GALNTL5, which is restricted to mouse spermatids, impairs endoplasmic reticulum (ER) function through direct interaction with ER chaperone proteins.

Polypeptide N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase-like protein 5 (GALNTL5) was identified as a pp-GalNAc-T family gene. Nevertheless, GALNTL5 has no glycosyltransferase activity. In mice, Galntl5 expression is restricted to differentiating spermatids, and haploinsufficiency leads to immotile spermatozoa with an aberrant protein composition. Moreover, heterozygotic deletions of human GALNTL5 have been detected in patients diagnosed with asthenozoospermia (low sperm motility). Although these findings indicate that GALNTL5 is a functional molecule essential for mature sperm formation in mammals, the exact function of GALNTL5 in spermiogenesis remains unknown. To clarify this role, we established the mouse spermatocyte cell line GC-2spd(ts), which exhibits drug-inducible GALNTL5 expression. Interestingly, continuous GALNTL5 expression in the resultant cell lines caused apoptosis with cell shrinkage, and GALNTL5 was localized in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and was associated with two ER-resident chaperone proteins, calnexin and BiP (GRP78). Calnexin recognized and strongly bound to the N-glycans on GALNTL5 molecules modified in the ER. In contrast, ER-resident BiP likely attached to GALNL5 regardless of its glycosylation. GALNTL5 expression abolished the binding between calnexin and misfolded substrate proteins, indicating that GALNTL5 directly blocks calnexin function. Furthermore, the interaction between GALNTL5 and calnexin decreased the level of BiP protein, and consequently also the expression levels of proteins that are resident in the ER, Golgi apparatus, and cytoplasm. These reduced protein levels were confirmed by loss of calnexin or BiP function in the GC-2spd(ts) cell line using siRNA knockdown. Further, sustained expression of GALNTL5 resulted in cell structure changes, including the position of the cis-Golgi apparatus and alterations in the ER network. These results strongly suggest that GALNTL5 contributes to alteration of the cell structure specific to differentiating spermatids by blocking ER function.