Yr Athro Karl Swann
Pennaeth yr Is-adran Biofeddygaeth
- swannk1@cardiff.ac.uk
- +44 292087 9009
- Adeilad Syr Martin Evans, Rhodfa'r Amgueddfa, Caerdydd, CF10 3AX
- Ar gael fel goruchwyliwr ôl-raddedig
Trosolwg
I am interested in cell signalling and metabolism during animal fertilization and early embryo development. I use live cell imaging methods including those based on fluorescence and chemiluminescence.
Selected projects are:
1. The role and mechanism of action of PLCzeta in causing Ca2+ oscillation in eggs at fertilization
2. The relationship between Ca2+ and mitochondrial ATP production in eggs
3. Lipid droplets and lipid metabolism in eggs and early embryos using CARS microscopy
Roles
- Head of Biomedicine Division
- Deputy Module Leader and teaching on BI2331 Physiology
- Teaching on BI2231 Cell Biology
- Supervision of projects for Final Year Undergraduate and Masters students
Bywgraffiad
I completed my BSc Degree and the PhD in the Physiology Department at UCL under the supervision of Michael Whitaker. I worked as a postdoc in Japan with Shun-ichi Miyazaki studying Ca2+ oscillations at fertilization in eggs and returned to London to work with David Whittingham at St George’s Hospital Medical School. In 1994 I was appointed as a lecturer in the Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology at UCL. Then in 2004 I was appointed as the Chair of Reproductive Cell Biology in the School of Medicine at Cardiff University. In 2016 I moved to the School of Biosciences. I hold an HFEA Research Licence to study human egg activation and I am an Editorial Board Member of the journal ‘Reproduction’. I have presented my research at many international meetings including invited talks at five Gordon Research Conferences.
In the 1990s I first described the existence of a soluble sperm protein that could trigger Ca2+ oscillations in mammalian eggs. I pioneered the theory that the sperm activates the egg by introducing a soluble sperm protein after gamete fusion. This mechanism of egg activation is now widely recognized as the way the sperm causes egg activation and initiates development. Work in my lab first showed that the principal mammalian sperm factor is a phospholipase C (PLC). Then in collaboration with Tony Lai at Cardiff University I helped demonstrate that the factor is a PLCzeta. I continue to work on egg activation and aspects of mitochondrial metabolism in mammalian eggs.
Cyhoeddiadau
2022
- Swann, K. 2022. PLCzeta as the sperm factor that activates eggs: 20 years on. Reproduction 164(1), pp. E1-E4. (10.1530/REP-22-0148)
- Thanassoulas, A., Swann, K., Lai, F. A. and Nomikos, M. 2022. Sperm factors and egg activation: the structure and function relationship of sperm plcz1. Reproduction 164(1), pp. F1-F8. (10.1530/REP-21-0477)
- Wang, Y., Pope, I., Brennan-Craddock, H., Poole, E., Langbein, W., Borri, P. and Swann, K. 2022. A primary effect of palmitic acid on mouse oocytes is the disruption of the structure of the endoplasmic reticulum. Reproduction 163(1), pp. 45-56. (10.1530/REP-21-0332)
2021
- Ostler, T. et al. 2021. Vitrifying multiple embryos in different arrangements does not alter the cooling rate. Cryobiology 103, pp. 22-31. (10.1016/j.cryobiol.2021.10.001)
- Graham, C. F. et al. 2021. Dynamic shapes of the zygote and two-cell mouse and human. Biology Open 10(12), article number: bio059013. (10.1242/bio.059013)
- Pope, I. et al. 2021. Background-free 3D four-wave mixing microscopy of single gold nanoparticles inside biological systems. Presented at: European Conference on Biomedical Optics 2021, Munich, Germany, 20-24 June 2021European Conferences on Biomedical Optics 2021 (ECBO). OSA Technical Digest Optical Society of America pp. EM3B.6.
