Periovulatory increase in temperature difference within the rabbit oviduct

Bahat, Anat; Eisenbach, Michael; Tur-Kaspa, Ilan

doi:10.1093/humrep/dei006

Cited by 55 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…However, this conclusion should be taken with caution because it is possible that there are additional, yet unidentified chemotaxis receptors, which were still functional in our experiments with saturating concentrations of chemoattractants. Furthermore, it was argued that thermotaxis in mammalian spermatozoa should be extremely sensitive (0.168C/cm threshold gradient detection in the case of rabbits [8,9]). It is reasonable that such high sensitivity can only be achieved by a large repertoire of thermosensors, each being sensitive at another temperature range, the ranges being superimposed to some extent.…”

Section: The Thermosensors Seem To Be Different From the Chemosensorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These findings, taken together with the observations that mammalian spermatozoa are capable of sensing small temperature differences and swim toward the warmer temperature [5], led to the suggestion that this ovulation-dependent temperature gradient guides spermatozoa by thermotaxis toward the warmer fertilization site [9]. This means that spermatozoa should possess a very sensitive thermosensing capability (0.168C/cm in the case of rabbits [8,9]). As in sperm chemotaxis [10][11][12], only capacitated spermatozoa are thermotactically responsive [5], restricting sperm thermotaxis to ready-to-fertilize cells only.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Later, Bahat et al [8] demonstrated that the temperature difference in the rabbit's oviduct is created by a temperature drop at the storage site. They further showed that this difference is time dependent and is built up at ovulation (10.5-11.0 h after mating), rising from 0.88C 6 0.28C before ovulation to 1.68C 6 0.18C after ovulation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Human Sperm Thermotaxis Is Mediated by Phospholipase C and Inositol Trisphosphate Receptor Ca2+ Channel1

Bahat

Eisenbach

2010

Biology of Reproduction

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Capacitated human and rabbit spermatozoa can sense temperature differences as small as those within the oviduct of rabbits and pigs at ovulation, and they respond to them by thermotaxis (i.e., by swimming from the cooler to the warmer temperature). The molecular mechanism of sperm thermotaxis is obscure. To reveal molecular events involved in sperm thermotaxis, we took a pharmacological approach in which we examined the effect of different inhibitors and blockers on the thermotactic response of human spermatozoa. We found that reducing the intracellular, but not extracellular, Ca(2+) concentration caused remarkable inhibition of the thermotactic response. The thermotactic response was also inhibited by each of the following: La(3+), a general blocker of Ca(2+) channels; U73122, an inhibitor of phospholipase C (PLC); and 2-aminoethoxy diphenyl borate, an inhibitor of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors (IP(3)R) and store-operated channels. Inhibitors and blockers of other channels had no effect. Likewise, saturating concentrations of the chemoattractants for the known chemotaxis receptors had no effect on the thermotactic response. The results suggest that the IP(3)R Ca(2+) channel, located on internal Ca(2+) stores, operates in sperm thermotaxis, and that the response is mediated by PLC and requires intracellular Ca(2+). They also suggest that the thermosensors for thermotaxis are not the currently known chemotaxis receptors.

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Section: The Thermosensors Seem To Be Different From the Chemosensorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

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Human Sperm Thermotaxis Is Mediated by Phospholipase C and Inositol Trisphosphate Receptor Ca2+ Channel1

Bahat

Eisenbach

2010

Biology of Reproduction

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“…A thermotactic mechanism is longranged and regulated through an intracellular inositol-triphosphate receptor Ca 21 -canal, 63 by which capacitated spermatozoa are released from the sperm storage site and guided towards the ampulla, where a 2 uC lower temperature prevails during ovulation. 64,65 Whether thermotactic responsiveness of male germ cells plays a role in selective accumulation of spermatozoa remains to be demonstrated. Close to the oocyte, a second, short-range chemotaxis mechanism exists, which leads to recruitment of a population of capacitated spermatozoa.…”

