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F‐actin involvement in guinea pig sperm motility
Author(s) -
Azamar Yenia,
Uribe Salvador,
Mújica Adela
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
molecular reproduction and development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.745
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1098-2795
pISSN - 1040-452X
DOI - 10.1002/mrd.20578
Subject(s) - biology , motility , flagellum , axoneme , sperm motility , sperm , phalloidin , microbiology and biotechnology , gelsolin , actin , acrosome , anatomy , cytoskeleton , biochemistry , genetics , cell , gene
Sperm motility is a must for natural fertilization to occur. During their travel through the epididymis, mammalian spermatozoa gradually acquire the ability to move. This is accomplished through a sliding movement of the outer doublet microtubules of the axoneme which is energized by the dynein ATPase. Within its complex structure, the mammalian sperm flagellum contains F‐actin and thus, we decided to test in the guinea pig sperm flagellum the role of F‐actin in motility. During maturation, capacitation, and the acrosome reaction, a gradual decrease of the relative concentration of F‐actin was observed. Motility increased as spermatozoa became able to fertilize. Gelsolin, phalloidin, and KI inhibited sperm motility. Gelsolin canceled sperm motility within 20 min of treatment while 0.6 M KI had immediate effects. Phalloidin diminished hyperactive sperm motility slightly. All three compounds significantly increased the relative concentration of F‐actin. Latrunculins are conventional drugs that destabilize the F‐actin cytoskeleton. Latrunculin A (LAT A) did not affect sperm motility; but significantly increased F‐actin relative concentration. The results suggested that in guinea pig spermatozoa, randomly severing F‐actin filaments inhibits flagellar motility; while end filament alteration does not. Thus, specific filament regions seem to be important for sperm motility. Mol. Reprod. Dev. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.