Hyperactivated Motility Is Induced by Reagents Depressing the Function of Calcium in Mouse Sperm

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Hyperactivated Motility Is Induced by Reagents Depressing the Function of Calcium in Mouse Sperm Hyperactivated Motility is Induced by Reagents Depressing the Function of Calcium in Mouse Sperm Fugaku AOKI1, Senkiti SAKAI1 and Kaoru KOHMOTO1,2 1 Graduate School of Agriculture and Life Sciences, University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8756, Japan 2 Faculty of Veterinary and Animal Science, Nihon Veterinary and Animal Science University , Musashino-shi 180-8602, Japan (Received December 10, 1998; Accepted January 19, 1999) Abstract To investigate the role of Ca2+ on the regulatory mechanism of hyperactivation, mouse sperm were treated with a calcium ionophore, ionomycin and a calmodulin inhibitor, W-13, and were analyzed for swimming pattern and flagellar bending. On the successive frames of photographs, the linearity of swimming and the bend angle were measured. Both reagents induced a non-linear swimming pattern as is observed in spontaneously hyperactivated sperm . However, changes in flagellar bending occurred in a different manner. After the occurrence of hyperactivation, the bend angle in the midpiece region was increased to the same direction as the curve of hook-shaped heads. Treatment with W-13 or ionomycin plus EGTA also increased the bend angle to that direction, whereas ionomycin plus Ca2+ increased it to opposite direction. The analysis for asymmetry of flagellar bending also revealed that the treatment with W-13 increased asymmetry to the same direction as the curve of head as is observed in spontaneously hyperactivated sperm and that ionomycin plus Ca2+ increased it to opposite direction. These results suggest that the depression of function of machinery controlled by Ca2+ is involved in the mechanism by which the sperm begin hyperactivated motility. Animal Science Journal 70 (2): 53-60, 1999 Key words: Sperm, Hyperactivation, Flagellar bending, Ca2+ Mammalian sperm undergo a change in the pattern increased Ca2+ concentrations induced asymmetry of of motility, termed hyperactivation, during the course flagellar bending in the demembranated sea urchin of capacitation33). The hyperactivated sperm in- sperm2,7,21) and that calmodulin is involved in the crease the amplitude and asymmetry of flagellar bend- regulation of asymmetry in flagellar bending in rat16,17) ing and reduce the linearity of swimming5,8,9,25,27). and sea urchin3) sperm. However, our recent work in Although the mechanism of hyperactivation is not mouse and hamster sperm showed that the flagellar known, many reports suggest that the increase of bending in hyperactivated sperm was asymmetric to intracellular free Ca+2 concentration ([Ca2+]i) is in- the same direction as the curve of their hook-shaped volved in the occurrence of hyperactivation: heads1). Lindemann and Goltz15) reported that the hyperactivation did not occur in mouse5,6,20)or guinea increase of flagellar curvature to that direction was pig sperm33) in the medium without Ca2+, and sperm induced by decreasing the concentration of Ca2+ in treated with calcium ionophore showed asymmetric the demembranated rat sperm. flagellar bending and non-progressive movement To clarify the role of Ca2+ in the regulatory mech- resembling those in hyperactivated sperm of anism of hyperactivated motility, we examined the mouse4, 26),ram23), hamster28) and guinea pig28). Con- effect of calcium ionophore and calmodulin inhibitor sistent with these results are the observations that on the flagellar bending in mouse sperm. Corresponding: Fugaku AOKI (fax: +81 (0) 3-5800-6988, e-mail: aokif@ hongo.ecc.u-tokyo.ac.jp) Anim. Sci. J. 70 (2): 53-60, 1999 53 AOKI, SAKAI and KOHMOTO active analogue, N-(4-aminobutyl)-2-naphthalene sul- Materials and Methods fonamide (W-12), were purchased from Seikagaku Sperm preparation Kogyo Co. (Tokyo). Stock solutions of W-12 and Male ICR mice were