Molecular identification and characterization of sperm maturation factors in lepidopteran insect.

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Molecular activation mechanisms of sperm maturation in insects have been studied mainly in the Lepidoptera. In the male silkworm, Bombyx mori, secretions of the prostatic gland which contain trypsin like a serine-type endopeptidase called initiatorin, trigger a cascade reaction that leads to induction of sperm maturation. Here, we identified initiatorin and showed that it efficiently cleaves fluorogenic peptides with a dibasic sequence. Similar processes of endopeptidase-triggered initiation of motility were found in Cephonodes hylas. Moreover, we provide evidence that the action of arginase (AG), nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and di-peptidylpeptidase (angiotensin converting enzyme, ACE) mediates a step for Bombyx sperm maturation.