Sperm-specific fertility factors SMZ-1/2 promote FB-MO biogenesis and MSP filament assembly in C. elegans

Clicks: 6
ID: 327083
2026
Free PDF
Article Quality & Performance Metrics
Overall Quality
Not rated
Combines reader engagement with the AI quality analysis. This article has not been analysed, so there is no overall score — reader engagement is measured and shown alongside.
AI Quality Assessment
Not analyzed
Readership in this journal
Emerging

Ranked #298 of 329 articles by views in current genetics

Most read Least read

Bar heights use a square-root scale. Only the 120 most-read articles are drawn; the journal has 329 in total.

Mint this article as an NFT
Not yet minted

Create a permanent, verifiable on-chain record of this article on the Scimatic Network. The NFT is held in your Journament account, and you can withdraw it to your own wallet at any time.

5 SUSD one-off · no wallet required
Sign in to mint
Abstract
In nematode sperm, motility is powered by polymerization of major sperm protein (MSP) into filaments assembled from a specialized organelle (FB-MO), but how filament formation begins remains unclear. We identify two sperm-specific PDZ proteins, SMZ-1 and SMZ-2 (SMZ-1/2), that initiate MSP loading into pre-formed membranous organelles in Caenorhabditis elegans. SMZ-1/2 were expressed specifically in spermatogenic germ cells, colocalized with developing FB-MOs from diplotene through spermatid formation, and were redundant for fertility. Loss of SMZ-1/2 abolished MSP filaments, left MOs lacking MSP filaments that are morphologically abnormal, and caused primary spermatocyte arrest. Electron microscopy showed fewer, smaller FB-MOs lacking crystalline FBs, consistent with a defect in assembly initiation rather than late polymerization. SMZ-1/2 cytoplasmic structures were absent in spe-6 casein kinase mutants, placing SMZ-1/2 within a SPE-6-dependent initiation module. These findings identify SMZ-1/2 as PDZ scaffold proteins that initiate MSP assembly and couple kinase signaling to FB-MO biogenesis during nematode spermatogenesis.
Reference Key
openalex_W4417116927 Use this key to autocite in the manuscript while using SciMatic Manuscript Manager or Thesis Manager
Authors H.‐C. Peng, C.–Y. Liu, Yi-Jhen Chiang, Wei-chu Lai, Ya-Chu Hsu, Chang‐Shi Chen, Wann‐Neng Jane, Chao-Wen Wang, Jui-Ching Wu
Journal current genetics
Year 2026
DOI
10.1093/genetics/iyag212
URL
https://doi.org/10.1093/genetics/iyag212
Keywords Keywords not found

Citations

No citations found. To add a citation, contact the admin at info@scimatic.org

Comments

No comments yet. Be the first to comment on this article.