killed by cervical dislocation. W-13 (10mM) were diluted to 1mM with medium The cauda epididymides were removed and placed in and 20μl of each diluted solution was added to 180μl the medium (pH 7.4) consisting of 114mM NaCl, 2.7 sperm suspensions. After incubation for 5min, the mM KCl, 1.8mM CaCl2, 0.49mM MgCl2, 0.36mM sperm were photographed for analysis of motility. NaH2PO4, 25mM NaHCO3, 20mM HEPES, 5.5mM Analysis for swimming pattern and flagellar bending glucose, 0.1mM Na pyruvate, 100U/ml penicillin, 0.1 of sperm mg/ml streptomycin and 3mg/ml bovine serum albu- Swimming pattern and flagellar bending of sperm min (BSA). In the experiment using ionomycin, were analyzed by using successive frames of photo- CaCl2 was omitted and the concentration of BSA was graphs. Sperm samples for analysis were prepared as reduced to 0.3mg/ml. The sperm were released into follows. A 12-μl volume of sperm suspension was the medium by incising the epididymides longitu- placed on a glass slide and covered with an 18×24mm dinally and allowed to disperse for 5min at 37℃. To cover slip. The surrounding of cover slip was cov- obtain motile sperm, the sperm suspension was passed ered with a mounting agent (Diatex, Matsunami Inc., through a glass beads column19). The fraction of Tokyo). The glass slides and cover slips had been motile sperm was diluted with the medium to give a coated with poly glutamine-lysine (D-glutamine: D- concentration of 2×106 sperm/ml and incubated at lysine copolymer, 6:4; Sigma) to protect sperm 37℃. from sticking to the glass surface24). The sperm Treatment with Ca2+ ionophore samples thus prepared were photographed under a The procedure of treatment with calcium ionophore phase contrast microscope equipped with heating is similar to that described by Suarez et al.27) except stage set at 37℃. Five successive frames of photo- that ionomycin was used instead of A23187. A stock graphs were taken for each sample at a rate of 5 solution of ionomycin (5mM), dissolved in ethanol, frames/sec in an exposure of 1/2,000sec, was diluted with medium. A 10μl volume of diluted In analysis of swimming pattern, the swimming ionomycin (20μM) plus CaCl2 (36mM) or EGTA (2 track of head-midpiece junction of sperm was traced mM) was added to 190μl of sperm suspension, and 5 sequentially. To assess the linearity of swimming, min later 50μl of 50mg/ml BSA was added. BSA is the linear index (LI) was measured as follows. LI thought to bind to ionophore22) and decreases its con- was derived as the net velocity (Vn) divided by the centration to reduce the toxicity to sperm after long curvilinear velocity (Vc) after Vn and Vc were deter- time incubation23,26) After 5min of incubation, the mined by measuring the distance between the first and sperm were photographed for analysis of motility. In last position of head-midpiece junction, and the sum the experiment for ionomycin plus EGTA, the sperm of the distance between adjacent head-midpiece junc- were observed 5min after the addition of the reagents tions on five successive frames, respectively, per unit without subsequent addition of BSA. In the control time. experiment, 10μl medium containing 36mM CaCl2 In analysis of flagellar bending, the curvature of and 0.2% ethanol instead of ionomycin was added to midpiece region (the first 18μm of flagellum) was the sperm suspension. To observe the hyperactivated measured using protractor (θmid). The bend in the motility that spontaneously occurred in control same direction as the curve of head was given a medium, the sperm were incubated for 80min after positive value and opposite direction was negative addition of BSA. value. Treatment with calmodulin inhibitor The asymmetry of flagellar bending was determined A calmodulin inhibitor, N-(4-aminobutyl)-5- as the previous work1). Since flagellar waveform chloro-2-naphthalene sulfonamide (W-13), and its in- consists of several circular bends connected with Anim. Sci. J. 70 (2): 53-60, 1999 54 Regulation of Hyperactivated Motility by Ca2+ straight