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Single cell imaging reveals that the motility regulator speract induces a flagellar alkalinization that precedes and is independent of Ca 2+ influx in sea urchin spermatozoa
Author(s) -
González-Cota Ana Laura,
Silva Pedro Ângelo,
Carneiro Jorge,
Darszon Alberto
Publication year - 2015
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/j.febslet.2015.06.024
Subject(s) - sea urchin , flagellum , motility , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , sperm , chemotaxis , sperm motility , polyspermy , biophysics , biochemistry , botany , receptor , gene , embryo , in vitro fertilisation
Speract, a peptide from the egg jelly coat of certain sea urchin species, modulates sperm motility through a signaling pathway involving several ionic fluxes leading to pHi and [Ca 2+ ]i increases. [Ca 2+ ]i oscillations in the flagellum regulate its beating pattern modulating sperm swimming. Recent evidence showed the importance of pHi in controlling Ca 2+ influx and chemotaxis. However, spatio‐temporal characterization of the flagellar pHi increase triggered by speract, and its correlation to that of [Ca 2+ ]i is lacking. Here, we show for the first time in single sea urchin spermatozoa that the speract‐induced flagellar pHi increase precedes and is independent of [Ca 2+ ]i increase. Our results support a leading role of pHi in modulating the Ca 2+ signals that govern sperm swimming.