Study on the insect male reproduction molecules mechanism from the viewpoint of the sperm-activating factor.

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A serine protease called initiatorin (BmIni) is required for sperm activation in the silkmoth, Bombyx mori. It has been expected that BmIni is responsible for the cleavage of seminal and/or sperm proteins, mainly at Arg-Arg sites, and thus is involved in the sperm activation. However, activation of sperm motility has been little known to other insects. (1) To determine the molecular mechanism of signaling pathways for sperm motility, we examined the evidence that BmIni acts on carboxypeptidase B (BmCPB). (2) We found a crucial role for BmIni-like serine protease activity in initiating conserved signaling pathways for sperm activation in many Lepidoptera, Orthoptera, Hemiptera species.