Czech J. Anim. Sci., 2017, 62(12):519-526 | DOI: 10.17221/18/2017-CJAS

Species difference in the expression of Fas and Fas ligand in mature mammalian spermatozoaOriginal Paper

Youwei Li1,3, Mingju Sun1, Jiang Zhu1, Guangzhong Jiao2, Juan Lin2, Haibo Dong2, Jinghe Tan*,1,2, Jiabo Zhou*,1
1 Key Laboratory of Animal Cellular and Genetic Engineering of Heilongjiang Province, College of Life Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, P.R. China
2 College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, P.R. China
3 Institute of Genome Engineered Animal Models for Human Diseases, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, P.R. China

Although it has been proposed that the Fas and Fas ligand (FasL) may protect ejaculated spermatozoa against apoptosis induced by lipoperoxidative damage and against lymphocytes present in the female genital tract, studies reported conflicting results on the presence of Fas receptors in ejaculated human spermatozoa. Furthermore, the expression of Fas/FasL on mature spermatozoa has not been observed in several important mammals. Using seven species, we observed the possibility for species difference in Fas/FasL expression on mature spermatozoa by both immunofluorescence microscopy and western blot analysis. Whereas intensive signals of Fas immunolabelling were detected in sperm head and middle piece and weak signals observed in the tail in 86-100% of the mouse, rat, bull, ram, and buck spermatozoa, only weak signals were detected on the whole body of 27% boar spermatozoa and in the head of 21% human spermatozoa. The pattern of FasL localization was identical to that of Fas in spermatozoa from human, mouse, rat, ram, and buck, but boar and bull spermatozoa showed weak and intensive FasL signals, respectively, only in the head. Western blotting further confirmed the Fas and FasL expression in mouse, rat, bull, ram, and buck, but not in human and boar spermatozoa. Taken together, the results revealed a marked species difference in Fas/FasL expression and an extensive co-expression of Fas and FasL among mature mammalian spermatozoa, suggesting that whereas spermatozoa from most species may be protected by Fas/FasL, those from human and boar may not use the Fas system for protection.

Keywords: sperm; Fas antigen; FasL; apoptosis; mammals

Published: December 31, 2017  Show citation

ACS AIP APA ASA Harvard Chicago Chicago Notes IEEE ISO690 MLA NLM Turabian Vancouver
Li Y, Sun M, Zhu J, Jiao G, Lin J, Dong H, et al.. Species difference in the expression of Fas and Fas ligand in mature mammalian spermatozoa. Czech J. Anim. Sci. 2017;62(12):519-526. doi: 10.17221/18/2017-CJAS.
Share...
Download citation
  • BibTeX (.bib)
  • Bookends (.ris)
  • EasyBib (.ris)
  • EndNote (.enw)
  • EndNote 8 (.xml)
  • ISI WoS (.isi)
  • Medlars (.medlars)
  • Mendeley (.ris)
  • MODS (.xml)
  • Papers (.ris)
  • RefWorks (.txt)
  • RefManager (.ris)
  • RIS (.ris)
  • MS Word (.xml)
  • Zotero (.ris)
    • Open full article

