Ca(2+)-dependent mechanisms are critical for successful completion of fertilization. Here, we demonstrate that CRISP1, a sperm protein involved in mammalian fertilization, is also present in the female gamete and capable of modulating key sperm Ca(2+) channels. Specifically, we show that CRISP1 is expressed by the cumulus cells that surround the egg and that fertilization of cumulus-oocyte comp...

objective: globozoospermia is a rare type of teratozoospermia with incidence of 0.1% among infertile individuals. phospholipase c zeta (plcζ) and postacrosomal sheath ww domain binding protein (pawp) are the main candidates in sperm taking responsibility for oocyte activation during fertilization. therefore, we aimed to evaluate the expression of these two genes at rna and protein levels in glo...

Sperm and eggs have interacting proteins on their surfaces that influence their compatibility during fertilization. These proteins are often polymorphic within species, producing variation in gamete affinities. We first demonstrate the fitness consequences of various sperm bindin protein (Bindin) variants in the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, and assortative mating between males and ...

Hypercholesterolemia represents a high risk factor for frequent diseases and it has also been associated with poor semen quality that may lead to male infertility. The aim of this study was to analyze semen and sperm function in diet-induced hypercholesterolemic rabbits. Twelve adult White New Zealand male rabbits were fed ad libitum a control diet or a diet supplemented with 0.05% cholesterol....

Problem statement: Two experiments were conducted to determine the effect of the prostatic fluid from the first and third fractions of the ejaculates on the freezability of poodle dog sperm. Approach: The ejaculates from 2 trained poodle dogs were collected. Effect of prostatic fluid from the first and third fractions of ejaculates on cryosurvival of dog sperm was examined. SDS-PAGE analyses we...

BACKGROUND We previously reported that the level of interleukin (IL)-6 is increased in the peritoneal fluid of women with endometriosis. This study was undertaken to assess the effects of IL-6 and soluble IL-6 receptor (sIL-6R) on in vitro sperm motility. METHODS Sperm (n = 20) were cultured with IL-6 or sIL-6R, or with a combination of both. After 24 h cultures, sperm motility was evaluated ...

Female sperm storage is an essential component of reproduction in many animals. In insects, female sperm storage affects fecundity, sperm competition/preference and receptivity to re-mating. Female sperm storage consists of several stages, including sperm entry into the sperm storage organs (SSOs), maintenance within the SSOs and exit from the SSOs. The Drosophila melanogaster male seminal prot...

BACKGROUND Trophinin is an intrinsic membrane protein that forms a complex in the cytoplasm with bystin and tastin, linking it microtubule-associated motor dynein (ATPase) in some cell types. Previously, we found that human sperm tails contain trophinin, bystin and tastin proteins, and that trophinin-binding GWRQ (glycine, tryptophan, arginine, glutamine) peptide enhanced motility of human sper...

Binder of SPerm (BSP) proteins are a family of proteins expressed exclusively in the male reproductive tract (seminal vesicles or epididymis) of several mammalian species. They are known to promote capacitation, a sperm maturation step essential for fertilization. Our recent studies have shown that in human, the Binder of SPerm Homolog 1 (BSPH1) is expressed solely in epididymal tissues. The go...

Background: Low uptake of exogenous DNA by sperm and reduced number of fertilized oocyte by transfected sperm are the major obstacles for progression of sperm mediated gene transfer. Therefore, the modification of sperm mediated gene transfer procedure needs to be required. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of FuGene 6 compare to lipofection in transfection medium for int...