Animal Reproductive Biology Group

Peter Sutovsky

Associate Professor
Animal Sciences

Phone: 573-882-3329
E-mail: SutovskyP@missouri.edu
Address: S141 Animal Science Research Center

Education

M.S., Slovak Agricultural University
Ph.D., Czech Academy of Sciences
Postdoc, University of Wisconsin

Research Focus

Subcellular structure of gametes and preimplantation embryos
Ubiquitin system

Research Description

Sutovsky's main research focus is on the ubiquitin system in the mammalian spermatozoon, zygote and preimplantation embryo.

The covalent ligation of small protein ubiquitin to other proteins selectively targets the "ubiquitinated" substrates for proteolytic degradation. Sutovsky's research has implicated the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway in the control of mitochondrial inheritance after mammalian fertilization and in the proteolytic mechanism for the sperm quality control during spermatogenesis.

Sutovsky is also investigating the sperm perinuclear theca. Perinuclear theca (PT) is the cytoskeletal coat of mammalian sperm nucleus that is removed at fertilization. PT harbors the sperm borne, oocyte-activating factor (SOAF), a yet to be characterized substance responsible for triggering the signaling cascade of oocyte activation, thought to be dependent on intra-oocyte calcium release.

Sutovsky is also attempting to identify the sperm PT/equatorial segment antigen MN-9. MN-9 is a part of an elaborate structure of the sperm head equatorial segment, which is believed to be the site of initial contact between the spermatozoon and the oocyte once the spermatozoon penetrates the oocyte vestment, zona pellucida (ZP). MN-9 antigen is unmasked during ZP-induced acrosome reaction and antibodies against it effectively block fertilization in mouse and other mammals.

Recent Publications

Tengowski MW, Sutovsky P, Hedlund LW, Guyot DJ, Burkhardt JE, Thompson WE, Sutovsky M, Johnson GA.
Reproductive cytotoxicity is predicted by magnetic resonance microscopy and confirmed by ubiquitin-proteasome immunohistochemistry in a theophylline-induced model of rat testicular and epididymal toxicity. Microsc Microanal. 2005 Aug;11(4):300-12. PMID: 16079014
Fischer KA, Van Leyen K, Lovercamp KW, Manandhar G, Sutovsky M, Feng D, Safranski T, Sutovsky P.
15-Lipoxygenase is a component of the mammalian sperm cytoplasmic droplet. Reproduction. 2005 Aug;130(2):213-22. PMID: 16049159
Ozanon C, Chouteau J, Sutovsky P.
Clinical adaptation of the sperm ubuquitin tag immunoassay (SUTI): relationship of sperm ubiquitylation with sperm quality in gradient-purified semen samples from 93 men from a general infertility clinic population. Hum Reprod. 2005 Aug;20(8):2271-8. Epub 2005 Apr 7. PMID: 15817585
Sutovsky P, Manandhar G, Laurincik J, Letko J, Caamano JN, Day BN, Lai L, Prather RS, Sharpe-Timms KL, Zimmer R, Sutovsky M.
Expression and proteasomal degradation of the major vault protein (MVP) in mammalian oocytes and zygotes. Reproduction. 2005 Mar;129(3):269-82. PMID: 15749954
Prather RS, Sutovsky P, Green JA.
Nuclear remodeling and reprogramming in transgenic pig production. Exp Biol Med (Maywood). 2004 Dec;229(11):1120-6. Review. PMID: 15564438
Manandhar G, Schatten H, Sutovsky P.
Centrosome reduction during gametogenesis and its significance. Biol Reprod. 2005 Jan;72(1):2-13. Epub 2004 Sep 22. Review. PMID: 15385423
Sutovsky P, Manandhar G, McCauley TC, Caamano JN, Sutovsky M, Thompson WE, Day BN.
Proteasomal interference prevents zona pellucida penetration and fertilization in mammals. Biol Reprod. 2004 Nov;71(5):1625-37. Epub 2004 Jul 14. PMID: 15253927
Tovich PR, Sutovsky P, Oko RJ.
Novel aspect of perinuclear theca assembly revealed by immunolocalization of non-nuclear somatic histones during bovine spermiogenesis. Biol Reprod. 2004 Oct;71(4):1182-94. Epub 2004 Jun 9. PMID: 15189827
Jimenez A, Zu W, Rawe VY, Pelto-Huikko M, Flickinger CJ, Sutovsky P, Gustafsson JA, Oko R, Miranda-Vizuete A.
Spermatocyte/spermatid-specific thioredoxin-3, a novel Golgi apparatus-associated thioredoxin, is a specific marker of aberrant spermatogenesis. J Biol Chem. 2004 Aug 13;279(33):34971-82. Epub 2004 Jun 4. PMID: 15181017
Sutovsky P, Prather RS.
Nuclear remodeling after SCNT: a contractor's nightmare. Trends Biotechnol. 2004 May;22(5):205-8. Review. No abstract available. PMID: 15109802
A complete list of publications for P Sutoysky in PubMed