regions, the angle, the position of center and averaged to give the values of θp and θR for P-bend the direction were determined for each bend in analy- and R-bend, respectively. To assess the degree of sis for flagellar bending. Lines tangent to either side asymmetry, the value of θR-θP tivas calculated. of bend were drawn and the angle between lines was Results measured. The center position of the bend was deter- mined on the flagellum as the point on which the Changes in swimming pattern after treatment with bisector of the angles of bend crossed over. To locate calcium ionophore and calmodulin inhibitor each bend on the flagellum, the C-J distance, defined In the presence of Ca2+, the treatment with as the distance of center position of the bend (C) from ionomycin reduced the linearity of swimming. As head-midpiece junction (J), was measured by curvi- shown in the previous report26), the sperm reduced meter (Koizumi Inc., Tokyo). The direction of bend their motility to only vibratory movement within 5 was determined by using the asymmetry of hook- min after addition of ionomycin plus Ca2+ and then shaped heads as an indicator. The bend which resumed active motility after subsequent addition of curved to the same direction as the curve of the head BSA. These sperm swam in irregular trajectories and was defined as reverse bend (R-bend) and opposite their activities appeared to be slightly retarded. In direction was principal bend (P-bend) as described by these sperm, the values of Vc, Vn and LI were Wooley32). Since in some sperm the flagella twisted significantly lower than those in control sperm (Table and changed the bending plane in the distal region, the 1). When ionomycin was used together with EGTA, bend which occurred in the distal region should be the sperm did not lose their motility without addition excluded from analysis to correctly determine the of BSA, but appeared to rather increase their activities angles and direction of the bends. Therefore, only and swam in irregular trajectories as is observed in the bends in which the C-J distances were less than 75 hyperactivated sperm.
Recommended publications
  • Bull Sperm Capacitation Is Accompanied by Redox Modifications of Proteins
    International Journal of Molecular Sciences Article Bull Sperm Capacitation Is Accompanied by Redox Modifications of Proteins Agnieszka Mostek *, Anna Janta , Anna Majewska and Andrzej Ciereszko Department of Gamete and Embryo Biology, Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of Polish Academy of Sciences, 10-748 Olsztyn, Poland; [email protected] (A.J.); [email protected] (A.M.); [email protected] (A.C.) * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +48-89-5393134 Abstract: The ability to fertilise an egg is acquired by the mammalian sperm during the complex biochemical process called capacitation. Capacitation is accompanied by the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), but the mechanism of redox regulation during capacitation has not been elucidated. This study aimed to verify whether capacitation coincides with reversible oxidative post-translational modifications of proteins (oxPTMs). Flow cytometry, fluorescence microscopy and Western blot analyses were used to verify the sperm capacitation process. A fluorescent gel-based redox proteomic approach allowed us to observe changes in the level of reversible oxPTMs manifested by the reduction or oxidation of susceptible cysteines in sperm proteins. Sperm capacitation was accompanied with redox modifications of 48 protein spots corresponding to 22 proteins involved in the production of ROS (SOD, DLD), playing a role in downstream redox signal transfer (GAPDHS and GST) related to the cAMP/PKA pathway (ROPN1L, SPA17), acrosome exocytosis (ACRB, sperm acrosome associated protein 9, IZUMO4), actin polymerisation (CAPZB) and hyperactivation Citation: Mostek, A.; Janta, A.; (TUBB4B, TUB1A). The results demonstrated that sperm capacitation is accompanied by altered Majewska, A.; Ciereszko, A.
