IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/nature/v595y2021i7869d10.1038_s41586-021-03742-6.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Structure of a mammalian sperm cation channel complex

Author

Listed:
  • Shiyi Lin

    (Westlake University
    Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine
    Institute of Biology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study)

  • Meng Ke

    (Westlake University
    Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine
    Institute of Biology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study)

  • Yuqi Zhang

    (Westlake University
    Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine
    Institute of Biology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study)

  • Zhen Yan

    (Westlake University
    Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine
    Institute of Biology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study)

  • Jianping Wu

    (Westlake University
    Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine
    Institute of Biology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study)

Abstract

The cation channel of sperm (CatSper) is essential for sperm motility and fertility1,2. CatSper comprises the pore-forming proteins CATSPER1–4 and multiple auxiliary subunits, including CATSPERβ, γ, δ, ε, ζ, and EFCAB91,3–9. Here we report the cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structure of the CatSper complex isolated from mouse sperm. In the extracellular view, CATSPER1–4 conform to the conventional domain-swapped voltage-gated ion channel fold10, following a counterclockwise arrangement. The auxiliary subunits CATSPERβ, γ, δ and ε—each of which contains a single transmembrane segment and a large extracellular domain—constitute a pavilion-like structure that stabilizes the entire complex through interactions with CATSPER4, 1, 3 and 2, respectively. Our EM map reveals several previously uncharacterized components, exemplified by the organic anion transporter SLCO6C1. We name this channel–transporter ultracomplex the CatSpermasome. The assembly and organization details of the CatSpermasome presented here lay the foundation for the development of CatSpermasome-related treatments for male infertility and non-hormonal contraceptives.

Suggested Citation

  • Shiyi Lin & Meng Ke & Yuqi Zhang & Zhen Yan & Jianping Wu, 2021. "Structure of a mammalian sperm cation channel complex," Nature, Nature, vol. 595(7869), pages 746-750, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:595:y:2021:i:7869:d:10.1038_s41586-021-03742-6
    DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03742-6
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03742-6
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41586-021-03742-6?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Elena Grahn & Svenja V. Kaufmann & Malika Askarova & Momchil Ninov & Luisa M. Welp & Thomas K. Berger & Henning Urlaub & U.Benjamin Kaupp, 2023. "Control of intracellular pH and bicarbonate by CO2 diffusion into human sperm," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-17, December.
    2. Yanhe Zhao & Huafeng Wang & Caroline Wiesehoefer & Naman B. Shah & Evan Reetz & Jae Yeon Hwang & Xiaofang Huang & Tse-en Wang & Polina V. Lishko & Karen M. Davies & Gunther Wennemuth & Daniela Nicastr, 2022. "3D structure and in situ arrangements of CatSper channel in the sperm flagellum," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-15, December.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:595:y:2021:i:7869:d:10.1038_s41586-021-03742-6. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.