Evidence of androgen-dependent sperm storage in female reproductive tract of Scotophilus heathi

Roy, Vikas Kumar; Krishna, Amitabh

doi:10.1016/j.ygcen.2009.06.012

Cited by 27 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 40 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The authors of this paper proposed a new hypothesis, namely that the combination of ABP and androgen receptors would produce very high androgen concentrations at the sites of sperm storage and that non‐genomic steroid action might contribute to the sperm storage mechanism. In an extension of this study, these authors have now also shown that the reproductive epithelium expresses the anti‐apoptotic protein BCl‐2, and during the later stages of sperm storage, it also expresses the pro‐apoptotic protein caspase 3 (Roy and Krishna 2011). The expression of BCl‐2 was also shown to be androgen dependent and stimulated via the non‐genomic MAP kinase signalling pathway; in addition, the sperm storage process was terminated when the bats were treated with the anti‐androgen, flutamide.…”

Section: What Mechanisms Are Involved In Sperm Storage?mentioning

confidence: 53%

“…This Asian bat species stores spermatozoa for several months, from the time of insemination until ovulation takes place (Gopalakrishna and Madhavan 1978; Krishna and Dominic 1978). Considerable effort has been invested in studying the endocrinology of this bat, and it has been shown that ovulation is delayed because of high levels of circulatory androgens (Abhilasha and Krishna 1996, 1997; Doval and Krishna 1998, 1999; Krishna and Abhilasha 2000; Roy and Krishna 2010). Recent investigations of the utero–tubal junction epithelia that support sperm storage in this species have revealed the presence of androgen receptors in the cytoplasm, combined with intense immunoreactivity for androgen‐binding protein (ABP) (Roy and Krishna 2010).…”

Section: What Mechanisms Are Involved In Sperm Storage?mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Considerable effort has been invested in studying the endocrinology of this bat, and it has been shown that ovulation is delayed because of high levels of circulatory androgens (Abhilasha and Krishna 1996, 1997; Doval and Krishna 1998, 1999; Krishna and Abhilasha 2000; Roy and Krishna 2010). Recent investigations of the utero–tubal junction epithelia that support sperm storage in this species have revealed the presence of androgen receptors in the cytoplasm, combined with intense immunoreactivity for androgen‐binding protein (ABP) (Roy and Krishna 2010). The authors of this paper proposed a new hypothesis, namely that the combination of ABP and androgen receptors would produce very high androgen concentrations at the sites of sperm storage and that non‐genomic steroid action might contribute to the sperm storage mechanism.…”

Section: What Mechanisms Are Involved In Sperm Storage?mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Mechanisms of Sperm Storage in the Female Reproductive Tract: an Interspecies Comparison

Holt

2011

Reprod Domestic Animals

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Contents Once semen has been collected for artificial insemination, it is diluted into extenders designed to prevent its deterioration over the period prior to insemination. If the semen is not frozen, the extenders provide protection for a period of a few hours to a few days, depending on species. Despite the efforts of biotechnologists to increase the duration of storage without compromising fertility, there has been relatively little progress for many years. However, comparative studies in diverse species have revealed that long‐term sperm storage (up to months and years) within the female reproductive tract is relatively commonplace in reptiles, fishes, birds and amphibians. Even among mammals, some species of bat have evolved mechanisms for storing spermatozoa for several months in the uterus or oviduct so that they can mate in the autumn but postpone fertilization until the spring. We currently know little about the mechanisms that support such long‐term sperm storage, mainly because evidence from such species is either absent or fragmentary. Nevertheless, parallels between mammalian and other systems, where spermatozoa are sequestered in sperm storage tubules, suggest that the enclosure of spermatozoa within pockets of epithelial cells may be sufficient to achieve long‐term sperm storage. In addition, recent evidence from sperm‐storing bats has suggested an alternative, or additional, hypothesis that the modulation of apoptosis within epithelial cells is important in controlling sperm survival. Despite a lack of direct experimental evidence from a wide variety of species, I propose that there is now enough evidence to warrant investigation of these hypotheses.

show abstract

Section: What Mechanisms Are Involved In Sperm Storage?mentioning

confidence: 53%

Section: What Mechanisms Are Involved In Sperm Storage?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: What Mechanisms Are Involved In Sperm Storage?mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Mechanisms of Sperm Storage in the Female Reproductive Tract: an Interspecies Comparison