    [Show full text]
  • TRPV4 Is the Temperature-Sensitive Ion Channel of Human Sperm Nadine Mundt1,2, Marc Spehr2, Polina V Lishko1*
    RESEARCH ARTICLE TRPV4 is the temperature-sensitive ion channel of human sperm Nadine Mundt1,2, Marc Spehr2, Polina V Lishko1* 1Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States; 2Department of Chemosensation, Institute for Biology II, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany Abstract Ion channels control the ability of human sperm to fertilize the egg by triggering hyperactivated motility, which is regulated by membrane potential, intracellular pH, and cytosolic calcium. Previous studies unraveled three essential ion channels that regulate these parameters: (1) the Ca2+ channel CatSper, (2) the K+ channel KSper, and (3) the H+ channel Hv1. However, the molecular identity of the sperm Na+ conductance that mediates initial membrane depolarization and, thus, triggers downstream signaling events is yet to be defined. Here, we functionally characterize DSper, the Depolarizing Channel of Sperm, as the temperature-activated channel TRPV4. It is functionally expressed at both mRNA and protein levels, while other temperature- sensitive TRPV channels are not functional in human sperm. DSper currents are activated by warm temperatures and mediate cation conductance, that shares a pharmacological profile reminiscent of TRPV4. Together, these results suggest that TRPV4 activation triggers initial membrane depolarization, facilitating both CatSper and Hv1 gating and, consequently, sperm hyperactivation. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.35853.001 Introduction The ability of human spermatozoa to navigate the female reproductive tract and eventually locate and fertilize the egg is essential for reproduction (Okabe, 2013). To accomplish these goals, a sper- *For correspondence: [email protected] matozoon must sense the environment and adapt its motility, which is controlled in part by ATP pro- duction and flagellar ion homeostasis (Lishko et al., 2012).
    [Show full text]
  • Mechanisms of the Sperm Guidance, an Essential Aid for Meeting the Oocyte
    430 Editorial Mechanisms of the sperm guidance, an essential aid for meeting the oocyte Raquel Lottero-Leconte*, Carlos Agustín Isidro Alonso*, Luciana Castellano, Silvina Perez Martinez Laboratory of Biology of Reproduction in Mammals, Center for Pharmacological and Botanical Studies (CEFYBO-CONICET), School of Medicine, University of Buenos Aires (UBA), Buenos Aires, Argentina *These authors contributed equally to this work. Correspondence to: Silvina Perez Martinez, Senior Investigator. Center for Pharmacological and Botanical Studies, University of Buenos Aires (UBA), School of Medicine, National Scientific and Technical Research Council-Argentina (CONICET), Paraguay 2155, 15th Floor, C1121ABG, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina. Email: [email protected]. Provenance: This is an invited Editorial commissioned by Section Editor Weijun Jiang (Nanjing Normal University, Department of Reproductive and Genetics, Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University School of Medicine, Nanjing, China). Comment on: De Toni L, Garolla A, Menegazzo M, et al. Heat Sensing Receptor TRPV1 Is a Mediator of Thermotaxis in Human Spermatozoa. PLoS One 2016;11:e0167622. Submitted Mar 07, 2017. Accepted for publication Mar 14, 2017. doi: 10.21037/tcr.2017.03.68 View this article at: http://dx.doi.org/10.21037/tcr.2017.03.68 In mammals, ejaculated spermatozoa must migrate into the to a temperature gradient (towards the warmer temperature) female reproductive tract in order to reach and fertilize the (Figure 1). Spermatozoa can sense both the absolute ambient oocyte (Figure 1). The number of spermatozoa that reach temperature and the temperature gradient. Previous studies the oviductal isthmus (where they attach to oviductal cells showed that, at peri-ovulation stage, there is a temperature and form the sperm reservoir) is small (1,2) and only ~10% difference between the sperm reservoir site (cooler) and the of these spermatozoa in humans become capacitated (3) fertilization site (warmer).
