BACKGROUND Lead remains in high levels in the environment and is known to reduce fertility in animal models, but a direct link between lead exposures and human infertility has not yet been established. METHODS In a prospective, double-blind study of the metal ion levels and sperm function, semen was obtained from partners of 140 consecutive women undergoing their first IVF cycle. Lead in semi...

Mammalian spermatozoa undergo capacitation and acrosome reaction in order to fertilize the egg. The PKC-ERK1/2 pathway plays an important role in human spermatozoa motility, capacitation and the acrosome reaction. Here we demonstrate that ERK1/2 phosphorylates proAKAP4 on Thr265 in human spermatozoa in vitro and in vivo. Cyclic AMP (cAMP) had no effect on ERK1/2 activity in human spermatozoa, b...

Mutations of the Pick1 gene cause globozoospermia, a male infertility disorder in both mice and human. PICK1 is critical for vesicle trafficking and its deficiency in sperm cells leads to abnormal vesicle trafficking from the Golgi to acrosome. This eventually disrupts acrosome formation and leads to male infertility. We identified a novel BAR-domain binding partner of PICK1: ICA1L, which has s...

Ultrastructural characteristics of the germ cells and accessory cells in testis during spermatogenesis and taxonomic values of mature sperm morphology of Ruditapes philippinarum were investigated by the transmission electron microscope and scanning electron microscope observations. The testis is the diffuse organ that consists of branching acini containing developing germ cells and accessory ce...

BACKGROUND Before a spermatozoon can fertilize an oocyte it must undergo a cascade of biochemical and physiological changes that facilitate its binding and penetration into the oocyte. Epididymal protease inhibitor (eppin) has been found to play a critical role in male fertility through an immunological approach. METHODS In this study, we used an anti-eppin antibody to clarify the effect of e...

The Punjab Urial (Ovis vignei punjabiensis) is an endangered subspecie of ovidae, distributed as small scattered populations in the forest belt of the Himalayan foothills of Pakistan and in the areas enclosed by the Indus and the Jhelum rivers. The present study was conducted to evaluate the liquid storage of Punjab Urial spermatozoa in different extenders for use in future in situ conservation...

Mammalian sperm capacitation is an essential prerequisite to fertilization. Although progress is being made in understanding the physiology and biochemistry of capacitation, little has been yet explored about the potential role(s) of individual sperm cell protein during this process. Therefore elucidation of the role of different sperm proteins in the process of capacitation might be of great i...

Fertilization occurs after the completion of the sperm acrosome reaction, a secretory event that is triggered during gamete adhesion. ZP3, an egg zona pellucida glycoprotein, produces a sustained increase of the internal Ca(2+) concentration in mouse sperm, leading to acrosome reactions. Here we show that the sustained Ca(2+) concentration increase is due to the persistent activation of a Ca(2+...

E74 is a mouse monoclonal antibody raised against the acrosome-reacted guinea pig spermatozoa. This study describes immunolocalization of the E74 antigen in guinea pig spermatozoa. Immunoelectron microscopy of guinea pig spermatozoa shows that the E74 antigen is localized on the equatorial segment plasma membrane following the acrosome reaction but not associated with the surface of the acrosom...