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Togaram Ensures Axial Alignment of the Sperm Neck
Emma E Burns1, Sara E Burr1, Kathleen H M Holmes1,2
1Cell and Developmental Biology Center, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892.
Biorxiv : the Preprint Server for Biology
|April 27, 2026
Summary
The sperm neck requires Togaram (Toga) protein for mechanical stability during sperm development. Toga stabilizes microtubules, preventing head-tail misalignment and ensuring proper sperm formation.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Developmental Biology
- Reproductive Biology
Background:
- Sperm neck stability is crucial for male fertility.
- Mechanisms maintaining sperm head-tail axis post-attachment are unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- Identify proteins regulating sperm neck stability during spermiogenesis.
- Elucidate the function of Togaram (Toga) in sperm axial alignment.
Main Methods:
- Utilized *Drosophila* as a model organism.
- Depletion of Toga via genetic manipulation.
- Live imaging of spermatid development.
- Immunofluorescence staining for tubulin.
Main Results:
- Toga depletion causes sperm head-tail axis misalignment (off-axis phenotype).
- Toga stabilizes microtubules in the sperm neck and Sperm Microtubule Cage (SMC).
- Loss of Toga increases microtubule turnover and reduces acetylated tubulin.
Conclusions:
- Togaram (Toga) is essential for maintaining sperm head-tail axis stability.
- Toga functions by stabilizing microtubules during spermiogenesis.
- A conserved module involving Toga, Cep104, and CCDC66 likely maintains sperm axial alignment.
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