scholarly journals Penicillamine prevents ram sperm agglutination in media that support capacitation

Reproduction ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 151 (2) ◽  
pp. 167-177 ◽  
Author(s):  
T Leahy ◽  
J P Rickard ◽  
R J Aitken ◽  
S P de Graaf
Keyword(s):  
Sperm Capacitation ◽  
Dibutyryl Camp ◽  
Phosphorylated Proteins ◽  
Bicarbonate Ions ◽  
Merocyanine 540 ◽  
Highly Effective ◽  
Lactate And Pyruvate ◽  
Ram Sperm ◽  
Sperm Population

Ram spermatozoa are difficult to capacitate in vitro. Here we describe a further complication, the unreported phenomenon of head-to-head agglutination of ram spermatozoa following dilution in the capacitation medium Tyrodes plus albumin, lactate and pyruvate (TALP). Sperm agglutination is immediate, specific and persistent and is not associated with a loss of motility. Agglutination impedes in vitro sperm handling and analysis. So the objectives of this study were to investigate the cause of sperm agglutination and potential agents which may reduce agglutination. The percentage of non-agglutinated, motile spermatozoa increased when bicarbonate was omitted from complete TALP suggesting that bicarbonate ions stimulate the agglutination process. d-penicillamine (PEN), a nucleophilic thiol, was highly effective at reducing agglutination. The inclusion of 250 μM PEN in TALP reduced the incidence of motile, agglutinated spermatozoa from 76.7±2.7% to 2.8±1.4%. It was then assessed if PEN (1 mM) could be included in existing ram sperm capacitation protocols (TALP +1 mM dibutyryl cAMP, caffeine and theophylline) to produce spermatozoa that were simultaneously capacitated and non-agglutinated. This protocol resulted in a sperm population which displayed high levels of tyrosine phosphorylated proteins and lipid disordered membranes (merocyanine-540) while remaining motile, viable, acrosome-intact and non-agglutinated. In summary, PEN (1 mM) can be included in ram sperm capacitation protocols to reduce sperm agglutination and allow for the in vitro assessment of ram sperm capacitation.

scholarly journals Changes in content and localization of proteins phosphorylated at tyrosine, serine and threonine residues during ram sperm capacitation and acrosome reaction

Reproduction ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 137 (4) ◽  
pp. 655-667 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia Grasa ◽  
Carmen Colas ◽  
Margarita Gallego ◽  
Luís Monteagudo ◽  
Teresa Muiño-Blanco ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Confocal Microscopy ◽  
Acrosome Reaction ◽  
Equatorial Region ◽  
Sperm Capacitation ◽  
Subsequent Increase ◽  
Phosphorylated Proteins ◽  
Preferential Localization ◽  
Ram Sperm ◽  
Control Samples

Previously, we reported the involvement of tyrosine phosphorylation in events that lead to ram sperm capacitation. In this study, we carried out a comparative analysis of the localization of tyrosine, serine and threonine phosphoproteins in different functional stages of ram spermatozoa (after the swim-up procedure,in vitrocapacitation, and ionophore-induced acrosome reaction) by immunofluorescence, immunocytochemistry and confocal microscopy. Capacitation increased protein tyrosine, serine and threonine phosphorylation whereas the induction of the acrosome reaction resulted in significantly decreased phosphorylation, mainly in those proteins that increased following capacitation. Control samples showed tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins restricted to the head, mainly distributed at the equatorial region with some cells also displaying an acrosomal and/or post-acrosomal localization.In vitrocapacitation promoted both tail and acrosome phosphorylation, and the acrosome reaction induced the loss of labeling on the acrosome and the subsequent increase in the post-acrosomal region and flagellum. The preferential localization of serine- and threonine-phosphorylated proteins in the equatorial and acrosomal regions found in control samples changed during capacitation, which induced tail phosphorylation in a sequential manner. After the acrosome reaction, the labeling of both phosphoamino acids decreased in the acrosome and increased in the post-acrosome. The obtained results were proved by two immunodetection techniques and strengthened by confocal microscopy, and indicate that changes in phosphorylated proteins during capacitation and acrosome reaction of ram spermatozoa may have physiological significance in consolidating certain phosphorylated proteins to specific sperm regions involved in acrosomal exocytosis and zona pellucida recognition, binding and penetration.

