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Structure and Function of Ion Channels Regulating Sperm Motility—An Overview

Sperm motility is linked to the activation of signaling pathways that trigger movement. These pathways are mainly dependent on Ca(2+), which acts as a secondary messenger. The maintenance of adequate Ca(2+) concentrations is possible thanks to proper concentrations of other ions, such as K(+) and Na...

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Autores principales: Nowicka-Bauer, Karolina, Szymczak-Cendlak, Monika
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: MDPI 2021
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8004680/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33806823
http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijms22063259
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author Nowicka-Bauer, Karolina
Szymczak-Cendlak, Monika
author_facet Nowicka-Bauer, Karolina
Szymczak-Cendlak, Monika
author_sort Nowicka-Bauer, Karolina
collection PubMed
description Sperm motility is linked to the activation of signaling pathways that trigger movement. These pathways are mainly dependent on Ca(2+), which acts as a secondary messenger. The maintenance of adequate Ca(2+) concentrations is possible thanks to proper concentrations of other ions, such as K(+) and Na(+), among others, that modulate plasma membrane potential and the intracellular pH. Like in every cell, ion homeostasis in spermatozoa is ensured by a vast spectrum of ion channels supported by the work of ion pumps and transporters. To achieve success in fertilization, sperm ion channels have to be sensitive to various external and internal factors. This sensitivity is provided by specific channel structures. In addition, novel sperm-specific channels or isoforms have been found with compositions that increase the chance of fertilization. Notably, the most significant sperm ion channel is the cation channel of sperm (CatSper), which is a sperm-specific Ca(2+) channel required for the hyperactivation of sperm motility. The role of other ion channels in the spermatozoa, such as voltage-gated Ca(2+) channels (VGCCs), Ca(2+)-activated Cl-channels (CaCCs), SLO K(+) channels or voltage-gated H(+) channels (VGHCs), is to ensure the activation and modulation of CatSper. As the activation of sperm motility differs among metazoa, different ion channels may participate; however, knowledge regarding these channels is still scarce. In the present review, the roles and structures of the most important known ion channels are described in regard to regulation of sperm motility in animals.
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spelling pubmed-80046802021-03-29 Structure and Function of Ion Channels Regulating Sperm Motility—An Overview Nowicka-Bauer, Karolina Szymczak-Cendlak, Monika Int J Mol Sci Review Sperm motility is linked to the activation of signaling pathways that trigger movement. These pathways are mainly dependent on Ca(2+), which acts as a secondary messenger. The maintenance of adequate Ca(2+) concentrations is possible thanks to proper concentrations of other ions, such as K(+) and Na(+), among others, that modulate plasma membrane potential and the intracellular pH. Like in every cell, ion homeostasis in spermatozoa is ensured by a vast spectrum of ion channels supported by the work of ion pumps and transporters. To achieve success in fertilization, sperm ion channels have to be sensitive to various external and internal factors. This sensitivity is provided by specific channel structures. In addition, novel sperm-specific channels or isoforms have been found with compositions that increase the chance of fertilization. Notably, the most significant sperm ion channel is the cation channel of sperm (CatSper), which is a sperm-specific Ca(2+) channel required for the hyperactivation of sperm motility. The role of other ion channels in the spermatozoa, such as voltage-gated Ca(2+) channels (VGCCs), Ca(2+)-activated Cl-channels (CaCCs), SLO K(+) channels or voltage-gated H(+) channels (VGHCs), is to ensure the activation and modulation of CatSper. As the activation of sperm motility differs among metazoa, different ion channels may participate; however, knowledge regarding these channels is still scarce. In the present review, the roles and structures of the most important known ion channels are described in regard to regulation of sperm motility in animals. MDPI 2021-03-23 /pmc/articles/PMC8004680/ /pubmed/33806823 http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijms22063259 Text en © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
spellingShingle Review
Nowicka-Bauer, Karolina
Szymczak-Cendlak, Monika
Structure and Function of Ion Channels Regulating Sperm Motility—An Overview
title Structure and Function of Ion Channels Regulating Sperm Motility—An Overview
title_full Structure and Function of Ion Channels Regulating Sperm Motility—An Overview
title_fullStr Structure and Function of Ion Channels Regulating Sperm Motility—An Overview
title_full_unstemmed Structure and Function of Ion Channels Regulating Sperm Motility—An Overview
title_short Structure and Function of Ion Channels Regulating Sperm Motility—An Overview
title_sort structure and function of ion channels regulating sperm motility—an overview
topic Review
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8004680/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33806823
http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijms22063259
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