A-Kinase Anchoring Protein 4 (AKAP4) is an ERK1/2 substrate and a switch molecule between cAMP/PKA and PKC/ERK1/2 in human spermatozoa

Sci Rep. 2016 Nov 30:6:37922. doi: 10.1038/srep37922.

Abstract

Mammalian spermatozoa undergo capacitation and acrosome reaction in order to fertilize the egg. The PKC-ERK1/2 pathway plays an important role in human spermatozoa motility, capacitation and the acrosome reaction. Here we demonstrate that ERK1/2 phosphorylates proAKAP4 on Thr265 in human spermatozoa in vitro and in vivo. Cyclic AMP (cAMP) had no effect on ERK1/2 activity in human spermatozoa, but stimulated the MAPK in mouse pituitary LβT2 gonadotrope cells. cAMP via PKA attenuates PKC-dependent ERK1/2 activation only in the presence of proAKAP4. St-HT31, which disrupts PKA-regulatory subunit II (PKA-RII) binding to AKAP abrogates the inhibitory effect of cAMP in human spermatozoa and in HEK293T cells expressing proAKAP4. In transfected HEK293T cells, PMA relocated proAKAP4, but not proAKAP4-T265A to the Golgi in an ERK1/2-dependnet manner. Similarly, AKAP4 is localized to the spermatozoa principal piece and is relocated to the mid-piece and the postacrosomal region by PMA. Furthermore, using capacitated sperm we found that cAMP reduced PMA-induced ERK1/2 activation and acrosome reaction. Thus, the physiological role of the negative crosstalk between the cAMP/PKA/AKAP4 and the PKC/ERK1/2 pathways is to regulate capacitation and acrosome reaction.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • A Kinase Anchor Proteins / genetics
  • A Kinase Anchor Proteins / metabolism*
  • Acrosome Reaction / physiology
  • Adult
  • Cyclic AMP / genetics
  • Cyclic AMP / metabolism*
  • Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases / genetics
  • Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases / metabolism*
  • HEK293 Cells
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 / genetics
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 / metabolism*
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3 / genetics
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3 / metabolism*
  • Protein Kinase C / genetics
  • Protein Kinase C / metabolism*
  • Sperm Capacitation / physiology
  • Spermatozoa / cytology
  • Spermatozoa / metabolism*

Substances

  • A Kinase Anchor Proteins
  • AKAP4 protein, human
  • Cyclic AMP
  • Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases
  • Protein Kinase C
  • MAPK1 protein, human
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3