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1 July 2009 The Glycosylphosphatidylinositol-Anchored Serine Protease PRSS21 (Testisin) Imparts Murine Epididymal Sperm Cell Maturation and Fertilizing Ability
Sarah Netzel-Arnett, Thomas H. Bugge, Rex A. Hess, Kay Carnes, Brett W. Stringer, Anthony L. Scarman, John D. Hooper, Ian D. Tonks, Graham F. Kay, Toni M. Antalis
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Abstract

An estimated 25%–40% of infertile men have idiopathic infertility associated with deficient sperm numbers and quality. Here, we identify the membrane-anchored serine protease PRSS21, also known as testisin, to be a novel proteolytic factor that directs epididymal sperm cell maturation and sperm-fertilizing ability. PRSS21-deficient spermatozoa show decreased motility, angulated and curled tails, fragile necks, and dramatically increased susceptibility to decapitation. These defects reflect aberrant maturation during passage through the epididymis, because histological and electron microscopic structural analyses showed an increased tendency for curled and detached tails as spermatozoa transit from the corpus to the cauda epididymis. Cauda epididymal spermatozoa deficient in PRSS21 fail to mount a swelling response when exposed to hypotonic conditions, suggesting an impaired ability to respond to osmotic challenges facing maturing spermatozoa in the female reproductive tract. These data suggest that aberrant regulation of PRSS21 may underlie certain secondary male infertility syndromes, such as “easily decapitated” spermatozoa in humans.

Sarah Netzel-Arnett, Thomas H. Bugge, Rex A. Hess, Kay Carnes, Brett W. Stringer, Anthony L. Scarman, John D. Hooper, Ian D. Tonks, Graham F. Kay, and Toni M. Antalis "The Glycosylphosphatidylinositol-Anchored Serine Protease PRSS21 (Testisin) Imparts Murine Epididymal Sperm Cell Maturation and Fertilizing Ability," Biology of Reproduction 81(5), 921-932, (1 July 2009). https://doi.org/10.1095/biolreprod.109.076273
Received: 17 January 2009; Accepted: 1 June 2009; Published: 1 July 2009
KEYWORDS
decapitated sperm
easily decapitated sperm
epididymis
fertilizing ability
male reproductive tract
PRSS21
serine protease
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