Biology of Reproduction, Vol 44, 375-381, Copyright © 1991 by Society for the Study of Reproduction

ARTICLES

Evidence for the function of hyperactivated motility in sperm

SS Suarez, DF Katz, DH Owen, JB Andrew and RL Powell
Department of Physiological Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville 32610-0144.

After insemination, mammalian sperm undergo a striking change in flagellar beat pattern, termed hyperactivation. In low-viscosity culture medium, nonhyperactivated sperm flagella generate relatively symmetrical, low-amplitude waves, while hyperactivated sperm flagella generate an asymetrical beating pattern that results in nonprogressive movement. Since sperm encounter highly viscous and viscoelastic fluids in the female reproductive tract, the progress of hyperactivated sperm was compared with that of nonhyperactivated and transitional sperm in media of increasing viscosity. Hamster sperm obtained from the caudal epididymis were incubated in a medium that promotes capacitation. After 0, 3, and 4 h of incubation, the majority of the sperm exhibited, respectively, activated, transitional, and hyperactivated motility. At each of these time points, aliquots of sperm were removed from incubation and added to solutions of 0, 5%, 10%, 20%, and 30% Ficoll in medium. Samples containing mostly hyperactivated sperm (4 h) maintained higher swimming and flagellar velocities and were able to generate greater forces in response to increased viscous loading than activated sperm (0 h). Transitional sperm (3 h) showed an intermediate response. The paths of hyperactivated sperm through solutions of 20% and 30% Ficoll were considerably straighter than those made through medium alone. This is the first demonstration that hyperactivation can confer a mechanical advantage upon sperm in the oviduct where they may encounter viscous oviductal fluid and a viscoelastic cumulus matrix.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S. S. Suarez Control of hyperactivation in sperm Hum. Reprod. Update, November 1, 2008; 14(6): 647 - 657. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Baumber and S. A. Meyers Hyperactivated Motility in Rhesus Macaque (Macaca mulatta) Spermatozoa J Androl, May 1, 2006; 27(3): 459 - 468. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Baumber and S. A. Meyers Hyperactivated Motility in Rhesus Macaque (Macaca mulatta) Spermatozoa J Androl, May 1, 2006; 27(3): 459 - 468. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S.S. Suarez and A. A. Pacey Sperm transport in the female reproductive tract Hum. Reprod. Update, January 1, 2006; 12(1): 23 - 37. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Kinukawa, J. Ohmuro, S. A. Baba, S. Murashige, M. Okuno, M. Nagata, and F. Aoki Analysis of Flagellar Bending in Hamster Spermatozoa: Characterization of an Effective Stroke Biol Reprod, December 1, 2005; 73(6): 1269 - 1274. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				G. G. Ignotz and S. S. Suarez Calcium/Calmodulin and Calmodulin Kinase II Stimulate Hyperactivation in Demembranated Bovine Sperm Biol Reprod, September 1, 2005; 73(3): 519 - 526. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Kinukawa, M. Nagata, and F. Aoki Reducing agents induce microtubule extrusion in demembranated mammalian spermatozoa Reproduction, December 1, 2004; 128(6): 813 - 818. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. Schmidt and G. Kamp Induced hyperactivity in boar spermatozoa and its evaluation by computer-assisted sperm analysis Reproduction, August 1, 2004; 128(2): 171 - 179. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. M. Turner Tales From the Tail: What Do We Really Know About Sperm Motility? J Androl, November 1, 2003; 24(6): 790 - 803. [Full Text] [PDF]

				V. Fournier, P. Leclerc, N. Cormier, and J. L. Bailey Implication of Calmodulin-Dependent Phosphodiesterase Type 1 During Bovine Sperm Capacitation J Androl, January 1, 2003; 24(1): 104 - 112. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H.-C. Ho and S. S. Suarez An Inositol 1,4,5-Trisphosphate Receptor-Gated Intracellular Ca2+ Store Is Involved in Regulating Sperm Hyperactivated Motility Biol Reprod, November 1, 2001; 65(5): 1606 - 1615. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. M. Cancel, D. Lobdell, P. Mendola, and S. D. Perreault Objective evaluation of hyperactivated motility in rat spermatozoa using computer-assisted sperm analysis Hum. Reprod., June 1, 2000; 15(6): 1322 - 1328. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]