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The CatSper channel: a polymodal chemosensor in human sperm
Author(s) -
Brenker Christoph,
Goodwin Normann,
Weyand Ingo,
Kashikar Nachiket D,
Naruse Masahiro,
Krähling Miriam,
Müller Astrid,
Kaupp U Benjamin,
Strünker Timo
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
the embo journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 7.484
H-Index - 392
eISSN - 1460-2075
pISSN - 0261-4189
DOI - 10.1038/emboj.2012.30
Subject(s) - library science , research center , centennial , history , medicine , computer science , pathology , archaeology
The sperm‐specific CatSper channel controls the intracellular Ca 2+ concentration ([Ca 2+ ] i ) and, thereby, the swimming behaviour of sperm. In humans, CatSper is directly activated by progesterone and prostaglandins—female factors that stimulate Ca 2+ influx. Other factors including neurotransmitters, chemokines, and odorants also affect sperm function by changing [Ca 2+ ] i . Several ligands, notably odorants, have been proposed to control Ca 2+ entry and motility via G protein‐coupled receptors (GPCRs) and cAMP‐signalling pathways. Here, we show that odorants directly activate CatSper without involving GPCRs and cAMP. Moreover, membrane‐permeable analogues of cyclic nucleotides that have been frequently used to study cAMP‐mediated Ca 2+ signalling also activate CatSper directly via an extracellular site. Thus, CatSper or associated protein(s) harbour promiscuous binding sites that can host various ligands. These results contest current concepts of Ca 2+ signalling by GPCR and cAMP in mammalian sperm: ligands thought to activate metabotropic pathways, in fact, act via a common ionotropic mechanism. We propose that the CatSper channel complex serves as a polymodal sensor for multiple chemical cues that assist sperm during their voyage across the female genital tract.