scholarly journals Signal transduction mechanisms involved in in vitro ram sperm capacitation

Reproduction ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 132 (5) ◽  
pp. 721-732 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia Grasa ◽  
José Álvaro Cebrián-Pérez ◽  
Teresa Muiño-Blanco
Keyword(s):  
Tyrosine Phosphorylation ◽  
Calcium Influx ◽  
Calcium Entry ◽  
Calcium Entry Blocker ◽  
Protein Tyrosine Phosphorylation ◽  
Sperm Capacitation ◽  
Protein Tyrosine ◽  
Entry Blocker ◽  
Ram Sperm

We validate the chlortetracycline (CTC) technique for the evaluation of capacitation and acrosome reaction-like changes in ram sperm, carrying out a double estimation of the acrosome status after treatment with lysophosphatidylcholine, using fluorescein isocyanate (FITC)-RCA/ethidium homodimer 1 (EthD-1) and CTC/EthD-1. Highly consistent results and a positive correlation between the results of acrosome-reacted sperm evaluated with both techniques were obtained. In this study, we evaluate the effects of ram sperm capacitation of BSA, Ca2+, NaHCO3and cAMP agonists and their influence on the associated protein tyrosine phosphorylation. We found a time-dependent increase in capacitation related to protein tyrosine phosphorylation, either in the absence or the presence of BSA. The addition of an increasing concentration of cholesterol to samples containing BSA did not influence results. The effect of bicarbonate was concentration-dependent, with a significantly lowered value of non-capacitated sperm in the presence 18 and 25 mM. The addition of extracellular calcium did not significantly increase either the proportion of capacitated sperm or the protein tyrosine phosphorylation signalling, although a significantly higher value of acrosome-reacted sperm was found in samples containing 4 mM Ca2+. cAMP agonists increased capacitated sperm and protein tyrosine phosphorylation signalling. The inhibition of protein kinase A by H-89 caused a decrease in sperm capacitation. Addition of a calcium-entry blocker (Verapamil; Sigma) did not influence results, which suggests that the calcium entry blocker was unable to inhibit the calcium influx associated with capacitation in ram sperm. Our findings might benefit our understanding of the biochemical mechanisms involved in mammalian sperm capacitation and ultimately, fertility.

Chlortetracycline staining patterns of frozen-thawed bull spermatozoa treated with β-cyclodextrins, dibutyryl cAMP and progesterone

Zygote ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 245-256 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael B. Dinkins ◽  
Benjamin G. Brackett
Keyword(s):  
Intestinal Mucosa ◽  
Sperm Cells ◽  
Fluorescent Staining ◽  
Sperm Capacitation ◽  
Dibutyryl Camp ◽  
Bovine Spermatozoa ◽  
Differential Responses ◽  
Definition Of

Efforts to achieve complete chemical definition of media used for in vitro capacitation of bovine spermatozoa including removal of heparin purified from porcine intestinal mucosa are presented. Fluorescent staining with chlortetracycline (CTC), known to reflect changes coincident with sperm capacitation in certain species, was studied following treatments of frozen-thawed bull spermatozoa with β-cyclodextrins, dibutyryl cAMP (dbcAMP) and progesterone in comparison with heparin. The CTC staining patterns (F, B and AR) were confirmed to correlate with known conditions that effectively prepare cryopreserved bull spermatozoa for fertilisation in vitro. In the absence of glucose, the routinely employed heparin-containing capacitating medium caused an increase in spermatozoa displaying the AR pattern. Both progesterone (100 μM) and dbcAMP (0.01–0.1 mM) were able to increase the proportion of B pattern stained sperm cells more than after exposure to control (mDM) conditions without a significant reduction in motility. Exposure to either dbcAMP or β-cyclodextrins was accompanied by an increase in proportions of spermatozoa displaying the AR pattern over those seen in controls. Exposure to β-cyclodextrins did not increase the proportion of B pattern stained spermatozoa. Comparison of spermatozoa from two bulls revealed differential responses of spermatozoa from different males to treatments with heparin and progesterone. In vitro fertilisation results demonstrated that previously cryopreserved bull spermatozoa could be capacitated in chemically defined conditions devoid of heparin or other biological components.

