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

家蚕精子激活需要一种丝氨酸蛋白酶initiatorin（BmIni）。 已经预期BmIni负责精液和/或精子蛋白的切割，主要在Arg-Arg位点，因此参与精子活化。 然而，精子活力的激活对其他昆虫知之甚少。(1)为了确定精子活力信号通路的分子机制，我们研究了BmIni作用于羧肽酶B（BmCP B）的证据。(2)我们发现，Bmx-like丝氨酸蛋白酶活性在启动许多鳞翅目，直翅目，半翅目物种的精子激活保守的信号通路中起着至关重要的作用。

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.