Journal of Andrology Track the topics, authors and articles important to you
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH
Published-Ahead-of-Print March 21, 2007, DOI:10.2164/jandrol.106.002279

This Article
Right arrow Author Manuscript (PDF)
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
28/4/588    most recent
Author Manuscript (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Selvaraj, V.
Right arrow Articles by Travis, A. J.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Selvaraj, V.
Right arrow Articles by Travis, A. J.

GM1 dynamics as a marker for membrane changes associated with the process of capacitation in murine and bovine spermatozoa

Vimal Selvaraj , Danielle E. Buttke , Atsushi Asano , John L. McElwee , Collin A. Wolff , Jacquelyn L. Nelson , Angela V. Klaus , Gary R. Hunnicutt , and Alexander J. Travis *

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: ajt32{at}cornell.edu.

We previously showed that in live murine and bovine sperm heads, the ganglioside GM1 localizes to the sterol-rich plasma membrane overlying the acrosome (APM). Labeling GM1 using the pentameric cholera toxin subunit B (CTB) induced a dramatic redistribution of signal from the APM to the sterol-poor post-acrosomal plasma membrane (PAPM) upon sperm death. We now show a similar phenomenon in the flagellum where CTB induces GM1 redistribution to sterol-poor membrane sub-domains of the annulus and flagellar zipper. Because sterol efflux from the plasma membrane is required for capacitation, we examined whether GM1 localization might be useful to detect membrane changes associated with capacitation and/or acrosomal exocytosis. First, incubation of murine and bovine sperm with their respective stimuli for capacitation did not change GM1 distribution in live cells. However, incubation of sperm of both species with specific stimuli for capacitation, followed by the use of specific fixation conditions, induced reproducible, stimulus-specific patterns of GM1 distribution. By assessing changes in GM1 distribution in response to progesterone-induced acrosomal exocytosis, we show that these patterns reflect the response of murine sperm populations to capacitating stimuli. These data suggest that GM1 localization can be used as a diagnostic tool for evaluating sperm response to stimuli for capacitation and/or acrosomal exocytosis. Such information could be useful when deciding between technologies of assisted reproduction, or when screening for male fertility. Furthermore, stimulus-specific changes in GM1 distribution showed that sperm could respond to NaHCO3 or mediators of sterol efflux independently, thereby refining existing models of capacitation.


Key words: Assisted reproduction • Fertility • Semen Analysis • Sperm • capacitation




This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Biol. Reprod.Home page
G. R. Hunnicutt, D. E. Koppel, S. Kwitny, and A. E. Cowan
Cyclic 3',5'-AMP Causes ADAM1/ADAM2 to Rapidly Diffuse Within the Plasma Membrane of Guinea Pig Sperm
Biol Reprod, November 1, 2008; 79(5): 999 - 1007.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH
Copyright © 2007 by The American Society of Andrology.