Section: Sperm Selection In the Cervical Mucusmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sperm preparation: state-of-the-art—physiological aspects and application of advanced sperm preparation methods

Henkel

2011

Asian J Androl

110

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For assisted reproduction technologies (ART), numerous techniques were developed to isolate spermatozoa capable of fertilizing oocytes. While early methodologies only focused on isolating viable, motile spermatozoa, with progress of ART, particularly intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), it became clear that these parameters are insufficient for the identification of the most suitable spermatozoon for fertilization. Conventional sperm preparation techniques, namely, swim-up, density gradient centrifugation and glass wool filtration, are not efficient enough to produce sperm populations free of DNA damage, because these techniques are not physiological and not modeled on the stringent sperm selection processes taking place in the female genital tract. These processes only allow one male germ cell out of tens of millions to fuse with the oocyte. Sites of sperm selection in the female genital tract are the cervix, uterus, uterotubal junction, oviduct, cumulus oophorus and the zona pellucida. Newer strategies of sperm preparation are founded on: (i) morphological assessment by means of 'motile sperm organelle morphological examination (MSOME)'; (ii) electrical charge; and (iii) molecular binding characteristics of the sperm cell. Whereas separation methods based on electrical charge take advantage of the sperm's adherence to a test tube surface or separate in an electrophoresis, molecular binding techniques use Annexin V or hyaluronic acid (HA) as substrates. Techniques in this category are magnet-activated cell sorting, Annexin V-activated glass wool filtration, flow cytometry and picked spermatozoa for ICSI (PICSI) from HA-coated dishes and HA-containing media. Future developments may include Raman microspectrometry, confocal light absorption and scattering spectroscopic microscopy and polarization microscopy.

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“…Sperm are induced to travel to the oocyte primarily by chemotaxis, but they do not appear to be regulated by thermotaxis. Rabbit sperm were reported to have a very sensitive thermo-sensing ability (0.16ºC/cm) [9, 10]. …”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Involvement of Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid (TRPV) 4 in mouse sperm thermotaxis

Hamano

Kawanishi

Mizuno

et al. 2016

Journal of Reproduction and Development

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Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid (TRPV) 4 is one of the temperature-sensitive ion channels involved in temperature receptors, and it is known to be activated from 35 to 40ºC. Here we analyzed sperm motility function of Trpv4 knockout (KO) mouse in temperature-gradient conditions to elucidate the thermotaxis of mouse sperm and the involvement of TRPV4 in thermotaxis. The sperm were introduced at the vertical column end of a T-shaped chamber filled with medium in a plastic dish, and we measured the number of sperm that arrived at both ends of the wide column where we had established a temperature gradient of approx. 2ºC, and we evaluated the sperm’s thermotaxis. Large numbers of wild-type (WT) mouse sperm migrated into the high level of the temperature gradient that was set in the wide column, and thermotaxis was confirmed. The ratio of migrated sperm at the high temperature level of the T-shaped chamber was decreased in the KO sperm and Ruthenium red (a TRPV antagonist) treated sperm compared with the WT sperm. The thermotaxis of the mouse sperm was confirmed, and the involvement of TRPV4 in this thermotaxis was suggested.

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Periovulatory increase in temperature difference within the rabbit oviduct

Abstract: The temperature-difference increase within the rabbit oviduct is generated at ovulation by a reduced temperature at the sperm storage site. This temperature gradient may play a role in mammalian reproduction via sperm thermotaxis.

Cited by 55 publications

References 20 publications

Human Sperm Thermotaxis Is Mediated by Phospholipase C and Inositol Trisphosphate Receptor Ca2+ Channel1

Human Sperm Thermotaxis Is Mediated by Phospholipase C and Inositol Trisphosphate Receptor Ca2+ Channel1

Sperm preparation: state-of-the-art—physiological aspects and application of advanced sperm preparation methods

Involvement of Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid (TRPV) 4 in mouse sperm thermotaxis

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