2. Academic Validation
  3. Coordinated regulation of Vangl2 trafficking by Kif13 and AP-1 underlies cell-cell junction remodeling in Eriocheir sinensis testis

Coordinated regulation of Vangl2 trafficking by Kif13 and AP-1 underlies cell-cell junction remodeling in Eriocheir sinensis testis

  • Int J Biol Macromol. 2025 Dec;333(Pt 1):148920. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.148920.
Zhan Zhao 1,  Hong-Yu Qi 1,  Jia-Ming Wang 1,  Shuang-Li Hao 2,  Zhen-Fang Li 1,  Fu-Qing Tan 3,  Wan-Xi Yang 4
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 The Sperm Laboratory, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China.
  • 2 The Sperm Laboratory, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China; College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
  • 3 The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310003, China.
  • 4 The Sperm Laboratory, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
PMID: 41218672 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.148920
Abstract

Van Gogh-like 2 (Vangl2), a core planar cell polarity (PCP) component, regulates spermatogenesis in Eriocheir sinensis, yet the molecular basis of its asymmetric membrane targeting remains uncharacterized. Here, we identified a conserved trafficking module consisting of the microtubule motor Es-Kif13 and the adaptor protein complex Es-AP-1 (β1/γ1/μ1/σ2), which assembled into a tripartite complex with Es-Vangl2 in E. sinensis testis. Knockdown of Es-Kif13 or Es-AP-1β1 disrupted polarized Es-Vangl2 localization without altering protein levels, leading to its cytoplasmic dispersion. This mislocalization suppressed the RhoA/ROCK/MLC2 signaling axis and triggered stage-specific F-actin disorganization in spermatocytes via epidermal growth factor receptor pathway substrate 8 (Eps8) dysregulation, thereby phenocopying Es-Vangl2 deficiency. Subsequently, the hemolymph-testis barrier (HTB) integrity collapsed, as evidenced by biotin tracer leakage and junctional protein remodeling. These defects culminated in spermatogenic failure, characterized by seminiferous epithelium vacuolization and spermiation obstruction. Our findings establish Es-Kif13/Es-AP-1-mediated Es-Vangl2 trafficking as an evolutionarily conserved mechanism governing PCP-directed cytoskeletal dynamics and barrier function, with disruption directly impairing germline niche maintenance in crustaceans.

Keywords

Adaptor protein AP-1; Eriocheir sinensis; Hemolymph-testis barrier; Kif13; Spermatogenesis; Vangl2.

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