- Storey, A., Elgmati, K., Wang, Y., Knaggs, P. and Swann, K. 2021. The role of ATP in the differential ability of Sr2+ to trigger Ca2+ oscillations in mouse and human eggs. Molecular Human Reproduction 27(1), article number: gaaa086. (10.1093/molehr/gaaa086)
2020
- Swann, K. 2020. The soluble sperm factor that activates the egg: PLCzeta and beyond. Reproduction 160(1) (10.1530/REP-20-0079)
2019
- Bradley, J., Pope, I., Wang, Y., Langbein, W., Borri, P. and Swann, K. 2019. Dynamic label-free imaging of lipid droplets and their link to fatty acid and pyruvate oxidation in mouse eggs. Journal of Cell Science 132(13), article number: jcs228999. (10.1242/jcs.228999)
- Bradley, J. and Swann, K. 2019. Mitochondria and lipid metabolism in mammalian oocytes and early embryos. International Journal of Developmental Biology 63(3-4-5), pp. 93-103. (10.1387/ijdb.180355ks)
- Borri, P., Bradley, J., Pope, I., Langbein, W. and Swann, K. 2019. Imaging lipids in living mammalian oocytes and early embryos by coherent Raman scattering microscopy. Presented at: SPIE BIOS, San Francisco, CA, USA, 2-7 February 2019Proceedings Volume 10890, Label-free Biomedical Imaging and Sensing (LBIS) 2019, Vol. 108900. Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE) pp. 3., (10.1117/12.2506248)
2018
- Swann, K. 2018. The role of Ca 2+ in oocyte activation during In Vitro fertilization: Insights into potential therapies for rescuing failed fertilization. BBA - Molecular Cell Research 1865(11), pp. 1830-1837. (10.1016/j.bbamcr.2018.05.003)
- Pope, I. et al. 2018. Coherent Raman Scattering microscopy: technology developments and biological applications. Presented at: 20th International Conference on Transparent Optical Networks (ICTON), Bucharest, Romania, 1-5 Jul 201820th International Conference on Transparent Optical Networks (ICTON). IEEE, (10.1109/ICTON.2018.8473706)
- FitzHarris, G., Carroll, J. and Swann, K. 2018. Electrical-assisted microinjection for analysis of fertilization and cell division in mammalian oocytes and early embryos. Methods in Cell Biology 144, pp. 431-440. (10.1016/bs.mcb.2018.03.036)
- Sanders, J., Ashley, B., Moon, A., Woolley, T. and Swann, K. 2018. PLCz induced Ca2+ oscillations in mouse eggs involve a positive feedback cycle of Ca2+ induced InsP3 formation from cytoplasmic PIP2. Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology 6, article number: 36. (10.3389/fcell.2018.00036)
2017
- Nomikos, M., Swann, K. and Lai, F. A. 2017. Fundamental role for sperm phospholipase C ζ in mammalian fertilization. In: De Jonge, C. J. and Barratt, C. L. R. eds. The Sperm Cell. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 177-192., (10.1017/9781316411124.014)
- Nomikos, M. et al. 2017. Male infertility-linked point mutation reveals a vital binding role for the C2 domain of sperm PLCζ. Biochemical Journal 474(6), pp. 1003-1016. (10.1042/BCJ20161057)
- Kashir, J. et al. 2017. Antigen unmasking enhances visualization efficacy of the oocyte activation factor, phospholipase C zeta, in mammalian sperm. Molecular Human Reproduction 23(1), pp. 54-67. (10.1093/molehr/gaw073)
2016
- Sanders, J. R. and Swann, K. 2016. Molecular triggers of egg activation at fertilization in mammals. Reproduction 152(2), article number: R41. (10.1530/REP-16-0123)
- Bradley, J., Pope, I., Masia, F., Sanusi, R., Langbein, W., Swann, K. and Borri, P. 2016. Quantitative imaging of lipids in live mouse oocytes and early embryos using CARS microscopy. Development 143, pp. 2238-2247. (10.1242/dev.129908)
