Laboratory of Reproductive Physiology

Research interests

Reproduction is a fundamental process that is essential to the survival of all living organisms. While the general process of mammalian fertilisation is well-understood, the specific list of molecules involved and their precise mechanisms of action remain incomplete. While the fertilisation process in mammals exhibits certain commonalities, the molecular processes and protein expression patterns at the gamete and tissue levels are species-specific. It is therefore important to characterise as yet unidentified molecules, not only for basic research in reproductive biology, but also for understanding pathological changes at the molecular level. In recent years, the Laboratory of Reproductive Physiology has focused on the study of tetraspanin family proteins, whose specific structure allows the formation of the so-called tetraspanin web, a complex of tetraspanins and other partner molecules that is active in cell membranes.

Tetraspanins are a family of membrane proteins found in a range of cell types, including non-mammalian organisms. They are defined by a specific structural motif. Their defining characteristic is the capacity to interact with other tetraspanins, as well as with other proteins and lipids, to form functional tetraspanin networks that influence a range of cellular processes, including cell morphology, fusion, motility, and signalling. Furthermore, tetraspanins have been demonstrated to play a role in the process of fertilisation in mammals, functioning within complexes that are crucial for successful fertilisation and zygote formation. The Laboratory of Reproductive Physiology is primarily engaged in the investigation of the structural and dynamic characteristics of tetraspanin networks in bovine gametes (oocytes and spermatozoa) and their developmental stages during maturation in the reproductive organs, including the ovaries, testes, and epididymis. Furthermore, we investigate the localisation and distribution of tetraspanins during the processes underlying the ability of ejaculated sperm to pass through the zona pellucida and penetrate the oocyte cytoplasm. This is achieved by stimulating sperm capacitation and the acrosome reaction under in vitro conditions. Additionally, we examine the role of tetraspanins during early embryonic development using in vitro fertilisation. In collaboration with the Laboratory of Reproductive Biology of the Institute of Biotechnology of the CAS in Prague, we have the opportunity to study interspecies differences in the composition and activity of the tetraspanin site in a mouse and a pig model.

People

RNDr. Jana Antalíková, PhD.
Ing. Jana Jankovičová, PhD.
Ing. Katarína Michalková, PhD.
Ing. Petra Sečová, PhD.
Ing. Ľubica Horovská
Timea Hrbeková – bachelor student

Allumni

2023 – Mgr. Vladimíra Kabaňová – Bc. and MSc. thesis
2023 – Mgr. Jana Komárová – Bc. and MSc. thesis
2021 – Mgr. Claudia Feitscherová – Bc. and MSc. thesis
2017 – Mgr. Matúš Linský – Bc. and MSc. thesis

Collaborations

Selected publications