Tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) of paternal origin is necessary for the success of in vitro but not of in vivo fertilisation in the mouse
Francisco A. García-Vázquez
A , C. Soriano-Úbeda A , R. Laguna-Barraza B , Ma José Izquierdo-Rico C , Felipe A. Navarrete D , Pablo E. Visconti D , A. Gutiérrez-Adán B and P. Coy A E
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Department of Physiology, Veterinary School, University of Murcia, Murcia 30100, Spain. International Excellence Campus for Higher Education and Research (Campus Mare Nostrum) and Institute for Biomedical Research of Murcia, IMIB-Arrixaca, Murcia, Spain.
B Departamento de Reproducción Animal y Conservación de Recursos Zoogenéticos, INIA, Madrid 28040, Spain.
C Department of Cell Biology and Histology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Murcia, Murcia 30100, Spain.
D Department of Veterinary and Animal Science, Integrated Sciences Building, University of Massachusetts, 01003 Amherst MA, USA.
E Corresponding author. Email: pcoy@um.es
Reproduction, Fertility and Development 31(3) 433-442 https://doi.org/10.1071/RD18175
Submitted: 9 May 2018 Accepted: 9 August 2018 Published: 11 October 2018
Abstract
Besides its fibrinolytic function, the plasminogen–plasmin (PLG–PLA) system is also involved in fertilisation, where plasminogen activators bind to plasminogen to produce plasmin, which modulates sperm binding to the zona pellucida. However, controversy exists, depending on the species, concerning the role of the different components of the system. This study focused its attention on the role of the PLG–PLA system on fertilisation in the mouse with special attention to tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). The presence of exogenous plasminogen reduced in vitro fertilisation (IVF) rates and this decline was attenuated by the presence of plasmin inhibitors in combination with plasminogen. The incubation of spermatozoa with either oocytes or cumulus cells together with plasminogen did not change the acrosome reaction but reduced the number of spermatozoa attached. When spermatozoa from tPA−/− mice were used, the IVF rate decreased drastically, although the addition of exogenous tPA during gamete co-incubation under in vitro conditions increased fertilisation success. Moreover, fertility could not be restored after in vivo insemination of tPA−/− spermatozoa in the female ampulla, although tPA−/− males were able to fertilise in vivo. This study suggests a regulatory role of the PLG–PLA system during fertilisation in the mouse with possible implications in human reproduction clinics, such as failures in tPA production, which could be partially resolved by the addition of exogenous tPA during IVF treatment.
Additional keywords: fibrinolytic system, oocyte, plasmin, spermatozoa, uPA.
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