- Swann, K. and Lai, F. A. 2016. The sperm phospholipase C-ζ and Ca2+ signalling at fertilization in mammals. Biochemical Society Transactions 44(1), pp. 267-272. (10.1042/BST20150221)
- Haverfield, J. et al. 2016. Ca2+ dynamics in oocytes from naturally-aged mice. Scientific Reports 6, article number: 19357. (10.1038/srep19357)
- Swann, K. and Lai, F. A. 2016. Egg activation at fertilization by a soluble sperm protein. Physiological Reviews 96(1), pp. 127-149. (10.1152/physrev.00012.2015)
2015
- Nomikos, M. et al. 2015. Essential role of the EF-hand domain in targeting sperm phospholipase Cζ to membrane phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2). Journal of Biological Chemistry 290(49), pp. 29519-29530. (10.1074/jbc.M115.658443)
- Sanusi, R., Yu, Y., Nomikos, M., Lai, F. A. and Swann, K. 2015. Rescue of failed oocyte activation after ICSI in a mouse model of male factor infertility by recombinant phospholipase Cζ. Molecular Human Reproduction 21(10), pp. 783-791. (10.1093/molehr/gav042)
- Nomikos, M. et al. 2015. Functional disparity between human PAWP and PLCζ in the generation of Ca2+ oscillations for oocyte activation. Molecular Human Reproduction 21(9), pp. 702-710. (10.1093/molehr/gav034)
- Kashir, J., Nomikos, M., Swann, K. and Lai, F. 2015. PLCζ or PAWP: revisiting the putative mammalian sperm factor that triggers egg activation and embryogenesis. Molecular Human Reproduction 21(5), pp. 383-388. (10.1093/molehr/gav009)
- Nomikos, M., Swann, K. and Lai, F. A. 2015. Is PAWP the 'real' sperm factor?. Asian Journal of Andrology 17(3), pp. 444-446. (10.4103/1008-682X.142145)
2014
- Nomikos, M. et al. 2014. Sperm-specific post-acrosomal WW-domain binding protein (PAWP) does not cause Ca2+ release in mouse oocytes. Molecular Human Reproduction 20(10), pp. 938-947. (10.1093/molehr/gau056)
- Kashir, J., Nomikos, M., Lai, F. and Swann, K. 2014. Sperm-induced Ca2+ release during egg activation in mammals. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications 450(3), pp. 1204-1211. (10.1016/j.bbrc.2014.04.078)
- Nomikos, M. et al. 2014. Human PLCζ exhibits superior fertilization potency over mouse PLCζ in triggering the Ca2+ oscillations required for mammalian oocyte activation. Molecular Human Reproduction 20(6), pp. 489-498. (10.1093/molehr/gau011)
- Gonzalez-Garcia, J. R., Bradley, J., Nomikos, M., Paul, L., Machaty, Z., Lai, F. A. and Swann, K. 2014. The dynamics of MAPK inactivation at fertilization in mouse eggs. Journal of Cell Science 127(12), pp. 2749-2760. (10.1242/jcs.145045)
- Fourrage, C., Swann, K., Gonzalez Garcia, J. R., Campbell, A. K. and Houliston, E. 2014. An endogenous green fluorescent protein-photoprotein pair in Clytia hemisphaerica eggs shows co-targeting to mitochondria and efficient bioluminescence energy transfer. Open Biology 4(4), pp. 130206. (10.1098/rsob.130206)
2013
- Theodoridou, M. et al. 2013. Chimeras of sperm PLCζ reveal disparate protein domain functions in the generation of intracellular Ca2+ oscillations in mammalian eggs at fertilization. Molecular Human Reproduction 19(12), pp. 852-864. (10.1093/molehr/gat070)
- Nomikos, M. et al. 2013. Phospholipase Cζ rescues failed oocyte activation in a prototype of male factor infertility. Fertility and Sterility 99(1), pp. 76-85. (10.1016/j.fertnstert.2012.08.035)
- Gonzalez Garcia, J., Machaty, Z., Lai, F. A. and Swann, K. 2013. The dynamics of PKC-induced phosphorylation triggered by Ca2+oscillations in mouse eggs. Journal of Cellular Physiology 228(1), pp. 110-119. (10.1002/jcp.24110)
