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Immunological characterisation of the acrosomal filament in the marine shrimp Sicyonia ingentis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 November 1998

John D. Baldwin ,
Fred J. Griffin  and
Wallis H. Clark
John D. Baldwin
Affiliation:
Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32653, USA Division of Science–Biology, Florida Atlantic University, Davie, Florida, USA
Fred J. Griffin
Affiliation:
Bodega Marine Laboratory, University of California Davis, Bodega Bay, CA 94923, USA
Wallis H. Clark
Affiliation:
Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32653, USA
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Abstract

During sperm/egg interaction, the sperm of Sicyonia ingentis undergoes a unique biphasic acrosome reaction. After acrosomal vesicle exocytosis, the sperm generates an acrosomal filament, over a period of 4-6 min, that is approximately 10 μm in length. Neither actin filaments nor normal microtubules have been demonstrated at the ultrastructural level of this unusual filament. Using a battery of cytoskeleton-directed antibodies the biochemical nature of this filament has been investigated. Antibodies to actin and tubulin do not label the subacrosome or acrosomal filament, but do recognise actin and tubulin in other shrimp tissues. Antibodies to tau, MAP2, and neurofilament medium and heavy subunits were all localised to the subacrosomal region of the sperm. It is interesting, however, that only the two clones of neurofilament monoclonal antibodies recognised the acrosomal filament. Electrophoretic and Western blot analysis in conjunction with amino acid sequencing revealed that the proteins localised to the acrosomal filament are of a unique sequence and may represent a new type of protein of centrosomal origin.

Keywords

Acrosomal filamentCentrosomeFertilisationInvertebrateNeurofilaments
Type
Research Article
Information
Zygote , Volume 6 , Issue 4 , November 1998 , pp. 329 - 339
Copyright
1998 Cambridge University Press

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