    [Show full text]
  • Progesterone Activates the Principal Ca2+ Channel of Human Sperm
    LETTER doi:10.1038/nature09767 Progesterone activates the principal Ca21 channel of human sperm Polina V. Lishko1, Inna L. Botchkina1 & Yuriy Kirichok1 Steroid hormone progesterone released by cumulus cells surround- Under normal physiological conditions, mouse and human CatSper ing the egg is a potent stimulator of human spermatozoa. It attracts channels are Ca21 selective, but pass monovalent ions (Cs1 or Na1) spermatozoa towards the egg and helps them penetrate the egg’s pro- under divalent-free conditions12,13. Because monovalent CatSper tective vestments1.ProgesteroneinducesCa21 influx into spermato- currents are significantly larger, we studied CatSper currents under zoa1–3 and triggers multiple Ca21-dependent physiological responses divalent-free conditions. The monovalent human CatSper current essential for successful fertilization, such as sperm hyperactivation, (ICatSper) was overall smaller (Fig. 1a, blue) than mouse ICatSper acrosome reaction and chemotaxis towards the egg4–8.Asanovarian (Fig. 1c, blue), especially at negative membrane potentials (inward cur- hormone, progesterone acts by regulating gene expression through a rent). The virtual absence of human ICatSper at the negative potentials well-characterized progesterone nuclear receptor9. However, the effect normally found across the sperm plasma membrane was puzzling. of progesterone upon transcriptionally silent spermatozoa remains Interestingly, addition of 500 nM progesterone to the bath solution unexplained and is believed to be mediated by a specialized, non- dramatically increased the amplitude of human monovalent ICatSper 5,10 genomic membrane progesterone receptor . The identity of this (Fig. 1a, red). Mouse monovalent ICatSper did not increase after addition non-genomic progesterone receptor and the mechanism by which it of 500 nM progesterone (Fig. 1c, red) or 10 mM progesterone (Sup- causes Ca21 entry remain fundamental unresolved questions in plementary Fig.
    [Show full text]
  • Bull Sperm Binding to Oviductal Epithelium. (A) PDC-109 Addition to the Sperm Plasma Membrane from Seminal Vesicles
    The Role of Progesterone-Induced Hyperactivation in the Detachment of Bull Sperm from the Oviduct Reservoir. Sinéad Cronin B.Sc (Ed.) Supervisor: Dr. Seán Fair B.AgSc, PhD. Submitted in accordance with academic requirements for the degree of Master of Science to the Department of Biological Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Limerick, Ireland. September 2017 Declaration I, the undersigned, hereby declare that I am the sole author of this work and it has not been submitted to any other University or higher education institution, or for any other academic award in this University. To identify the work of others, all sources have been fully acknowledged and referenced in both text and bibliography, in accordance with University of Limerick requirements. Signature: __________________________ Date: __________________ Sinéad Cronin ii Acknowledgements I would like to express my gratitude to everyone who supported me throughout this thesis. To Dr Seán Fair, I thank you sincerely for the advice and mentorship in my bad days and my good. Your feedback and support have been invaluable in the coordination of this learning experience. Thank you for the opportunity to work with your team. To my remarkable parents, I thank you so much for the encouragement and love ye have given me throughout this masters. For the helping hand and the listening ear, the positivity and the reassurance and mostly for giving me the opportunity to make this thesis possible. I cannot thank you enough. To my amazing boyfriend, you have been my rock throughout this masters. Thank you for being there for me through everything.
