CD46 and β1integrin interaction in mouse sperm head

CD46 protein plays an important role during fertilization and its role is associated with acrosome stability. CD46 is probably involved in signalling pathways triggering the acrosome reaction. Integrins interact with many cytoskeletal proteins such as actin, therefore changes in the actin cytoskeleton before and after AR may lead to changes in the association and localization of CD46 and β1integrin. Our aim was to monitor mutual CD46 and β1integrin interaction detected by the proximity ligation assay. It generates a localized signal in a form of spots revealing the exact position of the recognition event. Proteins interaction was study in freshly released sperm and sperm during the acrosome reaction, during which there is a gradual relocation of these proteins towards the equatorial segment and the whole sperm head. Proteins α and β tubulin were used as a positive control, α tubulin and β1 integrin as a negative control. In situ PLA showed a distinct spotted signal indicating the mutual interaction of CD46 and β1integrin. A positive response was demonstrated not only in freshly released sperm but also in sperm during the acrosome reaction. Freshly released sperm were distinctively labelled in the acrosome region and the neck, similarly to the positive control. Sperm during the acrosome reaction showed the signal across the whole sperm head region. No signal or sporadic nonspecific staining was detected in the case of the negative control. In summary, our results deliver new information that proteins CD46 and β1 integrin interact with each other. These results suppose the theory that β1 integrin can mediate a connection between CD46 and sperm cytoskeleton thereby molecules of signalling pathways leading to activation of the acrosome reaction