Biochemical and structural characterization of apolipoprotein A-I binding protein, a novel phosphoprotein with a potential role in sperm capacitation

Endocrinology. 2008 May;149(5):2108-20. doi: 10.1210/en.2007-0582. Epub 2008 Jan 17.

Abstract

The physiological changes that sperm undergo in the female reproductive tract rendering them fertilization-competent constitute the phenomenon of capacitation. Cholesterol efflux from the sperm surface and protein kinase A (PKA)-dependent phosphorylation play major regulatory roles in capacitation, but the link between these two phenomena is unknown. We report that apolipoprotein A-I binding protein (AI-BP) is phosphorylated downstream to PKA activation, localizes to both sperm head and tail domains, and is released from the sperm into the media during in vitro capacitation. AI-BP interacts with apolipoprotein A-I, the component of high-density lipoprotein involved in cholesterol transport. The crystal structure demonstrates that the subunit of the AI-BP homodimer has a Rossmann-like fold. The protein surface has a large two compartment cavity lined with conserved residues. This cavity is likely to constitute an active site, suggesting that AI-BP functions as an enzyme. The presence of AI-BP in sperm, its phosphorylation by PKA, and its release during capacitation suggest that AI-BP plays an important role in capacitation possibly providing a link between protein phosphorylation and cholesterol efflux.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Antibodies / isolation & purification
  • Antibodies / metabolism
  • Apolipoprotein A-I / metabolism
  • Carrier Proteins / chemistry
  • Carrier Proteins / genetics
  • Carrier Proteins / isolation & purification
  • Carrier Proteins / metabolism
  • Carrier Proteins / physiology*
  • Cholesterol / metabolism
  • Cloning, Molecular
  • Crystallography, X-Ray
  • Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases / metabolism
  • DNA, Complementary / isolation & purification
  • Escherichia coli
  • Guinea Pigs
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Models, Molecular
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Phosphoproteins / chemistry
  • Phosphoproteins / genetics
  • Phosphoproteins / isolation & purification
  • Phosphoproteins / metabolism
  • Phosphoproteins / physiology*
  • Phosphorylation
  • Racemases and Epimerases
  • Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
  • Sperm Capacitation / genetics*
  • Spermatozoa / metabolism
  • Tissue Distribution

Substances

  • Antibodies
  • Apolipoprotein A-I
  • Carrier Proteins
  • DNA, Complementary
  • Phosphoproteins
  • Cholesterol
  • Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases
  • Naxe protein, mouse
  • Racemases and Epimerases