Cardiff University | Prifysgol Caerdydd ORCA
Online Research @ Cardiff 
WelshClear Cookie - decide language by browser settings

The role and mechanism of action of sperm PLC-zeta in mammalian fertilisation

Nomikos, Michail, Kashir, Junaid and Lai, Francis Antony ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2852-8547 2017. The role and mechanism of action of sperm PLC-zeta in mammalian fertilisation. Biochemical Journal 474 (21) , pp. 3659-3673. 10.1042/BCJ20160521

[thumbnail of BJ_review_July2017.pdf]
Preview
PDF - Accepted Post-Print Version
Download (863kB) | Preview

Abstract

At mammalian fertilisation, the fundamental stimulus that triggers oocyte (egg) activation and initiation of early embryonic development is an acute rise of the intracellular-free calcium (Ca2+) concentration inside the egg cytoplasm. This essential Ca2+ increase comprises a characteristic series of repetitive Ca2+ oscillations, starting soon after sperm–egg fusion. Over the last 15 years, accumulating scientific and clinical evidence supports the notion that the physiological stimulus that precedes the cytosolic Ca2+ oscillations is a novel, testis-specific phospholipase C (PLC) isoform, known as PLC-zeta (PLCζ). Sperm PLCζ catalyses the hydrolysis of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate triggering cytosolic Ca2+ oscillations through the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate signalling pathway. PLCζ is the smallest known mammalian PLC isoform with the most elementary domain organisation. However, relative to somatic PLCs, the PLCζ isoform possesses a unique potency in stimulating Ca2+ oscillations in eggs that is attributed to its novel biochemical characteristics. In this review, we discuss the latest developments that have begun to unravel the vital role of PLCζ at mammalian fertilisation and decipher its unique mechanism of action within the fertilising egg. We also postulate the significant potential diagnostic and therapeutic capacity of PLCζ in alleviating certain types of male infertility.

Item Type: Article
Date Type: Publication
Status: Published
Schools: Biosciences
Publisher: Biochemical Society
ISSN: 0264-6021
Date of First Compliant Deposit: 7 November 2017
Date of Acceptance: 18 September 2017
Last Modified: 07 Nov 2023 22:34
URI: https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/106290

Citation Data

Cited 14 times in Scopus. View in Scopus. Powered By Scopus® Data

Actions (repository staff only)

Edit Item Edit Item

Downloads

Downloads per month over past year

View more statistics