- Swann, K. and Lai, F. A. 2013. PLCζ and the initiation of Ca2+ oscillations in fertilizing mammalian eggs. Cell Calcium 53(1), pp. 55-62. (10.1016/j.ceca.2012.11.001)
- Swann, K. 2013. Measuring Ca2+ Oscillations in Mammalian Eggs. In: Homer, H. A. ed. Mammalian Oocyte Regulation., Vol. 957. Methods in Molecular Biology Humana Press, pp. 231-248., (10.1007/978-1-62703-191-2_16)
2012
- Swann, K. et al. 2012. Phospholipase C-ζ-induced Ca2+ oscillations cause coincident cytoplasmic movements in human oocytes that failed to fertilize after intracytoplasmic sperm injection. Fertility and Sterility 97(3), pp. 742-747. (10.1016/j.fertnstert.2011.12.013)
- Yu, Y., Nomikos, M., Theodoridou, M., Nounesis, G., Lai, F. A. and Swann, K. 2012. PLCζ causes Ca2+ oscillations in mouse eggs by targeting intracellular and not plasma membrane PI(4,5)P2. Molecular Biology of the Cell 23(2), pp. 371-380. (10.1091/mbc.E11-08-0687)
2011
- Nomikos, M., Elgmati, K., Theodoridou, M., Calver, B. L., Nounesis, G., Swann, K. and Lai, F. A. 2011. Phospholipase C binding to PtdIns(4,5)P2 requires the XY-linker region. Journal of Cell Science 124(15), pp. 2582-2590. (10.1242/jcs.083485)
- Ajduk, A. et al. 2011. Rhythmic actomyosin-driven contractions induced by sperm entry predict mammalian embryo viability. Nature Communications 2, article number: 417. (10.1038/ncomms1424)
- Nomikos, M. et al. 2011. Male infertility-linked point mutation disrupts the Ca2+oscillation-inducing and PIP2hydrolysis activity of sperm PLCζ. Biochemical Journal 434(2), pp. 211-217. (10.1042/BJ20101772)
- Nomikos, M. et al. 2011. Male infertility-linked point mutation disrupts the Ca2+ oscillation-inducing and PIP2 hydrolysis activity of sperm PLCζ [Erratum]. The Biochemical Journal 435(3), pp. 791.
- Nomikos, M., Swann, K. and Lai, F. A. 2011. Starting a new life: Sperm PLC-zeta mobilizes the Ca2+ signal that induces egg activation and embryo development. BioEssays 34(2), pp. 126-134. (10.1002/bies.201100127)
- Phillips, S. V. et al. 2011. Divergent effect of mammalian PLC-zeta in generating Ca2+ oscillations in somatic cells versus eggs. Biochemical Journal 438, pp. 545-533. (10.1042/BJ20101581)
- Nomikos, M. et al. 2011. Novel regulation of PLCζ activity via its XY-linker. Biochemical Journal 438, pp. 427-432. (10.1042/BJ20110953)
2010
- Yu, Y., Dumollard, R., Rossbach, A., Lai, F. A. and Swann, K. 2010. Redistribution of mitochondria leads to bursts of ATP production during spontaneous mouse oocyte maturation. Journal of Cellular Physiology 224(3), pp. 672-680. (10.1002/jcp.22171)
2009
- Dumollard, R., Carroll, J., Duchen, M. R., Campbell, K. and Swann, K. 2009. Mitochondrial function and redox state in mammalian embryos. Seminars in Cell and Developmental Biology 20(3), pp. 346-353. (10.1016/j.semcdb.2008.12.013)
2008
- Ajduk, A. M., Ciemerych, M. A., Nixon, V., Swann, K. and Maleszewski, M. 2008. Fertilization differently affects the levels of cyclin B1 and M-phase promoting factor activity in maturing and metaphase II mouse oocytes. Reproduction 136(6), pp. 741-752. (10.1530/REP-08-0271)
- Yu, Y., Halet, G., Lai, F. A. and Swann, K. 2008. Regulation of diacylglycerol production and protein kinase C stimulation during sperm- and PLCζ-mediated mouse egg activation. Biology of the Cell 100(11), pp. 633-643. (10.1042/BC20080033)
- Dumollard, R., Campbell, K., Halet, G., Carroll, J. and Swann, K. 2008. Regulation of cytosolic and mitochondrial ATP levels in mouse eggs and zygotes. Developmental Biology 316(2), pp. 431-440. (10.1016/j.ydbio.2008.02.004)
