鲍精子细胞溶素研究进展

Review of Abalone Sperm Lysin

鲍精子细胞溶素(lysin)是所有动物繁殖蛋白中了解的最透彻的一种,作为一种非酶蛋白质,lysin可在卵黄膜上特异性地钻1个孔使精子从此孔进入。目前对lysin的研究主要集中在它的结构、生化、功能和进化等方面:lysin是一种由2个单体组成的二聚体分子,其单体为5个-α螺旋组成的螺旋束,lysin以二聚体形式与其糖蛋白受体(VERL)特异性结合,然后单体化,再与受体非特异性结合,这与普通动物细胞表面的分子识别的相关内容相一致;许多鲍lysin的氨基酸序列已经测定出来,并证实lysin是通过正向选择方式进化的,对于其进化的模式也有假设来说明,这对理解海洋新种的形成具有重要作用。

Currently, abalone lysin is well known in proteins involved in animal fertilization.As a non-enzymatic protein, lysin can create a hole for sperm to pass through the envelope surrounding the egg. The present studies have focused on its structure, biochemitry, evolution and the mechanism of action about this special protein. Lysin is a dimer which is made up with two monomers, and the monomer is a five-helix bundle. A dimer of lysin binds to its glycoprotein receptor species-specifically, and then monomerizes and binds the receptor in a non-species-specific manner. This is the same as the molecular recognition between cell surfaces. The amino acid sequences of many abalone lysin have been known, and lysin evolves with high speed by positive selection. There is a hypothesis to explain lysin＇s rapid evolution and the evolution of species-specific fertilization. That is also important to think about how new species arise in the sea.