Sperm Capacitation
Sperm Capacitation - Related Videos
08:56
Capacitance
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2023
Source: Yong P. Chen, PhD, Department of Physics & Astronomy, College of Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN This experiment will use commercial capacitors and a parallel plate capacitor to demonstrate the concept of capacitance. A capacitor stores opposite charges on two conductors, for example two opposite metal plates, leading to a potential difference (voltage drop) between the two conductors. The amount of charge on each conductor is proportional to this voltage drop, with...
07:38
Techniques for Imaging Ca2+ Signaling in Human Sperm
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Cited by 17 •
2010
Stimulus-evoked [Ca2+]i signals of individual human sperm are assessed. Motile cells are loaded with Ca2+-sensitive fluorescent dye (AM-ester method) and immobilised in a perfusable chamber. Cells are imaged by time-lapse fluorescence microscopy and stimulated via the perfusing medium. Responses of single cells (or regions) are analysed offline using Excel.
08:22
Using an Extracellular Flux Analyzer to Measure Changes in Glycolysis and Oxidative Phosphorylation during Mouse Sperm Capacitation
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Cited by 17 •
2020
We describe the application of an extracellular flux analyzer to monitor real-time changes in glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation during mouse sperm capacitation.
10:00
Harvesting Sperm and Artificial Insemination of Mice
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Cited by 17 •
2007
This protocol demonstrates methods for extracting sperm from the testes of males and then inseminating female mice. This procedure is useful when precise time is needed in developmental studies as well as transgenic work.
10:53
Scanning-probe Single-electron Capacitance Spectroscopy
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2013
Scanning-probe single-electron capacitance spectroscopy facilitates the study of single-electron motion in localized subsurface regions. A sensitive charge-detection circuit is incorporated into a cryogenic scanning probe microscope to investigate small systems of dopant atoms beneath the surface of semiconductor samples.
FAQs
Bicarbonate helps initiate capacitation by promoting cholesterol efflux from the sperm plasma membrane. This removal changes membrane fluidity, creating conditions for cAMP-dependent signaling. The resulting signaling cascade supports calcium entry and protein phosphorylation, linking membrane remodeling to the functional changes needed during later fertilization events.
Once bicarbonate-associated signaling is activated, cAMP-dependent signaling coordinates two major intracellular responses: calcium enters the sperm, and proteins become phosphorylated. These events translate chemical cues in the reproductive tract into functional changes rather than merely altering membrane composition. Their importance lies in connecting the initial signal to motility and acrosome-reaction readiness.
Hyperactivated motility is a functional outcome of capacitation, not simply faster movement. It reflects the coordinated consequences of membrane fluidity changes, cAMP-dependent signaling, calcium entry, and protein phosphorylation. This altered movement helps sperm reach and interact with the egg, while capacitation-associated changes also prepare sperm for the acrosome reaction.
To examine sperm capacitation, researchers can compare sperm after ejaculation with sperm exposed to signals present in the female reproductive tract. Useful readouts include membrane fluidity, cAMP-dependent signaling, calcium entry, protein phosphorylation, hyperactivated motility, and readiness for the acrosome reaction. This sequence-based approach connects cellular changes with fertilization competence.
Because capacitation is linked to fertilization competence, its study has practical relevance to infertility research and assisted reproductive technologies. Investigators can use the process to examine whether sperm acquire the motility and acrosome-reaction readiness required for interaction with an egg. This makes capacitation relevant to understanding outcomes in procedures such as in vitro fertilization.
Capacitation provides a research framework for connecting post-ejaculatory signals with sperm function in mammalian reproduction. Its membrane changes, intracellular signaling, calcium entry, phosphorylation, motility, and acrosome-reaction readiness identify stages that can be investigated in contraceptive development. Studying these linked events also clarifies how sperm become functionally prepared to fertilize an egg.