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Protein trafficking

SNARE timing in sperm acrosome exocytosis

De Blas GA, Roggero CM, Tomes CN, et al. · PLoS biology · 2005

Open access · cc by · source: Europe PMC

Sperm acrosome exocytosis proceeds via ordered SNARE assembly/disassembly around intra-acrosomal Ca2+ release.

Study at a glance

Design
Animal / in-vitro — Staged inhibitors and photolabile Ca²⁺ chelators in permeabilized sperm to order fusion factors
N
Cell-biology ordering experiments — no single primary analytic N in stored text
Population
Permeabilized sperm undergoing acrosomal exocytosis
Outcome
Temporal order of Rab3A and SNARE/synaptotagmin steps in acrosomal fusion

Structured fields used in claim comparison tables when every cited study has a complete layer.

Key findings

Rab3A acts before intra-acrosomal Ca2+ efflux; SNAREs/synaptotagmin act after to complete fusion.

Methodology

Used staged inhibitors and photolabile Ca2+ chelators in permeabilized sperm to order fusion factors.

Limitations

In vitro permeabilized sperm may not capture every in vivo regulatory layer.

How this study connects

Role on claims

Each row is a claim on a concept or method page where this paper supports, challenges, or qualifies the statement. Roles are hand-checked — not a model guess.

  • Permeabilized sperm plus staged inhibitors and photolabile Ca2+ chelators ordered acrosome exocytosis: Rab3A acts before intra-acrosomal Ca2+ efflux; SNAREs and synaptotagmin act after to complete fusion. Immunofluorescence of fusion factors here is timed biochemistry in a stripped-down cell, not every in-vivo regulatory layer.

    Evidence for the claim as stated.

  • Permeabilized-sperm SNARE timing and live epithelial polarity/spike trafficking disagree about how much native membrane regulation is still present. In-vitro sperm may miss in-vivo layers; enteroids and pseudovirus spike assays only approximate infection of a human airway or gut.

    Evidence for the claim as stated.

Open questions

Tensions this paper is part of

From concept pages' “where studies disagree.” Disagreement means the same question; scope means different assays, populations, or outcomes.

Related papers in this topic

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