Ca2+ signalling in the control of motility and guidance in mammalian sperm

Stephen John Publicover, Laura Cecilia Giojalas, Maria Eugenia Teves, Gisela Sofia Mendes Machado de Oliveira, Aduen Andres Morales Garcia, Christopher Lowther Robert Barratt, Claire Victoria Harper

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

104 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Ca2+ signalling in the sperm plays a key role in the regulation of events preceding fertilisation. Control of motility, including hyperactivation and chemotaxis, is particularly dependent upon [Ca2+]i signalling in the principal piece of the flagellum and the midpiece. Here we briefly review the processes that contribute to regulation of [Ca2+]i in mammalian sperm and then examine two areas: (i) the regulation of hyperactivation by [Ca2+]i and the pivotal roles played by CatSpers (sperm-specific, Ca2+-permeable membrane channels) and intracellular Ca2+ stores in this process and (ii) the elevation of [Ca2+]i and consequent modulation of motility caused by progesterone including the ability of progesterone at micromolar concentrations to cause sperm hyperactivation and/or accumulation and the recent discovery that progesterone, at picomolar concentrations, acts as a chemoattractant for mammalian sperm..

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)5623-37
Number of pages15
JournalFrontiers in Bioscience - Landmark
Volume13
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 May 2008

Keywords

  • Animals
  • Calcium/physiology
  • Homeostasis
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mammals
  • Nucleotides, Cyclic/physiology
  • Progesterone/physiology
  • Signal Transduction
  • Sperm Motility/physiology
  • Spermatozoa/physiology

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