Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 18, 2025

Isolation and In vitro Activation of Caenorhabditis elegans Sperm
Published on: January 31, 2011
The intrinsically disordered protein SPE-18 promotes localized assembly of MSP in Caenorhabditis elegans
Kari L Price1, Marc Presler1, Christopher M Uyehara1
1Department of Biology, William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA 23187, USA.
Abstract:
Many specialized cells use unconventional strategies of cytoskeletal control. Nematode spermatocytes discard their actin and tubulin following meiosis, and instead employ the regulated assembly/disassembly of the Major Sperm Protein (MSP) to drive sperm motility. However, prior to the meiotic divisions, MSP is sequestered through its assembly into paracrystalline structures called fibrous bodies (FBs). The accessory proteins that direct this sequestration process have remained mysterious. This study reveals SPE-18 as an intrinsically disordered protein that is essential for MSP assembly within FBs. In spe-18 mutant spermatocytes, MSP forms disorganized cortical fibers, and the cells arrest in meiosis without forming haploid sperm. In wild-type spermatocytes, SPE-18 localizes to pre-FB complexes and functions with the kinase SPE-6 to localize MSP assembly. Changing patterns of SPE-18 localization uncover previously unappreciated complexities in FB maturation. Later, within newly individualized spermatids, SPE-18 is rapidly lost, yet SPE-18 loss alone is insufficient for MSP disassembly. Our findings reveal an alternative strategy for sequestering cytoskeletal elements, not as monomers but in localized, bundled polymers. Additionally, these studies provide an important example of disordered proteins promoting ordered cellular structures.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
The Spindle Assembly Checkpoint
Many proteins function together to control the spindle assembly checkpoint. Mutations affecting these proteins may allow cells to proceed into anaphase prematurely, resulting in the...
Tail-anchoring of Proteins in the ER Membrane
Protein Complex Assembly
Many viruses self-assemble into a fully functional unit using the infected host cell to...
Gene Regulation During Sporulation
Intrinsically Disordered Proteins
Overview of Secretory Vesicles
Various proteins regulate the aggregation of molecules inside the secretory vesicles. Chromogranins...

