Sperm capacitation

Capacitation is the transformation of the sperm of some animal species necessary for the penetration of the spermatozoa through the zona pellucida of the egg for fertilization. The cumulus cells of the oviduct of the hamster collected shortly after ovulation were shown to attach and to capacitate the spermatozoa. This property of the cells was abolished by treatment with neuraminidase, showing that sialic acid plays an important role in this effect (Gwatkin et al., 1972). 

One part of the sialic acid molecule that has received little consideration is the polyhydroxylated side chain Cj to Cg. We would like to suggest that this side chain plays a more important role than envisaged 

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The second class of proteins that seem to bind mannose 6-phosphate and sulfated oligosaccharides derived from heparin are the seminal plasma spermadhesins, a group of small, structurally well defined proteins with possible biological function in sperm capacitation and sperm-egg interaction [236,237]. 

In attempts to further understand the signal transduction cascades that regulate capacitation, our laboratory has recently correlated mouse, human, and bovine sperm capacitation with an increase in protein tyrosine phosphorylation of a variety of substrates (Visconti et ah, 1995a Carrera et ah, 1996 Galantino-Homer et ah, 1997). Many of these results have since been corroborated by other labs (Aitken et ah, 1995 Leclerc et ah, 1996 Luconi et ah, 1996 Emiliozzi and Fenichel, 1997). Using the mouse as an experimental paradigm, our laboratory has demonstrated... 

Bedford, J.M. (1983). Significance of the need for sperm capacitation before fertilization in eutherian mammals. Biol. Reprod. 25 108-120. 

Boatman, D.E and Robbins, R.S. (1991). Bicarbonate Carbon-dioxide regulation of sperm capacitation, hyperactivated motility, and acrosome reactions. Biol. Reprod. 44 806-813. 

Cohen-Dayag, A., Eisenbach, M. (1994). Potential assays for sperm capacitation in mammals. Am. J. Physiol. Cell Physiol. 267 C1167-Cl 176. 

Cross, N.L. (1998). Role of cholesterol in sperm capacitation. Biol. Reprod. 59 7-11. 

Galantino-Homer, H., Visconti, P.E., and Kopf, G.S. (1997). Regulation of protein tyrosine phosphorylation during bovine sperm capacitation by a cyclic adenosine 3, 5 -monophosphate-dependent pathway. Biol. Reprod. 56 707-719. 

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Leclerc, P., de Lamirande, E., and Gagnon, C. (1996). Cyclic adenosine 3, 5 monophosphate-dependent regulation of protein tyrosine phosphorylation in relation to human sperm capacitation and motility. Biol Reprod. 55 684-692. 

Ravnik, S.E., Zarutskie, P.W., and Muller, C.H. (1992). Purification and characterization of a human follicular fluid lipid transfer protein that stimulates human sperm capacitation. Biol. Reprod. 47 1126-1133. 

Therien, I.. Soubeyrand, S.. and Manjunath, P. (1997), Major proteins of bovine seminal plasma modulate sperm capacitation by high-density lipoprotein. Biol. Reprod. 57 1080-1088. 

Visconti, P.E., Moore, G.D., Bailey, J.L., Leclerc, P., Connors, S.A., Pan, D., Olds-Clarke, P., and Kopf, G.S. (1995b). Capacitation of mouse spermatozoa. 11. Protein tyrosine phosphorylation and capacitation are regulated by a cAMP-dependent pathway. Development I21 1139-1150. Visconti, P.E., Johnson, L., Oyaski, M., Pomes, M., Moss, S.B., Gerton, G.L., and Kopf. G.S. (1997). Regulation, localization, and anchoring of protein kinase A subunits during mouse sperm capacitation. Dev. Biol. 792 351-363. 

Zeng, Y, Oberdorf J.A., and Florman, H.M. (1996). pH regulation in mouse sperm. Identification of Na, Cl, and HCOj -dependent and arylaminobenzoate-dependent regulatory rhechanisms and characterization of their role in sperm capacitation. Dev. Biol. 773 510-520. 

Mammalian fertilization is the result of a precisely regulated series of cellular interactions. This process can be divided into a number of component stages, including the following (i) the early events that precede egg fusion, consisting of the preliminary event of sperm capacitation, sperm penetration of the cumulus oophorus, zona pellucida adhesion, initiation and completion of acrosome reactions, penetration of the zona pellucida, egg plasma membrane contact and fusion and (ii) the late events that occur within the egg that consist of sperm nuclear decondensation followed by pronuclear consolidation and syngamy. 

The early stages of fertilization begin prior to gamete contact with the process of sperm capacitation. Sperm that are released from mammalian caudae epididymides are able to carry out only a restricted set of physiological processes and are unable to fertilize eggs. Capacitation describes the time-dependent development of fertility. This process was first identified during in-vivo experiments as a temporal delay in fertilization when animals were mated after the time of ovulation (Austin, 1951, 1952 Chang, 1951). 

Florman, H.M. and Babcock, D.F. (1990). Progress towards a molecular mechanism of sperm capacitation. In Elements of Mammalian Fertilization. Basic Concepts. (Wassarman, Ed.), pp. 105-132. CRC Press. Boca Raton, FL. 

In Chapter 3, Kopf and coauthors summarize recent studies on capacitation of mammalian sperm. The chapter examines the role of media constituents, membrane events, and transmembrane and intracellular signaling during sperm capacitation. The authors provide detailed information about the biochemical and molecular events that form the basis of this critical event in mammalian fertilization. 

Note. Progestasert, Alza an intrauterine contraceptive device consists of 38mg of progesterone in silicone oil. In this instance, the drug is believed to increase the contraceptive effectiveness of the said device by a local effect on the endometrium followed by effects upon the motility of sperm, capacitation and metabolism.]... 

Maccarrone, M, Barboni, B, Paradisi, A, Bernabo, N, Gasped, V, Pistilli, MG, Fezza, F, Lucidi, P, Mattioli, M. 2005. Characterization of the endocannabinoid system in boar spermatozoa and implications for sperm capacitation and acrosome reaction. J Cell Sci in press. 

Giojalas, L.C., Rovasio, R.A., Fabro, G., Gakamsl, A. and Eisenbach, M. (2003). Timing of sperm capacitation appears to be programmed according to egg availability in the female genital tract. Submitted. 

Piyachaturawat P, Sriwattana W, Damrongphol P, Pholpramool C (1991) Effects of piperine on hamster sperm capacitation and fertilization in vitro. Int J Androl 14 283-290 Malini T, Manimaran RR, Arunakaran J, Aruldhas MM, Govindarajulu P (1999) Effects of piperine on testis of albino rats. J Ethnopharmacol 64 219-225... 

Cyclic nucleotides now appear to be involved in the control of sperm activity euid motility and sperm capacitation and as mediators of viral infection , cellular growth (including that of bacteria ), the immune response " , inflammation , anaphylaxis , histamine release , hypersensitivity and neurotransmitter release , among the many other important cellular processes previously known. The potential of the cyclic nucleotides or their derivatives as drugs is already apparent in many areas including contraception , radioprotection , inhibition of drug metabolism and antagonism of anesthetics ... 

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