    [Show full text]
  • Parallel Evolution of Sperm Hyper-Activation Ca2+ Channels
    bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/120758; this version posted April 17, 2017. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under aCC-BY 4.0 International license. Parallel evolution of sperm hyper-activation Ca2+ channels Jacob C. Cooper1* and Nitin Phadnis1 1Department of Biology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA. *Corresponding Author: email: [email protected] Abstract Sperm hyper-activation is a dramatic change in sperm behavior where mature sperm burst into a final sprint in the race to the egg. The mechanism of sperm hyper-activation in many metazoans, including humans, consists of a jolt of Ca2+ into the sperm flagellum via CatSper ion channels. Surprisingly, CatSper genes have been independently lost in several animal lineages. In Drosophila, sperm hyper- activation is performed through the co-option of the polycystic kidney disease 2 (Dpkd2) Ca2+ channel. The parallels between CatSpers in primates and Dpkd2 in Drosophila provide a unique opportunity to examine the molecular evolution of the sperm hyper-activation machinery in two independent, non- homologous calcium channels separated by more than 500 million years of divergence. Here, we use a comprehensive phylogenomic approach to investigate the selective pressures on these sperm hyper- activation channels. First, we find that the entire CatSper complex evolves rapidly under recurrent positive selection in primates. Second, we find that pkd2 has parallel patterns of adaptive evolution in Drosophila. Third, we show that this adaptive evolution of pkd2 is driven by its role in sperm hyper- activation.
    [Show full text]
  • Regulation of the Sperm Calcium Channel Catsper by Endogenous Steroids and Plant Triterpenoids
    Regulation of the sperm calcium channel CatSper by endogenous steroids and plant triterpenoids Nadja Mannowetza, Melissa R. Millera, and Polina V. Lishkoa,1 aDepartment of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 Edited by David E. Clapham, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, and approved April 20, 2017 (received for review January 10, 2017) The calcium channel of sperm (CatSper) is essential for sperm CatSper in a manner similar to P4 and explore the possibility of hyperactivated motility and fertility. The steroid hormone pro- PregS binding to the same sperm receptor as progesterone. gesterone activates CatSper of human sperm via binding to the As spermatozoa travel through the male and female repro- serine hydrolase ABHD2. However, steroid specificity of ABHD2 ductive tract, they are exposed to a variety of steroid hormones, has not been evaluated. Here, we explored whether steroid such as testosterone and estrogen. The rising levels of hydro- hormones to which human spermatozoa are exposed in the male cortisone (HC) in the body as a result of stress can impact fer- and female genital tract influence CatSper activation via modula- tility (16) by interfering with spermatogenesis and/or sperm tion of ABHD2. The results show that testosterone, estrogen, and functions. Therefore, we have also explored what influence tes- hydrocortisone did not alter basal CatSper currents, whereas the tosterone, estrogen, and HC have on CatSper activation. The neurosteroid pregnenolone sulfate exerted similar effects as pro- structural precursor of all steroid hormones in animals is the gesterone, likely binding to the same site.
    [Show full text]
  • Molecular and Physical Interactions of Human Sperm with Female
    MOLECULAR AND PHYSICAL INTERACTIONS OF HUMAN SPERM WITH FEMALE TRACT SECRETIONS by Asma M Hamad A thesis submitted to The University of Birmingham For the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY College of Medical and Dental Sciences School of Clinical and Experimental Medicine Institute of Metabolism and Science Research University of Birmingham May 2017 University of Birmingham Research Archive e-theses repository This unpublished thesis/dissertation is copyright of the author and/or third parties. The intellectual property rights of the author or third parties in respect of this work are as defined by The Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 or as modified by any successor legislation. Any use made of information contained in this thesis/dissertation must be in accordance with that legislation and must be properly acknowledged. Further distribution or reproduction in any format is prohibited without the permission of the copyright holder. ABSTRACT To achieve fertilisation, human sperm have to navigate and interact with the female reproductive tract (FRT) on molecular and mechanical levels. The current knowledge of some aspects of both types of interactions are limited and they were examined in this research. Proteomic analysis of crude and depleted human follicular fluid (hFF) by three proteomic approaches identified 479 hFF-proteins of which 22% were novel. A table of hFF-proteins, compiled from twenty-four hFF proteomic studies, resulted in 1586 hFF proteins; a resource for folliculogenesis and discovery of hFF biomarkers. A comparative proteomic study of media-capacitated human sperm versus capacitated sperm in the presence of hFF revealed certain hFF proteins were acquired by sperm during capacitation.
