Biomaterial Database

Cross-talk between free and bound spermatozoa to modulate initial sperm:egg ratios at the site of fertilization in the mammalian oviduct. 2014

R H F Hunter, and J Gadea

Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, UK. Electronic address: jgadea@um.es.

This essay proposes that highly localized communication between free and bound spermatozoa in the caudal portion of the oviduct acts to regulate the numbers detaching from the epithelium and progressing to the site of fertilization close to the time of ovulation. Low initial sperm:egg ratios are essential for monospermic fertilization. Liberation of surface macromolecules and metabolic prompting from activated spermatozoa, together with altered patterns of sperm movement and dynamic differences in intracellular Ca(2+) ion status between neighboring sperm cells, would influence the progressive release of spermatozoa from the reservoir in the oviduct isthmus. Different intensities of preovulatory epithelial binding, reflecting a range of states in the sperm surface membranes and associated proteins, would provide a further explanation for a chronologically staggered periovulatory detachment of spermatozoa. Intimate sperm-sperm interactions within the confines of the oviduct isthmus offer a sensitive means of fine-tuning the vanguard of competent male gametes reaching the isthmo-ampullary junction.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D008322	Mammals	Warm-blooded vertebrate animals belonging to the class Mammalia, including all that possess hair and suckle their young.	Mammalia,Mammal
D010057	Oviducts	Ducts that serve exclusively for the passage of eggs from the ovaries to the exterior of the body. In non-mammals, they are termed oviducts. In mammals, they are highly specialized and known as FALLOPIAN TUBES.	Oviduct
D005260	Female		Females
D005306	Fertilization	The fusion of a spermatozoon (SPERMATOZOA) with an OVUM thus resulting in the formation of a ZYGOTE.	Conception,Fertilization, Delayed,Fertilization, Polyspermic,Conceptions,Delayed Fertilization,Delayed Fertilizations,Fertilizations,Fertilizations, Delayed,Fertilizations, Polyspermic,Polyspermic Fertilization,Polyspermic Fertilizations
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D013081	Sperm Motility	Movement characteristics of SPERMATOZOA in a fresh specimen. It is measured as the percentage of sperms that are moving, and as the percentage of sperms with productive flagellar motion such as rapid, linear, and forward progression.	Motilities, Sperm,Motility, Sperm,Sperm Motilities
D013084	Sperm-Ovum Interactions	Interactive processes between the oocyte (OVUM) and the sperm (SPERMATOZOA) including sperm adhesion, ACROSOME REACTION, sperm penetration of the ZONA PELLUCIDA, and events leading to FERTILIZATION.	Ovum-Sperm Interactions,Sperm Penetration,Egg-Sperm Interactions,Gamete Interactions,Oocyte-Sperm Interactions,Sperm-Egg Interactions,Sperm-Egg Penetration,Sperm-Oocyte Interactions,Sperm-Oocyte Penetration,Sperm-Ovum Penetration,Sperm-Zona Pellucida Penetration,Egg Sperm Interactions,Egg-Sperm Interaction,Gamete Interaction,Oocyte Sperm Interactions,Oocyte-Sperm Interaction,Ovum Sperm Interactions,Ovum-Sperm Interaction,Sperm Egg Interactions,Sperm Egg Penetration,Sperm Oocyte Interactions,Sperm Oocyte Penetration,Sperm Ovum Interactions,Sperm Ovum Penetration,Sperm Penetrations,Sperm Zona Pellucida Penetration,Sperm-Egg Interaction,Sperm-Egg Penetrations,Sperm-Oocyte Interaction,Sperm-Oocyte Penetrations,Sperm-Ovum Interaction,Sperm-Ovum Penetrations,Sperm-Zona Pellucida Penetrations
D013094	Spermatozoa	Mature male germ cells derived from SPERMATIDS. As spermatids move toward the lumen of the SEMINIFEROUS TUBULES, they undergo extensive structural changes including the loss of cytoplasm, condensation of CHROMATIN into the SPERM HEAD, formation of the ACROSOME cap, the SPERM MIDPIECE and the SPERM TAIL that provides motility.	Sperm,Spermatozoon,X-Bearing Sperm,X-Chromosome-Bearing Sperm,Y-Bearing Sperm,Y-Chromosome-Bearing Sperm,Sperm, X-Bearing,Sperm, X-Chromosome-Bearing,Sperm, Y-Bearing,Sperm, Y-Chromosome-Bearing,Sperms, X-Bearing,Sperms, X-Chromosome-Bearing,Sperms, Y-Bearing,Sperms, Y-Chromosome-Bearing,X Bearing Sperm,X Chromosome Bearing Sperm,X-Bearing Sperms,X-Chromosome-Bearing Sperms,Y Bearing Sperm,Y Chromosome Bearing Sperm,Y-Bearing Sperms,Y-Chromosome-Bearing Sperms