Holt

2011

Reprod Domestic Animals

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Extremely intimate cellular associations form between spermatozoa and oviductal epithelial cells (Racey et al, 1987) and it is highly likely that the sperm–oviduct dialogue is far more active than in most other species. However, none of the more recent physiological insights into sperm–oviduct interactions had been investigated in these species until very recently, when Roy and Krishna (2010) demonstrated that the alignment of sperm heads towards the oviductal epithelium is associated with increased circulating testosterone, the presence of androgen binding protein within epithelial glands and the presence of androgen receptor at the site of sperm storage. These authors hypothesised that long‐term sperm storage might be mediated via nongenomic androgen actions.…”

Section: Synthesis and Conclusionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The oviduct as a complex mediator of mammalian sperm function and selection

Holt

Fazeli

2010

Molecular Reproduction Devel

121

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

SUMMARYThe fallopian tube, or oviduct, is no longer considered merely a conduit that joins the uterine horns and the ovaries, being recognised as a venue for the capacitation of spermatozoa and fertilisation. However, recent evidence has implicated the oviduct in the stringent selection of spermatozoa prior to fertilisation, sperm storage prior to fertilisation, the regulation of sperm motility and possibly the guidance of spermatozoa towards the egg. Moreover, the arrival of spermatozoa within the oviduct is now known to regulate gene expression in oviductal epithelial cells with the consequent up-and downregulation of various proteins. In this review, we examine the emerging significance of spermoviduct interactions, as they relate to both physiological functions and the likelihood that the oviduct has a role in post-copulatory sperm selection by females (cryptic female choice) under conditions of sperm competition. The mechanisms by which sperm selection might operate still remain a mystery, especially when the underlying rationale for such mechanism appears to require the recognition by the female tract of sperm qualities related to the intrinsic integrity and information content of the sperm DNA. The oviduct not only selects against spermatozoa containing fragmented DNA but also imposes selection related to the fitness or quality of individual males. This implies the existence of, as yet unrecognised, mechanisms for the detection and interpretation of sperm-surface markers that link phenotypic and genotypic qualities of each individual cell.Mol.

show abstract

“…In domestic birds, such as chickens, turkeys, quail, and ducks, these SSTs can store sperm that have entered the female reproductive tract for 2-15 weeks; in other bird species, sperm can be stored for varying periods (Bakst et al 1994, Bakst 2011. This extended viability of avian sperm contrasts markedly with the relatively short lifespan of mammalian sperm, which remain viable only for a few days, though the phenomenon of sperm storage had been demonstrated in some species of bats (Roy & Krishna 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sperm activation by heat shock protein 70 supports the migration of sperm released from sperm storage tubules in Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica)

Hiyama¹,

Matsuzaki²,

Mizushima³

et al. 2014

Reproduction

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Systems for maintaining the viability of ejaculated sperm in the female reproductive tract are widespread among vertebrates and invertebrates. In birds, this sperm storage function is performed by specialized simple tubular invaginations called sperm storage tubules (SSTs) in the uterovaginal junction (UVJ) of the oviduct. Although the incidence and physiological reasons for sperm storage in birds have been reported extensively, the mechanisms of sperm uptake by the SSTs, sperm maintenance within the SSTs, and control of sperm release from the SSTs are poorly understood. In this study, we demonstrated that the highly conserved heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) stimulates sperm motility in vitro and also that HSP70 expressed in the UVJ may facilitate the migration of sperm released from the SSTs.Quantitative RT-PCR analysis demonstrated that the expression of HSP70 mRNA in the UVJ increases before ovulation/oviposition. Gene-specific in situ hybridization and immunohistochemical analysis with a specific antibody to HSP70 demonstrated that HSP70 is localized in the surface epithelium of the UVJ. Furthermore, injection of anti-HSP70 antibody into the vagina significantly inhibited fertilization in vivo. In addition, we found that recombinant HSP70 activates flagellar movement in the sperm and that the binding of recombinant HSP70 to the sperm surface is mediated through an interaction with voltage-dependent anion channel protein 2 (VDAC2). Our results suggest that HSP70 binds to the sperm surface by interacting with VDAC2 and activating sperm motility. This binding appears to play an important role in sperm migration within the oviduct.

show abstract

Evidence of androgen-dependent sperm storage in female reproductive tract of Scotophilus heathi

Cited by 27 publications

References 40 publications

Mechanisms of Sperm Storage in the Female Reproductive Tract: an Interspecies Comparison

Mechanisms of Sperm Storage in the Female Reproductive Tract: an Interspecies Comparison

The oviduct as a complex mediator of mammalian sperm function and selection

Sperm activation by heat shock protein 70 supports the migration of sperm released from sperm storage tubules in Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica)

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About