Open AccessMolecular mechanisms of sperm motility are conserved in an early-branching metazoan
Author(s) -
Kelsey F. Speer,
Luella AllenWaller,
Daovikov,
Katie L. Barott
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.011
H-Index - 771
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.2109993118
Subject(s) - biology , sperm , motility , flagellum , microbiology and biotechnology , sperm motility , motile cilium , signal transduction , genetics , cilium , gene
Significance Reef-building corals are the keystone species of the world’s most biodiverse yet threatened marine ecosystems. Coral reproduction, critical for reef resilience, requires that coral sperm swim through the water column to reach the egg. However, little is known about the mechanisms that regulate coral sperm motility. We found here that coral sperm motility is pH dependent and that activation of motility requires signaling via the pH-sensing enzyme soluble adenylyl cyclase. This study reveals the deep conservation of a sperm activation pathway from humans to corals, presenting the first comprehensive examination of the molecular mechanisms regulating sperm motility in an early-diverging animal. These results are critical for understanding the resilience of this sensitive life stage to a changing marine environment.