Review
Cell Biology
Supipi Mirihagalle, Jennifer Rose Hughes, David Joel Miller
Summary: This article discusses the function and mechanism of the sperm reservoir in the female reproductive system of mammals. The interaction between glycans and sperm membrane proteins facilitates sperm binding and retention in the oviductal epithelium, and progesterone has been identified as a signaling molecule that induces the release of sperm from the reservoir.
Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Manami Miyashita, Masakatsu Fujinoki
Summary: Aging reduces the quality of testes, epididymides, and sperm, while progesterone, melatonin, and 5-hydroxytryptamine can recover the reduced quality of sperm.
REPRODUCTIVE MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Reproductive Biology
E. M. Donnellan, P. Lonergan, K. G. Meade, S. Fair
Summary: Despite passing quality control checks, bulls with apparently normal semen quality may have low field fertility rates. This study assessed the interaction between spermatozoa and the female reproductive tract in bulls with divergent field fertility. The results showed that there were no significant differences in most sperm motility and functional parameters between high and low fertility bulls. However, high fertility bulls had a higher straight-line velocity and a stronger binding ability to oviductal explants. There was also a positive correlation between straight-line velocity and sperm rheotactic response.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Costanza Cimini, Fadl Moussa, Angela Taraschi, Marina Ramal-Sanchez, Alessia Colosimo, Giulia Capacchietti, Samia Mokh, Luca Valbonetti, Israiel Tagaram, Nicola Bernabo, Barbara Barboni
Summary: This study investigated the impact of oviductal epithelial cells and progesterone hormone on sperm fertilizing ability using an in vitro fertilization (IVF) swine model. The results showed that pre-treated oviductal epithelial cells with 100 ng/mL progesterone promoted sperm capacitation and increased the fertilizing ability without hormone addition at the time of fertilization.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Hiroyuki Tateno, Miwa Tamura-Nakano, Hirokazu Kusakabe, Noritaka Hirohashi, Natsuko Kawano, Ryuzo Yanagimachi
Summary: The present study found that in the oviduct of Chinese hamsters, sperm undergo the acrosome reaction beginning in the lower isthmus and completing it in the cumulus oophorus. The mucosal epithelium of the isthmus releases transparent vesicles into the lumen and is fragile. Recoil handling could easily cause damage. Globular materials released from the dissected oviduct are likely mucosal cells destroyed by rough handling.
MOLECULAR REPRODUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT
(2021)
Article
Biology
N. Rossi, G. Lopez Juri, M. Chiaraviglio, G. Cardozo
Summary: This study investigates the impact of global warming on sperm dynamics in ectotherms, finding that high temperatures negatively affect sperm movement and survival, but oviductal fluid can mitigate these effects.
Review
Evolutionary Biology
Goutham Shankar, Thumbala A. Gagan, Titus R. S. Kumari, Gopal K. Marathe
Summary: This review discusses the long-term sperm storage by females in a variety of invertebrate and vertebrate species, as well as the molecular factors involved in the storage process. It focuses on the Indian garden lizard as a model reptile and highlights the presence of a unique protein that inhibits washed epididymal sperm motility in a reversible manner.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART B-MOLECULAR AND DEVELOPMENTAL EVOLUTION
(2022)
Review
Developmental Biology
Shang Wang, Irina Larina
Summary: In vivo imaging techniques in the oviduct allow for the observation of gametes and embryos, shedding light on the native processes of fertilization and pregnancy. This review article discusses recent advancements in in vivo imaging methods and the insights gained in understanding the function of the oviduct.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Heiko Henning, Jennifer Franz, Julia Batz-Schott, Xuyen Le Thi, Dagmar Waberski
Summary: This study aimed to evaluate the sensitivity of two test systems in detecting sperm damage during chilling process. The results showed that the analysis of sperm movement patterns and the binding of sperm to oviductal tissue can effectively assess the impact of different extenders on the quality of chilled spermatozoa.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Guohui Zhang, Chuan Jiang, Yushang Yang, Yan Wang, Haimeng Zhou, Siyu Dai, Mohan Liu, Yanting Yang, Li Yang, Qiongyan Shen, Tao Zhang, Xiaodong Zhang, Yihong Yang, Ying Shen
Summary: In this study, we reported male infertility patients with a hemizygous nonsense mutation in the cancer-testis antigen 55 (CT55) gene, which resulted in extreme disruption in sperm production, morphology, and locomotion. Our functional experiments revealed that CT55 acts as a novel autophagic manipulator involved in spermatogenesis.
CELL DEATH AND DIFFERENTIATION
(2023)
Article
Biology
Pol Fernandez-Lopez, Joan Garriga, Isabel Casas, Marc Yeste, Frederic Bartumeus
Summary: Understanding the relationship between sperm motility and fertility is important for both evolutionary and practical purposes. This study characterizes pig sperm motility using t-SNE, a method that reveals a hierarchical organization of sperm motility across individuals and enables accurate fertility predictions. The findings suggest that high-speed and straight-lined motion are positively correlated with fertility and are more important than other sources of variability. The study proposes the use of embedding methods and Bayesian inference frameworks to better understand the relationship between fertility and sperm motility in animals, including humans.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Saskia Schattner, Jan Schattner, Fabian Munder, Eva Hoeppe, Wilhelm J. Walter
Summary: In Arabidopsis thaliana, the transport of sperm cells involves sequential forward and backward movements with pauses, but occasional germ unit disassembly shows that sperm cells can independently move and still follow the same bidirectional movement pattern. The net movement of sperm cells results from longer and faster runs towards the pollen tube apex, which can be attributed to kinesins with calponin homology domain (KCH). This subgroup of the kinesin-14 family actively links actin filaments and microtubules, leading to a tug-of-war model that reproduces characteristic sperm cell movement in pollen tubes.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Fisheries
Giusy Rusco, Michele Di Iorio, Stefano Esposito, Pierpaolo Gibertoni, Emanuele Antenucci, Valentino Palombo, Alessandra Roncarati, Nicolaia Iaffaldano
Summary: In external fertilizer fish, ovarian fluid (OF) plays a key role in improving sperm swimming performance and reducing the risk of genetic introgression of wild populations from introduced individuals.
Article
Developmental Biology
Wei Chen, Yajie Wang, Mengmeng Gong, Hailin Gao, Huaxing Zhou, Xingjiang Bu, Xingquan Xia, Liuwang Nie
Summary: This study explored the correlation between sperm storage and the BCL 2 protein family in the oviduct of Mauremys reevesii. Techniques including staining, immunohistochemistry and gene expression analysis were used. The results showed that there were many sperm stored in the oviduct, and the mRNA expression of anti-apoptotic genes and the androgen receptor were higher in mated turtles while the expression of pro-apoptotic genes showed the opposite pattern.
REPRODUCTION FERTILITY AND DEVELOPMENT
(2023)
Article
Reproductive Biology
Logan M. Nickels, Kevin Shane, Heather L. Vahdat
Summary: Globally, nearly half of all pregnancies are unplanned, and male contraceptives have the potential to reduce unintended pregnancies and encourage research. New funding avenues from the philanthropic sector support research in male contraceptives, facilitating the development and commercialization of contraceptive technologies.
BIOLOGY OF REPRODUCTION
(2022)