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Updated: Aug 31, 2025

Recording Electrical Currents across the Plasma Membrane of Mammalian Sperm Cells
Published on: February 14, 2021
Actin remodeling driven by circLIMA1: sperm cell as an intriguing cellular model.
Francesco Manfrevola1, Nicoletta Potenza2, Teresa Chioccarelli1
1Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", 80138 Naples, Italy.
Endocannabinoids regulate sperm quality by controlling circular RNA (circRNA) cargo. CB1 receptor knockout mice show altered circRNA profiles, impacting sperm maturation and nuclear actin remodeling.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Biology
- Molecular Biology
- Genetics
Background:
- Spermatozoa (SPZ) circRNA cargo influences sperm quality, morphology, and motility.
- Cannabinoid receptor CB1 (CB1) activity is crucial for spermatogenesis and sperm maturation.
- The functional link between endocannabinoids and sperm circRNA cargo is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of CB1 receptor activity on the spermatic circRNA cargo.
- To identify differentially expressed circRNAs in CB1 knockout mice.
- To elucidate the role of circLIMA1 in sperm nuclear actin remodeling and maturation.
Main Methods:
- Microarray analysis of spermatic circRNA content in CB1 knockout mice.
- Identification and analysis of differentially expressed circRNAs (DE-circRNAs).
- Validation of circLIMA1-dependent competitive endogenous RNA network (ceRNET) in vitro.
- Investigation of nuclear actin dynamics and circRNA-mediated regulation during sperm maturation.
Main Results:
- CB1 knockout mice exhibited significant alterations in spermatic circRNA cargo.
- circLIMA1 was identified as a key DE-circRNA involved in actin-cytoskeleton regulation.
- circLIMA1-mediated ceRNET activity was confirmed in vitro.
- A novel ceRNET-independent pathway involving nuclear shuttling of circLIMA1-QKI interactome regulated nuclear actin remodeling and Gelsolin.
Conclusions:
- Endocannabinoids, via CB1 receptor, modulate sperm circRNA cargo, influencing sperm maturation.
- Altered circLIMA1 levels in CB1 knockout SPZ are associated with inefficient nuclear actin depolymerization.
- This study reveals a novel mechanism by which endocannabinoids contribute to sperm morpho-cellular maturation through circRNA regulation.
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