    References

    1. Chang Y., Dai D.H., Li Y., Zhang Y., Zhang M., Zhou G.B., Zeng C.J. (2016): Differences in the expression of microRNAs and their predicted gene targets between cauda epididymal and ejaculated boar sperm. Theriogenology, 86, 2162-2171. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    2. D'Alessio A., Riccioli A., Lauretti P., Padula F., Muciaccia B., De Cesaris P., Filippini A., Nagata S., Ziparo E. (2001): Testicular FasL is expressed by sperm cells. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 98, 3316-3321. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    3. French L.E., Hahne M., Viard I., Radlgruber G., Zanone R., Becker K., Muller C., Tschopp J. (1996): Fas and Fas ligand in embryos and adult mice: ligand expression in several immune-privileged tissues and coexpression in adult tissues characterized by apoptotic cell turnover. Journal of Cell Biology, 133, 335-343. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    4. Lee J., Richburg J.H., Younkin S.C., Boekelheide K. (1997): The Fas system is a key regulator of germ cell apoptosis in the testis. Journal of Endocrinology, 138, 2081-2088. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    5. Lee J., Richburg J.H., Shipp E.B., Meistrich M.L., Boekelheide K. (1999): The Fas system, a regulator of testicular germ cell apoptosis, is differentially up-regulated in Sertoli cell versus germ cell injury of the testis. Journal of Endocrinology, 140, 852-858. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    6. McVicar C.M., McClure N., Williamson K., Dalzell L.H., Lewis S.E. (2004): Incidence of Fas positivity and deoxyribonucleic acid double-stranded breaks in human ejaculated sperm. Fertility and Sterility, 81 (Suppl. 1), 767-774. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    7. Meggiolaro D., Porcelli F., Carnevali A., Crepaldi P., Savarese E., Ferrandi B. (2006): A possible role of Fas antigen in ejaculated spermatozoa of fertile bulls: an immunocytochemical quantitative approach. Acta Histochemica, 107, 463-468. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    8. Nastiuk K.L., Kim J.W., Mann M., Krolewski J.J. (2003): Androgen regulation of FLICE-like inhibitory protein gene expression in the rat prostate. Journal of Cellular Physiology, 196, 386-393. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    9. Park C., Sakamaki K., Tachibana O., Yamashima T., Yamashita J., Yonehara S. (1998): Expression of Fas antigen in the normal mouse brain. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 252, 623-628. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    10. Perticarari S., Ricci G., Boscolo R., De Santis M. (2008): Fas receptor is not present on ejaculated human sperm. Human Reproduction, 23, 1271-1279. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    11. Porcelli F., Meggiolaro D., Carnevali A., Ferrandi B. (2006): Fas ligand in bull ejaculated spermatozoa: a quantitative immunocytochemical study. Acta Histochemica, 108, 287-292. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    12. Riccioli A., Salvati L., D'Alessio A., Starace D., Giampietri C., De Cesaris P., Filippini A., Ziparo E. (2003): The Fas system in the seminiferous epithelium and its possible extra-testicular role. Andrologia, 35, 64-70. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    13. Riccioli A., Dal Secco V., De Cesaris P., Starace D., Gandini L., Lenzi A., Dondero F., Padula F., Filippini A., Ziparo E. (2005): Presence of membrane and soluble forms of Fas ligand and of matrilysin (MMP-7) activity in normal and abnormal human semen. Human Reproduction, 20, 2814-2820. Go to original source...
    14. Riccioli A., Dal Secco V., De Cesaris P., Starace D., Gandini L., Lenzi A., Dondero F., Padula F., Filippini A., Ziparo E. (2005): Presence of membrane and soluble forms of Fas ligand and of matrilysin (MMP-7) activity in normal and abnormal human semen. Human Reproduction, 20, 2814-2820. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    15. Richburg J.H., Nanez A., Williams L.R., Embree M.E., Boekelheide K. (2000): Sensitivity of testicular germ cells to toxicant-induced apoptosis in gld mice that express a nonfunctional form of Fas ligand. Journal of Endocrinology, 141, 787-793. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    16. Riffkin C.D., Gray A.Z., Hawkins C.J., Chow C.W., Ashley D.M. (2001): Ex vivo pediatric brain tumors express Fas (CD95) and FasL (CD95L) and are resistant to apoptosis induction. Neuro-Oncology, 3, 229-240. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    17. Sakkas D., Mariethoz E., St. John J.C. (1999): Abnormal sperm parameters in humans are indicative of an abortive apoptotic mechanism linked to the Fas-mediated pathway. Experimental Cell Research, 251, 350-355. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    18. Soleimani M., Tavalaee M., Aboutorabi R., Adib M., Bahramian H., Janzamin E., Kiani A., Nasr-Esfahani M.H. (2010): Evaluation of Fas positive sperm and complement mediated lysis in subfertile individuals. Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics, 27, 477-482. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    19. Starace D., Muciaccia B., Morgante E., Russo M.A., Pensini S., D'Agostino A., De Cesaris P., Filippini A., Ziparo E., Riccioli A. (2009): Peculiar subcellular localization of Fas antigen in human and mouse spermatozoa. Microscopy Research and Technique, 72, 573-579. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    20. Suda T., Golstein P., Nagata S. (1993): Molecular cloning and expression of the Fas ligand, a novel member of the tumor necrosis factor family. Cell, 75, 1169-1178. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    21. World Health Organization (1999): WHO laboratory manual for the examination of human semen and semen-cervical mucus interaction. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK.
    22. Zan Bar T., Yehuda R., Hacham T., Krupnik S., Bartoov B. (2008): Influence of Campylobacter fetus subsp. fetus on ram sperm cell quality. Journal of Medical Microbiology, 57, 1405-1410. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    23. Zhang Y., Dai D., Chang Y., Li Y., Zhang M., Zhou G., Peng Z., Zeng C. (2017): Cryopreservation of boar sperm induces differential microRNAs expression. Cryobiology, 76, 24-33. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...

    This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY NC 4.0), which permits non-comercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original publication is properly cited. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.


    Return to the content