In many species, both morphological and molecular traits related to sex and reproduction evolve faster in males than in females. Ultimately, rapid male evolution relies on the acquisition of genetic variation associated with differential reproductive success. Many newly evolved genes are associated with novel functions that might enhance male fitness. However, functional evidence of the adaptive role of recently originated genes in males is still lacking. The Sperm dynein intermediate chain multigene family, which encodes a Sperm dynein intermediate chain presumably involved in sperm motility, originated from complex genetic rearrangements in the lineage that leads to Drosophila melanogaster within the last 5.4 million years since its split from Drosophila simulans. We deleted all the members of this multigene family resident on the X chromosome of D. melanogaster by chromosome engineering and found that, although the deletion does not result in a reduction of progeny number, it impairs the competence of the sperm in the presence of sperm from wild-type males. Therefore, the Sperm dynein intermediate chain multigene family contributes to the differential reproductive success among males and illustrates precisely how quickly a new gene function can be incorporated into the genetic network of a species.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1121327109 | DOI Listing |
Nature
January 2025
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
Reproduction, development and homeostasis depend on motile cilia, whose rhythmic beating is powered by a microtubule-based molecular machine called the axoneme. Although an atomic model of the axoneme is available for the alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, structures of mammalian axonemes are incomplete. Furthermore, we do not fully understand how molecular structures of axonemes vary across motile-ciliated cell types in the body.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFElife
December 2024
Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
The structural integrity of the sperm is crucial for male fertility, defects in sperm head-tail linkage and flagellar axoneme are associated with acephalic spermatozoa syndrome (ASS) and the multiple morphological abnormalities of the sperm flagella (MMAF). Notably, impaired head-tail coupling apparatus (HTCA) often accompanies defects in the flagellum structure, however, the molecular mechanisms underlying this phenomenon remain elusive. Here, we identified an evolutionarily conserved coiled-coil domain-containing (CCDC) protein, CCDC113, and found the disruption of CCDC113 produced spermatozoa with disorganized sperm flagella and HTCA, which caused male infertility.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMol Biol Cell
December 2024
Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Texas 75235, USA.
Cilia and flagella play a crucial role in the development and function of eukaryotes. The activity of thousands of dyneins is precisely regulated to generate flagellar motility. The complex proteome (600+ proteins) and architecture of the structural core of flagella, the axoneme, have made it challenging to dissect the functions of the different complexes, like the regulatory machinery.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFront Endocrinol (Lausanne)
November 2024
Department of Andrology, Women and Children's Hospital, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China.
Background: Oligoasthenoteratozoospermia (OAT) is a widespread cause of male infertility. One of the usual clinical manifestations of OAT is multiple morphological abnormalities of the sperm flagella (MMAF), which are frequently associated with mutations and defects in the dynein family. However, the relationship between the newly identified Dynein Axonemal Heavy Chain 3 (DNAH3) mutation and oligonasthenospermia in humans has not yet been established.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAndrology
November 2024
Thoracic Research Center, Imam Khomeini Hospital Complex, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by dysfunction of motile cilia in various organ systems, including the respiratory and reproductive tracts. A key manifestation in males is infertility, primarily attributed to impaired sperm motility. Although sperm vitality may be preserved, immotility or abnormal flagellar function significantly impairs natural conception.
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