IN BRIEF: Proper degradation of maternally inherited proteins is a prerequisite for successful embryonic development. This study shows the species-specificity of this process. ABSTRACT: The mechanism of targeting maternal proteins for degradation during preimplantation development is an unexplored process. Only a few proteins that need to be degraded for the proper course of the maternal-to-zygotic transition have been described in mice, and a few more in non-mammalian species. However, it is not well known whether the need for degradation is conserved across species or if it is driven in a species-specific way. Therefore, we selected six proteins that need to be degraded for the proper course of the maternal-to-zygotic transition in mice or Xenopus, and thoroughly characterized their expression at both the mRNA and protein level during bovine embryogenesis. Further, we analysed the protein expression in mice and pigs and compared it to bovine embryos. Thus, we provide a unique interspecies comparison of three mammalian representatives. We found that the degree of conservation between species is low and does not depend on the evolutionary relatedness of the species. This paper suggests that protein degradation during preimplantation development is controlled by a combination of species-specific factors from the embryo and the sequences of protein homologues.

• Klíčová slova
• cattle, embryonic genome activation, maternal protein, preimplantation development, protein degradation,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

Capacitation is an essential post-testicular maturation event endowing spermatozoa with fertilizing capacity within the female reproductive tract, significant for fertility, reproductive health, and contraception. By using a human-relevant large animal model, the domestic boar, this study focuses on furthering our understanding of the involvement of the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) in sperm capacitation. The UPS is a universal, evolutionarily conserved, cellular proteome-wide degradation and recycling machinery, that has been shown to play a significant role in reproduction during the past two decades. Herein, we have used a bottom-up proteomic approach to (i) monitor the capacitation-related changes in the sperm protein levels, and (ii) identify the targets of UPS regulation during sperm capacitation. Spermatozoa were capacitated under proteasomal activity-permissive and inhibiting conditions and extracted sperm proteins were subjected to high-resolution mass spectrometry. We report that 401 individual proteins differed at least two-fold in abundance (P < 0.05) after in vitro capacitation (IVC) and 13 proteins were found significantly different (P < 0.05) between capacitated spermatozoa with proteasomal inhibition compared to the vehicle control. These proteins were associated with biological processes including sperm capacitation, sperm motility, metabolism, binding to zona pellucida, and proteasome-mediated catabolism. Changes in RAB2A, CFAP161, and TTR during IVC were phenotyped by immunocytochemistry, image-based flow cytometry, and Western blotting. We conclude that (i) the sperm proteome is subjected to extensive remodeling during sperm capacitation, and (ii) the UPS has a narrow range of distinct protein substrates during capacitation. This knowledge highlights the importance of the UPS in sperm capacitation and offers opportunities to identify novel pharmacological targets to modulate sperm fertilizing ability for the benefit of human reproductive health, assisted reproductive therapy, and contraception, as well as reproductive management in food animal agriculture.

• Klíčová slova
• Pig, Sperm capacitation, Sperm proteomics, Ubiquitin-proteasome system,
• MeSH
• kapacitace spermií * fyziologie   MeSH
• prasata MeSH
• proteasomový endopeptidasový komplex * metabolismus   MeSH
• proteom metabolismus   MeSH
• proteomika * metody   MeSH
• spermie * metabolismus   fyziologie   MeSH
• ubikvitin * metabolismus   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• proteasomový endopeptidasový komplex * MeSH
• proteom MeSH
• ubikvitin * MeSH

SCF-dependent proteolysis was first discovered via genetic screening of budding yeast almost 25 years ago. In recent years, more and more functions of SCF (Skp1-Cullin 1-F-box) ligases have been described, and we can expect the number of studies on this topic to increase. SCF ligases, which are E3 ubiquitin multi-protein enzymes, catalyse protein ubiquitination and thus allow protein degradation mediated by the 26S proteasome. They play a crucial role in the degradation of cell cycle regulators, regulation of the DNA repair and centrosome cycle and play an important role in several diseases. SCF ligases seem to be needed during all phases of development, from oocyte formation through fertilization, activation of the embryonic genome to embryo implantation. In this review, we summarize known data on SCF ligase-mediated degradation during oogenesis and embryogenesis. In particular, SCFβTrCP and SCFSEL-10/FBXW7 are among the most important and best researched ligases during early development. SCFβTrCP is crucial for the oogenesis of Xenopus and mouse and also in Xenopus and Drosophila embryogenesis. SCFSEL-10/FBXW7 participates in the degradation of several RNA-binding proteins and thereby affects the regulation of gene expression during the meiosis of C. elegans. Nevertheless, a large number of SCF ligases that are primarily involved in embryogenesis remain to be elucidated.

• Klíčová slova
• SCF ligases, embryogenesis, oogenesis, ubiquitin, ubiquitin-proteasome system,
• MeSH
• biologické modely MeSH
• embryonální vývoj * MeSH
• oocyty cytologie   metabolismus   MeSH
• oogeneze * MeSH
• proteinligasy komplexu SCF metabolismus   MeSH
• substrátová specifita MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• přehledy MeSH
• Názvy látek
• proteinligasy komplexu SCF MeSH

The degradation of maternally provided molecules is a very important process during early embryogenesis. However, the vast majority of studies deals with mRNA degradation and protein degradation is only a very little explored process yet. The aim of this article was to summarize current knowledge about the protein degradation during embryogenesis of mammals. In addition to resuming of known data concerning mammalian embryogenesis, we tried to fill the gaps in knowledge by comparison with facts known about protein degradation in early embryos of non-mammalian species. Maternal protein degradation seems to be driven by very strict rules in terms of specificity and timing. The degradation of some maternal proteins is certainly necessary for the normal course of embryonic genome activation (EGA) and several concrete proteins that need to be degraded before major EGA have been already found. Nevertheless, the most important period seems to take place even before preimplantation development-during oocyte maturation. The defects arisen during this period seems to be later irreparable.

• Klíčová slova
• Autophagy, Embryonic genome activation, Maternal to zygotic transition, Proteasome system, Ubiquitin, Ubiquitin ligase,
• MeSH
• embryo nesavčí metabolismus   fyziologie   MeSH
• embryo savčí metabolismus   fyziologie   MeSH
• embryonální vývoj fyziologie   MeSH
• genom fyziologie   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• oocyty metabolismus   fyziologie   MeSH
• proteiny metabolismus   MeSH
• vývojová regulace genové exprese fyziologie   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• přehledy MeSH
• Názvy látek
• proteiny MeSH