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Biomolecules
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Gametogenesis and Gamete Interaction, 2nd Edition
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Gametogenesis and Gamete Interaction, 2nd Edition

A special issue of Biomolecules (ISSN 2218-273X). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Reproduction".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 July 2025 | Viewed by 3691

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Hitoshi Sawada

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Emeritus Professor, Sugashima Marine Biological Laboratory, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
Interests: fertilization; ascidian; sperm; protease; proteasome; ubiquitin; egg; animal; allorecognition; self-incompatibility
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Sexual reproduction is one of the most important events in living organisms. It is critical for creating new individuals and maintaining the sustainable existence of each species. Even unicellular organisms or asexual reproductive organisms utilize sexual reproductive strategies to survive in terrestrial environments. Sexual reproduction comprises gametogenesis and gamete interaction. The former involves meiosis and gamete maturation/morphogenesis, while the latter involves the events of sperm attraction and activation, species-specific and allo-specific gamete recognition, and binding, acrosome reaction, sperm penetration of egg coat, gamete fusion, and egg activation. The present Special Issue focuses on the above topics in the sexual reproduction of animals and plants. In particular, the submission of original and review articles on the novel findings and ideas surrounding the molecular mechanisms of sexual reproduction are greatly anticipated.

Prof. Dr. Hitoshi Sawada
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biomolecules is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • gametogenesis and meiosis
  • sperm attraction and activation
  • gamete interaction and recognition
  • species specificity and self/nonself-recognition in hermaphrodites
  • acrosome reaction sperm penetration of egg coat
  • gamete membrane fusion
  • polyspermy block
  • egg activation

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

22 pages, 7498 KiB  
Article
Recycling of Uridylated mRNAs in Starfish Embryos
by Haruka Yamazaki, Megumi Furuichi, Mikoto Katagiri, Rei Kajitani, Takehiko Itoh and Kazuyoshi Chiba
Biomolecules 2024, 14(12), 1610; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom14121610 - 16 Dec 2024
Viewed by 750
Abstract
In eukaryotes, mRNAs with long poly(A) tails are translationally active, but deadenylation and uridylation of these tails generally cause mRNA degradation. However, the fate of uridylated mRNAs that are not degraded quickly remains obscure. Here, using tail-seq and microinjection of the 3′ region [...] Read more.
In eukaryotes, mRNAs with long poly(A) tails are translationally active, but deadenylation and uridylation of these tails generally cause mRNA degradation. However, the fate of uridylated mRNAs that are not degraded quickly remains obscure. Here, using tail-seq and microinjection of the 3′ region of mRNA, we report that some mRNAs in starfish are re-polyadenylated to be translationally active after deadenylation and uridylation. In oocytes, uridylated maternal cyclin B mRNAs are stable without decay, and they are polyadenylated to be translated after hormonal stimulation to resume meiosis, whereas they are deadenylated and re-uridylated at the blastula stage, followed by decay. Similarly, deadenylated and uridylated maternal ribosomal protein mRNAs, Rps29 and Rpl27a, were stable and inactive after hormonal stimulation, but they had been polyadenylated and active before hormonal stimulation. At the morula stage, uridylated maternal ribosomal protein mRNAs were re-polyadenylated, rendering them translationally active. These results indicate that uridylated mRNAs in starfish exist in a poised state, allowing them to be recycled or decayed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gametogenesis and Gamete Interaction, 2nd Edition)
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10 pages, 2317 KiB  
Article
Identification of Six Novel Proteins Containing a ZP Module from Nemertean Species
by Jumpei Ikenaga, Kaoru Yoshida and Manabu Yoshida
Biomolecules 2024, 14(12), 1545; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom14121545 - 2 Dec 2024
Viewed by 1631
Abstract
During fertilization, a series of reactions between the eggs and spermatozoa proceed predominantly in a species-specific manner. The molecules mediating these species-specific reactions remain unknown except in a few organisms. In this study, we focused on two species belonging to the phylum Nemertea, [...] Read more.
During fertilization, a series of reactions between the eggs and spermatozoa proceed predominantly in a species-specific manner. The molecules mediating these species-specific reactions remain unknown except in a few organisms. In this study, we focused on two species belonging to the phylum Nemertea, Kulikovia alborostrata and K. fulva, and explored molecules involved in species-specific interactions between gametes. Orthologs of molecules known to be involved in species-specific reactions were not expressed in the ovaries of these two species. In contrast, we identified six novel proteins, named NeZPL1–NeZPL6, containing a ZP module. Among these, we found that NeZPL6 is located on the surface of an unfertilized egg and is suggested to be involved in its interaction with spermatozoa. Furthermore, we found an indel of three amino acids in the EGF-like domain of NeZPL6, which possibly confers species specificity to this interaction. Our results suggested the existence of a novel system for species recognition in animal gametes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gametogenesis and Gamete Interaction, 2nd Edition)
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15 pages, 4878 KiB  
Article
Involvement of Metalloproteases in the Fertilization of the Ascidian Halocynthia roretzi
by Hitoshi Sawada, Ikuya Hattori, Noritaka Hashii and Takako Saito
Biomolecules 2024, 14(12), 1487; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom14121487 - 22 Nov 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 818
Abstract
We previously reported that five astacin-like metalloproteases with thrombospondin type-1 repeats (Tasts) located on the sperm surface are a promising candidate as the protease involved in sperm penetration of the vitelline coat (VC) during fertilization of the ascidian Ciona intestinalis type A (Phlebobranchia). [...] Read more.
We previously reported that five astacin-like metalloproteases with thrombospondin type-1 repeats (Tasts) located on the sperm surface are a promising candidate as the protease involved in sperm penetration of the vitelline coat (VC) during fertilization of the ascidian Ciona intestinalis type A (Phlebobranchia). However, whether such a protease is involved in the fertilization of other ascidians is unknown. Here, we investigated the effects of four metalloprotease inhibitors on the fertilization of the ascidian Halocynthia roretzi (Stolidobranchia). Three metalloprotease inhibitors, GM6001, TAPI-0, and TAPI-1, strongly inhibited fertilization at 33 and 11 μM, whereas TAPI-2 weakly inhibited fertilization at 33 μM. In contrast, GM6001NC (negative control) had no effect on fertilization at 100 μM. Furthermore, GM6001 had no inhibitory effect on the fertilization of VC-deprived eggs. The metalloprotease appears to function at the middle or late stage of fertilization. Ten Tast genes were identified in the H. roretzi genome database, among which four genes (HrTast1, HrTast2b, HrTast2c, and HrTast3c) possessed a single transmembrane domain in the N-terminal region. These four genes are transcribed in the testis and ovary, as revealed by RT-PCR. Anti-HrTast2c IgG raised against a peptide corresponding to the Zn-binding consensus sequence weakly inhibited fertilization at 0.5 mg/mL. These results led us to propose that sperm astacin-like metalloproteases may be involved in sperm penetration of the VC during H. roretzi fertilization. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gametogenesis and Gamete Interaction, 2nd Edition)
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