Sperm navigation along helical paths in 3D chemoattractant landscapes

Jikeli, Jan F.; Álvarez, Luis J.; Friedrich, Benjamin M.; Wilson, Laurence G.; Pascal, R.; Colin, Rémy; Pichlo, Magdalena; Rennhack, Andreas; Brenker, Christoph; Kaupp, U. Benjamin

doi:10.1038/ncomms8985

Cited by 183 publications

(249 citation statements)

References 64 publications

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“…The cellular mechanisms underlying on and off responses can be readily revealed by kinetic optochemical techniques [8] (Fig. 9(c)).…”

Section: On and Off Responsesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Using holographic techniques, we unveiled the 3D navigation strategy of sperm in a 3D chemical gradient [8].…”

Section: Sperm Navigation In 3dmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Caged compounds are elegant tools to trigger and monitor cellular and biochemical reactions with spatio-temporal precision in a non-invasive manner. For our studies, we use caged derivatives of the chemoattractant resact and of the second messenger cGMP [8,76,77]. A chemical gradient is rapidly sculptured by UV light irradiation of a sperm suspension containing caged resact; the ensuing behavioural response can be followed under the microscope.…”

Section: Sperm Navigation In 2dmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Here, we summarize the signalling pathway and the physics of navigation during chemotaxis of sea urchin sperm. This review represents a summary of previous accounts [2,[4][5][6][7][8].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Sperm as microswimmers – navigation and sensing at the physical limit

Kaupp

Álvarez

2016

Eur. Phys. J. Spec. Top.

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Abstract. Many cells and microorganisms have evolved a motility apparatus to explore their surroundings. For guidance, these biological microswimmers rely on physical and chemical cues that are transduced by cellular pathways into directed movement -a process called taxis. Only few biological microswimmers have been studied as detailed as sperm from sea urchins. Sperm and eggs are released into the seawater. To enhance the chances of fertilization, eggs release chemical factors -called chemoattractants -that establish a chemical gradient and, thereby, guide sperm to the egg. Sea urchin sperm constitute a unique model system for understanding cell navigation at every level: from molecules to cell behaviours. We will outline the chemotactic signalling pathway of sperm from the sea urchin Arbacia punctulata and discuss how signalling controls navigation in a chemical gradient. Finally, we discuss recent insights into sperm chemotaxis in three dimensions (3D).

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“…The cellular mechanisms underlying on and off responses can be readily revealed by kinetic optochemical techniques [8] (Fig. 9(c)).…”

Section: On and Off Responsesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Using holographic techniques, we unveiled the 3D navigation strategy of sperm in a 3D chemical gradient [8].…”

Section: Sperm Navigation In 3dmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Sperm Navigation In 2dmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Here, we summarize the signalling pathway and the physics of navigation during chemotaxis of sea urchin sperm. This review represents a summary of previous accounts [2,[4][5][6][7][8].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Sperm as microswimmers – navigation and sensing at the physical limit

Kaupp

Álvarez

2016

Eur. Phys. J. Spec. Top.

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“…Flow fields around cells are now being studied in detail by high-speed digital holographic microscopy (49,50). This technique is based on the interference patterns around particles that change their size and appearance, depending on the axial (z) position of the object in the imaging field.…”

Section: Expanding the Toolboxmentioning

confidence: 99%

Recent Advances and Future Prospects in Bacterial and Archaeal Locomotion and Signal Transduction

et al. 2017

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The structure and function of two-component and chemotactic signaling and different aspects related to the motility of bacteria and archaea are key research areas in modern microbiology. Escherichia coli is the traditional model organism used to study chemotaxis signaling and motility. However, the recent study of a wide range of bacteria and even some archaea with different lifestyles has provided new insight into the ecophysiology of chemotaxis, which is essential for the establishment of different pathogens or beneficial bacteria in a host. The expanded range of model organisms has also permitted the study of chemosensory pathways unrelated to chemotaxis, multiple chemotaxis pathways within an organism, and new types of chemoreceptors. This research has greatly benefitted from technical advances in the field of cryomicroscopy, which continues to reveal with increasing resolution the complexity and diversity of large protein complexes like the flagellar motor or chemoreceptor arrays. In addition, sensitive instruments now allow an increasing number of experiments to be conducted at the single-cell level, thereby revealing information that is beginning to bridge the gap between individual cells and population behavior. Evidence has also accumulated showing that bacteria have evolved different mechanisms for surface sensing, which appears to be mediated by flagella and possibly type IV pili, and that the downstream signaling involves chemosensory pathways and two-component-system-based processes. Herein, we summarize the recent advances and research tendencies in this field as presented at the latest Bacterial Locomotion and Signal Transduction (BLAST XIV) conference.KEYWORDS chemotaxis, flagella, flagellar motility, signal transduction, two-component regulatory systems T he capacity to sense and respond to changes in environmental cues is an essential feature of the prokaryotic lifestyle. As a consequence, bacteria and archaea have evolved an array of different molecular mechanisms that permit the detection of signals in order to generate appropriate cellular responses. These responses are mediated primarily by one-and two-component systems, as well as chemosensory signaling pathways (1-4). Whereas the former systems mediate changes primarily at the transcriptional level, chemosensory pathways form the basis for chemotaxis, the directed movement of prokaryotes in compound gradients. The study of signaling processes is not only of fundamental interest but may also contribute to the tackling of one of the central clinical problems, which is the increasing amount of antibiotic-resistant pathogens. There is now a significant amount of data indicating that interference with signal transduction systems, motility, and chemotaxis can be an alternative strategy to weaken or block pathogens (5, 6).In

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Photogravitactic Microswimmers

Singh

Uspal

Popescu

et al. 2018

Adv Funct Materials

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107

142

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We have studied the dynamics of photo-chemically active colloids made out of silica cores half covered by successive thin layers of Ti and titania, respectively, and moving within aqueous peroxide solutions when exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light. The particles, initially sedimented at the bottom glass wall, exhibit wall-bound states of motion, dependent on the size of the particle, when illuminated from underneath the wall. Upon increasing the intensity of the UV light above a threshold value, which is also dependent on the size of the particle, the particles lift off the wall and move way from it, i.e., they exhibit a photo-gravitactic behavior bearing similarities with that of microorganisms such as phytoplankton and zooplankton. These dependencies on the particle size are rationalized by using a theoretical model of self-phoresis that explicitly accounts for the "shadowing" effect of the Ti/titania layers. This allows us to unequivocally identify the photochemical activity and phototactic response as the key mechanisms beyond the observed phenomenology. Consequently, one has the means to design photo-gravitatic particles that can reversibly switch between operating near a boundary or in the volume away from the boundary by judiciously adjusting the light intensity, i.e., simply by "turning a knob".

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Sperm navigation along helical paths in 3D chemoattractant landscapes

Cited by 183 publications

References 64 publications

Sperm as microswimmers – navigation and sensing at the physical limit

Sperm as microswimmers – navigation and sensing at the physical limit

Recent Advances and Future Prospects in Bacterial and Archaeal Locomotion and Signal Transduction

Photogravitactic Microswimmers

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