@article {68562,
	title = {In situ cryo-electron tomography reveals the asymmetric architecture of mammalian sperm axonemes.},
	journal = {Nature Structural \& Molecular Biology},
	volume = {30},
	year = {2023},
	month = {2023 Mar 01},
	pages = {360-9},
	abstract = {<p>The flagella of mammalian sperm display non-planar, asymmetric beating, in contrast to the planar, symmetric beating of flagella from sea urchin sperm and unicellular organisms. The molecular basis of this difference is unclear. Here, we perform in situ cryo-electron tomography of mouse and human sperm, providing the highest-resolution structural information to date. Our subtomogram averages reveal mammalian sperm-specific protein complexes within the microtubules, the radial spokes and nexin-dynein regulatory complexes. The locations and structures of these complexes suggest potential roles in enhancing the mechanical strength of mammalian sperm axonemes and regulating dynein-based axonemal bending. Intriguingly, we find that each of the nine outer microtubule doublets is decorated with a distinct combination of sperm-specific complexes. We propose that this asymmetric distribution of proteins differentially regulates the sliding of each microtubule doublet and may underlie the asymmetric beating of mammalian sperm.</p>
},
	issn = {1545-9985},
	doi = {10.1038/s41594-022-00861-0},
	author = {Chen, Zhen and Greenan, Garrett A and Shiozaki, Momoko and Liu, Yanxin and Skinner, Will M and Zhao, Xiaowei and Zhao, Shumei and Yan, Rui and Yu, Zhiheng and Lishko, Polina V and Agard, David A and Vale, Ronald D}
}
