| Title: | Sperm are promiscuous and CatSper is to blame |
| Author(s): | Barratt CL; Publicover SJ; |
| Address: | "Reproductive and Developmental Biology, Medical Education Institute, Medical School, Ninewells Hospital, University of Dundee, Dundee, Scotland. c.barratt@dundee.ac.uk" |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1460-2075 (Electronic) 0261-4189 (Print) 0261-4189 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "EMBO J 31 7, 1654-1665 February 21 2012 A sperm-specific cation channel (CatSper) facilitates the entry of calcium necessary for rapid changes in sperm motility allowing the cell to navigate the hurdles of the female reproductive tract and successfully to locate the egg. Brenker and colleagues show that CatSper is (directly) activated by a diverse range of small organic molecules that are reported to evoke chemotaxis in human spermatozoa, suggesting that CatSper may function as a polymodal, chemosensory calcium channel. Additionally, they provide strong evidence that calcium entry into the spermatozoon does not employ specific, G protein-coupled odorant receptors or activation of trans-membrane adenylate cyclase and is not induced by cyclic nucleotides" |
| Keywords: | Calcium Channels/*metabolism Calcium Signaling/*physiology Humans Male Pheromones/*metabolism Spermatozoa/*metabolism; |
| Notes: | "MedlineBarratt, Christopher Lr Publicover, Stephen J eng Comment England 2012/03/15 EMBO J. 2012 Apr 4; 31(7):1624-6. doi: 10.1038/emboj.2012.62. Epub 2012 Mar 13" |
