Ca²⁺ Is Required for Mouse Sperm Capacitation and Fertilization In Vitro

¹ Department of Human Biology, Chelsea College, London, England

The temporal involvement of Ca²⁺ during mouse sperm capacitation in vitro was examined by releasing sperm into Ca²⁺-free medium and then introducing Ca²⁺ (1.80 mM, final concentration) at 30 minute intervals during a total preincubation of 120 minutes. Sperm were then assessed for acrosome loss, whiplash motility, and fertilizing ability, and were compared with samples preincubated for 120 minutes in the presence of Ca²⁺. No significant differences were detected when Ca²⁺ was present for 60, 90, or 120 minutes, but significant differences in all parameters were observed when Ca²⁺ was introduced for either the final 30 or 5 minutes. When suspensions were preincubated in Ca²⁺-containing medium for 25 minutes and 15 µM ionophore A23187 was added for 5 min, sperm were morphologically and functionally similar to those preincubated for 120 minutes in Ca²⁺-containing medium. From these results, it is concluded that mouse sperm require extracellular Ca²⁺ for at least part of capacitation, as well as for the acrosome reaction and whiplash motility needed to successfully fertilize eggs, and that a critical intracellular concentration of Ca²⁺ may be responsible for triggering these responses.

     Key words: capacitation, acrosome reaction, whiplash motility, A23187, fertilization in vitro, calcium

Accepted on June 30, 1982

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