    [Show full text]
  • Intracellular Calcium and Protein Tyrosine Phosphorylation During the Release of Bovine Sperm Adhering to the Fallopian Tube Epithelium in Vitro
    REPRODUCTIONRESEARCH Intracellular calcium and protein tyrosine phosphorylation during the release of bovine sperm adhering to the fallopian tube epithelium in vitro Roberto Gualtieri, Raffaele Boni1, Elisabetta Tosti2, Maria Zagami and Riccardo Talevi Dipartimento di Biologia Evolutiva e Comparata, Universita` di Napoli ‘Federico II’, Via Mezzocannone 8, 80134 Napoli, Italy, 1Dipartimento di Scienze delle Produzioni Animali, Campus Macchia Romana, 85100 Potenza, Italy and 2Stazione Zoologica ‘Anton Dohrn’, Villa Comunale, Napoli, Italy Correspondence should be addressed to R Gualtieri; Email: [email protected] Abstract In mammals, sperm adhesion to the epithelial cells lining the oviductal isthmus plays a key role in the maintenance of motility and in the selection of superior quality subpopulations. In the bovine species, heparin and other sulfated glycoconjugates powerfully induce the synchronous release of sperm adhering to tubal epithelium in vitro and may represent the signal which triggers release at ovulation in vivo. Sperm detachment may be due either to surface remodeling or to hyperactivation brought 21 21 about by capacitation. In this paper, the dynamics of intracellular free Ca concentration ([Ca ]i) and protein tyrosine phos- phorylation in sperm during and after heparin-induced release from in vitro cultured oviductal monolayers were assessed to determine whether this event is due to capacitation. Moreover, Ca21-ionophore A23187, thapsigargin, thimerosal and caffeine 21 were used to determine whether [Ca ]i increase and/or hyperactivation can induce sperm release. Results showed that: 1. 21 21 heparin-released sperm have significantly higher [Ca ]i than adhering sperm; 2. heparin induces a [Ca ]i elevation in the sperm head followed by detachment from the monolayers; 3.
    [Show full text]
  • Unconventional Endocannabinoid Signalling Governs Sperm Activation
    RESEARCH | RESEARCH ARTICLES surface-charge screening and inactivation of 18. B. Abbasi et al., J. Res. Med. Sci. 17,1161–1169 (2012). expert technical assistance and C. Cirelli, G. Tononi, W. Wang, the NALCN channel–dependent Na+-leak cur- 19. I. Slutsky et al., Neuron 65, 165–177 (2010). and C. Nicholson for comments on the manuscript. All authors – rent (20). High [Mg2+] in combination with 20. B. Lu et al., Neuron 68, 488 499 (2010). contributed to data collection, technical design, and writing. e 21. J. Schummers, H. Yu, M. Sur, Science 320, 1638–1643 (2008). hyperpolarization will reduce the likelihood of 22. H. Sontheimer, Glia 11, 156–172 (1994). SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS NMDA receptor activation during sleep, reducing 23. A. Torres et al., Sci. Signal. 5, ra8 (2012). the brain’s ability to undergo activity-dependent 24. A. S. Thrane et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 109, www.sciencemag.org/content/352/6285/550/suppl/DC1 18974–18979 (2012). Materials and Methods changes in excitatory transmission (LTP). Ma- Figs. S1 to S5 + 2+ 2+ nipulation of [K ]e, [Ca ]e, and [Mg ]e in the ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Table S1 References (25–45) CSF bathing the brain drove behavioral shifts This study was supported by NIH (NS078167 and NS078304) between sleep and awake states (Fig. 5). Astro- and the Office of Naval Research/Department of the Navy. We 18 September 2015; accepted 24 March 2016 cytic Ca2+ signaling is also enhanced by lowering thank W. Song, R. Rasmussen, E. Nicholas, and W. Peng for 10.1126/science.aad4821 2+ 2+ of [Ca ]e and [Mg ]e (21–23) and is strongly inhibited by anesthesia (24).These observations suggest that regulation of extracellular ion ho- meostasis is sufficient to alter behavioral state REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY both locally and globally, providing a path for neuromodulators to exert consistent, stable shifts in neuronal and astrocytic activity across Unconventional endocannabinoid the brain.
