GALNTL5 binds GalNAc and is required for migration through the uterotubal junction and sperm-zona pellucida binding.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 40962834.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-025-63805-4 and PMC identifier 12443989.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
More than 20 genes expressed in the male reproductive tract have been identified as essential factors for sperm migration to and through the utero-tubal junction (UTJ), and they are divided into ADAM3-dependent and ADAM3-independent pathways. In parallel, sperm having UTJ migration defects also show impaired binding to the zona pellucida (ZP). Herein, we demonstrate that knockout of Galntl5, encoding a sperm surface protein, causes impaired sperm binding with the UTJ and ZP, and null males have severe infertility. GALNTL5 appreciably disappears in sperm lacking Adam3 or Lypd4, required for ADAM3-dependent and ADAM3-independent pathways, and GALNTL5 binds to N-acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc) distributed on the UTJ and ZP. Blockage of GalNAc decreases the number of sperm binding to the UTJ and ZP. Thus, we unveil that GALNTL5 is a responsible factor for UTJ migration and sperm-ZP binding, and that sperm bind to the UTJ and ZP through interaction of GALNTL5 and GalNAc.
Medical subject headings
- Zona Pellucida
- Spermatozoa
- Acetylgalactosamine
- N-Acetylgalactosaminyltransferases
- Fallopian Tubes
- Sperm-Ovum Interactions
- Uterus
- Lectins