A remarkable increase in the pHi sensitivity of voltage-dependent calcium channels occurs in human sperm incubated in capacitating conditions

Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications
Paloma del Carmen Neri-VidaurriMarco T González-Martínez

Abstract

Human sperm are endowed with voltage-dependent calcium channels (VDCC) that produce increases in [Ca2+]i in response to depolarization with KCl. These channels are stimulated during "capacitation", a complex biochemical process, accompanied by a slight pHi alkalization, that sperm must accomplish to acquire the ability to fertilize the egg. The stimulation can be explained in part by the fact that in non-capacitated sperm, calcium influx through VDCC is stimulated by pHi alkalization in the range of pHi observed during capacitation. In this work, we explored the effect of pHi on VDCC in capacitated sperm loaded with fura ff. Strikingly, the pHi sensitivity of VDCC increased approximately 7-fold when sperm was capacitated, as compared with non-capacitated sperm. This finding suggests that the pHi sensitivity of VDCC can be modulated during capacitation so that a combined effect of pHi alkalization and biochemical regulation enhances calcium influx through these channels.

References

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Citations

Feb 1, 2012·The Journal of Biological Chemistry·Boris MussetAmina El Jamali
Oct 24, 2013·Reproduction : the Official Journal of the Society for the Study of Fertility·Marian AalbertsWillem Stoorvogel
Mar 14, 2013·American Journal of Reproductive Immunology : AJRI·Gabriela CarrasquelMarie C Ruiz
Aug 22, 2015·Reproduction in Domestic Animals = Zuchthygiene·D K Gangwar, S K Atreja
Dec 18, 2013·Systems Biology in Reproductive Medicine·Jorge Parodi
Sep 27, 2013·Systems Biology in Reproductive Medicine·Gabriela CarrasquelMarie Christine Ruiz
Sep 22, 2009·Arquivos brasileiros de endocrinologia e metabologia·Ligia Araújo Martini, Richard James Wood
Feb 23, 2010·Systems Biology in Reproductive Medicine·Jorge ParodiFernando Romero Mejías
Mar 18, 2011·Nature·Polina V LishkoYuriy Kirichok
Oct 1, 2016·Oncotarget·Shi-Kai Jin, Wan-Xi Yang
Sep 21, 2010·Systems Biology in Reproductive Medicine·Janice L Bailey
Oct 27, 2020·Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology·Lucia ZalazarAndreina Cesari

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