自噬作用在中华绒螯蟹精子发生中的功能及KIF1A和KIF5B调控自噬过程的动力学机制

动物精子发生机制是生殖生物学领域的重要课题和热点研究领域。自噬作用是真核生物中普遍存在的一种保守的细胞过程。自噬及自噬相关蛋白ATG7对哺乳动物精子发生过程具有重要作用，包括抑制生精细胞凋亡及调控精子形成过程的顺利进行。迄今自噬及自噬相关蛋白ATG7在甲壳动物精子发生过程中的调控作用及其动力学机制未知。本项目将聚焦中华绒螯蟹精子发生过程中自噬及自噬相关蛋白ATG7对精原细胞和精母细胞的影响以及对精细胞顶体形成和精核形变的调控，并探究自噬作用顺利进行的动力学机制，揭示驱动蛋白KIF1A和KIF5B是否通过介导溶酶体和自噬小体的定位和运输调控自噬溶酶体的融合，并最终调控中华绒螯蟹精子发生过程中的自噬作用。本研究将揭示自噬在甲壳纲十足目蟹类精子发生过程中的影响机制，填补甲壳动物在这一领域的研究空白。

Elucidating the spermatogenesis mechanism is not only a crucial subject in the field of reproduction, but also the hot topic nowadays. Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved cellular process found in all eukaryotic organisms. Studies have shown that autophagy and autophagy-related protein ATG7 play an important role in mammalian spermatogenesis, including inhibiting the apoptosis of spermatogenic cells, regulating the formation of acrosome and deformation of sperm nucleus. So far, the regulation and dynamics of autophagy-related protein ATG7 during spermatogenesis in crustaceans still remains unknown. This project will use the Chinese mitten crab, Eriocheir sinensis as experimental animal, focusing on the effects of autophagy and autophagy-related protein ATG7 on spermatogonia and spermatocytes during spermatogenesis, acrosome formation and nucleus deformation, as well as exploring the dynamic mechanism of kinesins in autophagy. And this study will reveal that kinesins KIF1A and KIF5B regulate the autolysosomal fusion by mediating the localization and transportation of lysosome and autophagosome, and ultimately promote the occurrence of autophagy during spermatogenesis of the Chinese mitten crab. This project will not only broaden and replenish the research field of crustacean reproductive biology, but also fill in gaps in the function of autophagy and its dynamic mechanism in this field.