Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate: A Central Player in Gamete Development and Fertilization, and Possible Target for Infertility Therapies

Human infertility, of both male and female origin, is often caused by the deficient response of the testis and the ovary to hormonal stimuli that govern sperm and oocyte development and fertilization. The effects of hormones and other extracellular ligands involved in these events are often mediated by G-protein-coupled receptors that employ cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) as the principal second messenger transducing the receptor-generated signal to downstream elements. This opinion article summarizes the actions of cAMP in sperm and oocyte development and fertilization, leading to therapeutic actions targeting cAMP metabolism to alleviate human male and female infertility.