compartments. The proteins of reproductive organ fluids are separated by chromatographic methods, such as size exclusion chromatography, high-performance liquid chromatography with reverse phase (RP-HPLC) and affinity chromatography on matrices with various ligands. Proteins are subjected to SDS- or 2D-electrophoresis for their characterization and comparison of various extraction methods, different mammalian species, and sperm in different functional development. Electrophoretically separated proteins may be transferred onto nitrocellulose membrane (Western blot) for antibody detection or binding studies with lectin-labelled ligands (lectins, polysaccharides, zona pellucida glycoproteins). We use immunoprecipitation method with specific antibody for protein determination followed by the MALDI identification. Proteins are localized by immunofluorescent techniques on/in spermatic cells and tissue sections of reproductive organs. Isolation of proteins from reproductive tissues and fluids, and the antibody detection is crucial for the studying of reproductive protein origin.
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Estrogen receptor beta (ERβ) in testicular cells and sperm
Dostálová, Pavla ; Žatecká, Eva ; Děd, Lukáš ; Dorosh, Andriy ; Postlerová, Pavla ; Jonáková, Věra ; Dvořáková-Hortová, Kateřina ; Pěknicová, Jana
Estrogen is a steroid hormone that plays an important role during sperm development in the male and female reproductive tract. Estrogen signalling is a complex process that depends on cell milieu and presence of receptors. Thanks to the steroid nature of estrogens, they can pass through the plasmatic membrane and bind to the intracellular estrogen receptors (ERs). Within the cell, there are several pools of ERs. One of them is localized to the cell nucleus and their activation leads to direct or indirect binding to DNA and ultimately to alternation in gene expression (genomic pathway). Other pools of ERs are associated with plasma membrane or are located in cytosol. Activation of membrane associated ERs leads to rapid non-genomic responses. Nowadays, two classical estrogen receptors are known – ERα and ERβ. Since ERβ is a predominant variant in testes, we focused our study on expression of ERβ variants in murine testes and sperm. We detected two variants of ERβ at mRNA level in both, testes and sperm. These variants differ in 54 nucleotids within the ligand binding domain and this variability results in different affinity to estrogen. We analyzed individual testicular cell types (spermatogonia, spermatocytes, spermatids, Sertoli cells) by RT-qPCR. Our results suggest that both ERβ variants are coexpressed in the same cell type and may therefore interact together. This may have consequences in mediating of estrogen signalling. Moreover, ERβ is expressed more in the later stages of spermatogenesis suggesting the role of ERβ in these stages or alternatively in spermatozoa alone. At the protein level, we detected ERβ in nuclear, membrane and cytosolic fraction prepared from testicular tissue suggesting the involvement of both, genomic and non-genomic, pathways of estrogen signaling in testes. In sperm, anti-ERβ antibodies localized ERβ in acrosome region and tail which is in accordance with the known role of estrogen on capacitation, acrosome reaction and motility.
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The ubiquitin–proteasome system is involved in the regulation of activity of spermadhesin aqn1 and acrosin inhibitor, the two sperm surface proteins, during porcine fertilization
Jonáková, Věra ; Yi, Y.J. ; Postlerová, Pavla ; Pěknicová, Jana
The spermadhesin AQN1and acrosin inhibitor (AI/SPINK2) proteins bind to the sperm plasma membrane at ejaculation. The AQN1 has been implicated in sperm binding to zona pellucida (ZP) of the oocyte as well as in sperm interactions with the epithelium of the oviductal sperm reservoir. The SPINK2 protects spermatozoa from proteolytic degradation during their trip up the female genital tract toward the oocyte. This study examined the role of two components of the 19S proteasome regulatory complex, the ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase UCHL3 and PSMD8 in the AQN1-mediated boar sperm binding to zona pellucida. Interaction of PSMD4 subunit with the acrosomal surface-associated acrosin inhibitor AI/SPINK2 provided another line of evidence for the presence of 26S proteasomes on the sperm surface. Detection of the ubiquitinated forms of SPINK2 supports the hypothesis that SPINK2 activity is controlled by ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS). The activity of the porcine AQN1, and thus the efficiency of sperm-oocyte recognition/binding, may be controlled by elements of the sperm surface-bound UPS, in particular by UCHL3, and by proteasomal regulatory complex subunit PSMD8. Ubiquitinated isoforms of AQN1 were also detected in boar sperm extracts. The UCHL inhibitor ubiquitin aldehyde and the antibodies against UCHL3 or PSMD8 increased the rate of sperm-ZP penetration and polyspermy during porcine in vitro fertilization (IVF). In contrast, the addition of recombinant UCHL3 to fertilization medium significantly reduced polyspermy rates, while maintaining satisfactory rate of monospermic fertilization (~50%). These results are significant for production agriculture. The high level of polyspermy that hinders porcine IVF for commercial embryo transfer could be mitigated by the modulation of the UCHL3 and/or PSMD8 activity.
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