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1 School for Biomedical
Education, The City College,
New York, New York
The suspension of guinea pig spermatozoa in
substrate-free medium results in the cessation of sperm
motility and a 94% reduction in adenosine triphosphate
(ATP) levels within minutes. ATP depletion was not
deleterious to spermatozoa since motility was fully restored by the addition of pyruvate. In addition, sperm
were able to synthesize ATP by metabolizing pyruvate.
Following incubation for 0, 30, and 60 minutes in
medium without substrate, acrosome reactions were
measured before and after motility restoration. ATP
depletion induced a large percentage of acrosome reactions relative to controls (32.29 ± 1.22% compared with
0.63 ± 0.02% at 60 minutes). Ca2+ was required for the
effect. It is suggested that ATP depletion inactivates a
Ca2+-dependent ATPase expulsion mechanism for Ca2+,
thereby permitting Ca2+ influx and the acrosome reaction.
Key words: sperm motility, ATP depletion, acrosome
Submitted on January 15, 1981
Revised on June 18, 1981
Accepted on August 18, 1981
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