    [Show full text]
  • Behavioral Mechanism of Human Sperm in Thermotaxis: a Role for Hyperactivation
    Human Reproduction, Vol.30, No.4 pp. 884–892, 2015 Advanced Access publication on January 21, 2015 doi:10.1093/humrep/dev002 ORIGINAL ARTICLE Reproductive biology Behavioral mechanism of human sperm in thermotaxis: a role for hyperactivation Sergii Boryshpolets, Serafı´nPe´rez-Cerezales, and Michael Eisenbach* Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/humrep/article/30/4/884/613882 by guest on 29 August 2020 Department of Biological Chemistry, Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001 Rehovot, Israel *Correspondence address. E-mail: [email protected] Submitted on September 23, 2014; resubmitted on December 2, 2014; accepted on January 2, 2015 studyquestion: What is the behavioral mechanism underlying the response of human spermatozoa to a temperature gradient in thermo- taxis? summary answer: Human spermatozoa swim up a temperature gradient by modulating their speed and frequencies of hyperactivation events and turns. what is known already: Capacitatedhuman spermatozoa are capable of thermotactically responding to atemperature gradient with an outcome of swimming up the gradient. This response occurs even when the gradient is very shallow. study design, size, duration: Human sperm samples were exposed to a fast temperature change. A quantitative analysis of sperm motility parameters, flagellar wave propagation, and directional changes before, during, and after the temperature change was carried out. participants/materials, setting, methods: The swimming behavior of 44 human sperm samples from nine healthy donors was recorded under a phase-contrast microscope at 75 and 2000 frames/s. A temperature shift was achieved by using a thermoregulated micro- scope stage. The tracks made by the cells were analyzed by a homemade computerized motion analysis system and ImageJ software.
    [Show full text]
  • Identification of SRC As a Key PKA-Stimulated Tyrosine Kinase Involved in the Capacitation-Associated Hyperactivation of Murine
    3182 Research Article Identification of SRC as a key PKA-stimulated tyrosine kinase involved in the capacitation-associated hyperactivation of murine spermatozoa Mark A. Baker, Louise Hetherington and R. John Aitken* The ARC Centre of Excellence in Biotechnology and Development, Reproductive Science Group, School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia *Author for correspondence (e-mail: [email protected]) Accepted 17 May 2006 Journal of Cell Science 119, 3182-3192 Published by The Company of Biologists 2006 doi:10.1242/jcs.03055 Summary Fertilization of the mammalian oocyte depends on the position Y416. We have also used difference-in-2D-gel- ability of spermatozoa to undergo a process known as electrophoresis (DIGE) in combination with mass capacitation as they ascend the female reproductive tract. spectrometry to identify a number of SRC substrates that A fundamental feature of this process is a marked increase become phosphorylated during capacitation including in tyrosine phosphorylation by an unusual protein kinase enolase, HSP90 and tubulin. Our data further suggest that A (PKA)-mediated pathway. To date, the identity of the the activation of SRC during capacitation is negatively intermediate PKA-activated tyrosine kinase driving controlled by C-terminal SRC kinase. The latter was capacitation is still unresolved. In this study, we have localized to the acrosome and flagellum of murine identified SRC as a candidate intermediate kinase centrally spermatozoa by immunocytochemistry, whereas involved in the control of sperm capacitation. Consistent capacitation was associated with an inactivating serine with this conclusion, the SRC kinase inhibitor SU6656 was phosphosphorylation of this inhibitory kinase.
    [Show full text]