- Yu, Y., Saunders, C. M., Lai, F. A. and Swann, K. 2008. Preimplantation development of mouse oocytes activated by different levels of human phospholipase C zeta. Human Reproduction 23(2), pp. 365-373. (10.1093/humrep/dem350)
2006
- Campbell, K. and Swann, K. 2006. Ca2+ oscillations stimulate an ATP increase during fertilization of mouse eggs. Developmental Biology 298(1), pp. 225-233. (10.1016/j.ydbio.2006.06.032)
2005
- Nomikos, M. et al. 2005. Role of phospholipase C-zeta domains in Ca2+-dependent phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate hydrolysis and cytoplasmic Ca2+ oscillations. Journal of biological chemistry 280(35), pp. 31011-31018. (10.1074/jbc.M500629200)
2004
- Rogers, N. T., Hobson, E., Pickering, S., Lai, F. A., Braude, P. and Swann, K. 2004. Phospholipase Cζ causes Ca2+ oscillations and parthenogenetic activation of human oocytes. Reproduction 128(6), pp. 697-702. (10.1530/rep.1.00484)
- Larman, M. G., Saunders, C. M., Carroll, J., Lai, F. A. and Swann, K. 2004. Cell cycle-dependent Ca2+ oscillations in mouse embryos are regulated by nuclear targeting of PLCzeta. Journal of cell science 117(12), pp. 2513-2521. (10.1242/jcs.01109)
2002
- Saunders, C. M. et al. 2002. PLC zeta: a sperm-specific trigger of Ca(2+) oscillations in eggs and embryo development. Development 129(15), pp. 3533-3544.
A major theme in my research is to answer the fundamental question of how the sperm activates the egg at fertilization. At fertilization in all mammals the sperm initiates development by causing a series of oscillations in the cytosolic Ca2+ concentration. We have previously shown that the sperm initiates Ca2+ oscillations in egg by introducing the sperm specific phospholipase C zeta (PLCzeta) after gamete membrane fusion. PLCzeta generates cycles of InsP3 production and Ca2+ release. We have shown that PLCzeta is unique amongst mammalian PLCs in causing Ca2+ oscillations in eggs, and in that it specifically targets intracellular vesicles containing phosphoinositides. Recent studies in mice suggest that there may be an additional factor that promotes Ca2+ oscillations in eggs and we have begun to investigate the nature of a putative second sperm factor.
We are currently investigating exactly how PLCzeta causes Ca2+ release and what factors in the egg effect the sensitivity to PLCzeta. We study egg activation in mouse eggs and collaborate with the Wales Fertility Institute to study Ca2+ oscillations in human eggs. I also collaborate with Thomas Woolley and Katerina Kaouri in the School of Mathematics in Cardiff University to model the mechanisms of Ca2+ oscillations. One of the main aims of these projects is to establish methods for improving egg activation and subsequent embryo development in clinical IVF treatments.
I am also interested in metabolism in eggs and early embryos and specifically in the regulation of mitochondrial activity. I collaborate with Paola Borri and Wolfgang Langbein (Physics, Cardiff University) and use CARS imaging of eggs and embryos to monitor changes in lipid droplets caused by exposure to fatty acids. We study the way in which lipid content effects egg and embryo physiology. We also study the mechanism and function of sperm induced mitochondrial ATP production at fertilization.
Collaborators
Prof Paola Borri - Cardiff University
Thomas Woolley - Cardiff University
Dr Paul Knaggs - Wales Fertility Institute
Current Lab Members
Dr Yisu Wang (postdoc)
Miss Cindy Ikie (PhD student)
