Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2023 Feb 16;18(2):e0280013.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0280013. eCollection 2023.

Using the Culex pipiens sperm proteome to identify elements essential for mosquito reproduction

Catherine D Thaler  1 , Kaira Carstens  2 , Gabrielle Martinez  3 , Kimberly Stephens  3 , Richard A Cardullo  1   2   3
Affiliations

Using the Culex pipiens sperm proteome to identify elements essential for mosquito reproduction

Catherine D Thaler et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

Mature sperm from Culex pipiens were isolated and analyzed by mass spectrometry to generate a mature sperm proteome dataset. In this study, we highlight subsets of proteins related to flagellar structure and sperm motility and compare the identified protein components to previous studies examining essential functions of sperm. The proteome includes 1700 unique protein IDs, including a number of uncharacterized proteins. Here we discuss those proteins that may contribute to the unusual structure of the Culex sperm flagellum, as well as potential regulators of calcium mobilization and phosphorylation pathways that regulate motility. This database will prove useful for understanding the mechanisms that activate and maintain sperm motility as well as identify potential molecular targets for mosquito population control.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. Distribution of unique protein identifications across three Culex sperm proteome samples.
Fig 2
Fig 2. Protein distribution among unique IDs by gene ontology analysis.
A) Cellular component. B) Biological process. C) Molecular function.
Fig 3
Fig 3. PCR and Western blot identification of MAPK.
A) PCR analysis of testis cDNA for MAP Kinase. The primers used and predicted amplicon sizes are shown below the gel. B) Erk1/2 Western blot of Culex sperm. Using a polyclonal anti-Erk antibody, a band was detected in Culex tissues at approximately 42 kDa, consistent with migration of the positive control band from an EGF-stimulated A431 cell lysate.
Fig 4
Fig 4. PCR amplicons from the 70 kD tubulin.
A: gDNA. PCR products covering regions of the tubulin core (T1, T2, T3 primer pairs) as well as the C-terminal extension (T4 primer pair) were amplified from the genomic DNA. Primers targeting actin (Act) served as a positive control. The T4 amplicon includes core, tail, and C-terminal regions of the gene, thus indicating that the gene sequence does have the C-terminal extension. B: cDNA. The primers covering the tubulin core (T1, T2, T3) amplified sequences from the testis cDNA, but the T4 primers, covering the C-terminal extension did not produce a product from testis cDNA.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. Werner M, Simmons LW. Insect sperm motility. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc. 2008;83(2):191–208. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-185X.2008.00039.x - DOI - PubMed
    1. Phillips DM. Exceptions to the prevailing pattern of tubules (9 + 9 + 2) in the sperm flagella of certain insect species. J Cell Biol. 1969. Jan;40(1):28–43. doi: 10.1083/jcb.40.1.28 ; PMCID: PMC2107587. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Phillips DM. Structural variants in invertebrate sperm flagella and their relationship to motility. In: Sleigh MA, editor. Cilia and Flagella, New York: Academic Press; 1974. p. 379–402.
    1. Dallai RA, Bellon PLB, Vecchia SLB, Afzelius BAC. The dipteran sperm tail: ultrastructural characteristics and phylogenetic considerations. Zool Scripta 1993;22:193–202.
    1. Thaler CD, Miyata H, Haimo LT, Cardullo RA. Waveform generation is controlled by phosphorylation and swimming direction is controlled by Ca2+ in sperm from the mosquito Culex quinquefasciatus. Biol Reprod. 2013. Dec 12;89(6):135. doi: 10.1095/biolreprod.113.109488 . - DOI - PubMed

Publication types

Grants and funding

Funding for this project was provided by the University of California, Riverside to RAC.