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T‐type Ca 2+ channels and α 1 E expression in spermatogenic cells, and their possible relevance to the sperm acrosome reaction
Author(s) -
Liévano Arturo,
Santi Celia M.,
Serrano Carmen.J.,
Treviño Claudia L.,
Bellvé Anthony R.,
Hernández-Cruz Arturo,
Darszon Alberto
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/0014-5793(96)00515-7
Subject(s) - acrosome reaction , sperm , alpha (finance) , biology , acrosome , microbiology and biotechnology , electrophysiology , patch clamp , andrology , voltage dependent calcium channel , chemistry , medicine , endocrinology , calcium , genetics , neuroscience , construct validity , nursing , patient satisfaction
There is pharmacological evidence that Ca 2+ channels play an essential role in triggering the mammalian sperm acrosome reaction, an exocytotic process required for sperm to fertilize the egg. Spermatozoa are small terminally differentiated cells that are difficult to study by conventional electrophysiological techniques. To identify the members of the voltage‐dependent Ca 2+ channel family possibly present in sperm, we have looked for the expression of the α 1A , α 1B , α 1C , α 1D and α 1E genes in mouse testis and in purified spermatogenic cell populations with RT‐PCR. Our results indicate that all 5 genes are expressed in mouse testis, and in contrast only α 1E , and to a minor extent α 1A , are expressed in spermatogenic cells. In agreement with these findings, only T‐type Ca 2+ channels sensitive to the dihydropyridine nifedipine were observed in patch‐clamp recordings of pachytene spermatocytes. The results suggest that low‐threshold Ca 2+ channels are the dihydropyridine‐sensitive channels involved in the sperm acrosome reaction.