scholarly journals Does Melatonin Exert Its Effect on Ram Sperm Capacitation Through Nitric Oxide Synthase Regulation?

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 2093
Author(s):  
Sara Miguel-Jiménez ◽  
Melissa Carvajal-Serna ◽  
Silvia Calvo ◽  
Adriana Casao ◽  
José Álvaro Cebrián-Pérez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nitric Oxide ◽  
Nitric Oxide Synthase ◽  
Acrosome Reaction ◽  
No Production ◽  
Sperm Capacitation ◽  
Synthase Regulation ◽  
Oxide Synthase ◽  
Nos Isoforms ◽  
Ram Sperm

Nitric oxide (NO·), synthesized from L-arginine by nitric oxide synthase (NOS), is involved in sperm functionality. NOS isoforms have been detected in spermatozoa from different species, and an increment in NOS activity during capacitation has been reported. This work aims to determine the presence and localization of NOS isoforms in ram spermatozoa and analyse their possible changes during in vitro capacitation. Likewise, we investigated the effect of melatonin on the expression and localization of NOS and NO· levels in capacitated ram spermatozoa. Western blot analysis revealed protein bands associated with neuronal NOS (nNOS) and epithelial NOS (eNOS) but not with inducible NOS (iNOS). However, the three isoforms were detected by indirect immunofluorescence (IFI), and their immunotypes varied over in vitro capacitation with cAMP-elevating agents. NO· levels (evaluated by DAF-2-DA/PI staining) increased after in vitro capacitation, and the presence of L-arginine in the capacitating medium raised NO· production and enhanced the acrosome reaction. Incubation in capacitating conditions with a high-cAMP medium with melatonin modified the NOS distribution evaluated by IFI, but no differences in Western blotting were observed. Melatonin did not alter NO· levels in capacitating conditions, so we could infer that its role in ram sperm capacitation would not be mediated through NO· metabolism.

Cyclic-AMP initiates protein tyrosine phosphorylation independent of cholesterol efflux during ram sperm capacitation

2008 ◽  
Vol 20 (6) ◽  
pp. 649 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carmen Colas ◽  
Peter James ◽  
Liz Howes ◽  
Roy Jones ◽  
José A. Cebrian-Perez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tyrosine Phosphorylation ◽  
Maximal Response ◽  
Protein Tyrosine Phosphorylation ◽  
Protein Tyrosine ◽  
Phosphorylated Proteins ◽  
Pde Inhibitors ◽  
Flagellar Proteins ◽  
Ram Sperm ◽  
Camp Levels

Unlike most other species, ram spermatozoa are difficult to capacitate in vitro. Bicarbonate and Ca2+ are necessary, whereas bovine serum albumin does not appear to be obligatory. In the present investigation we have assessed (1) the ability of the cholesterol-sequestering agent, methyl-β-cyclodextrin (M-β-CD), to initiate protein tyrosine phosphorylation, and (2) the importance of phosphodiesterases (PDEs) in controlling the levels of cAMP. Results show that despite removing significant amounts of membrane cholesterol, as assessed by filipin staining, M-β-CD treatment did not stimulate major increases in protein tyrosine phosphorylation. Addition of a cocktail of PDE inhibitors (theophylline and caffeine), a phosphatase inhibitor (okadaic acid) and dibutyryl-cAMP (db-cAMP), however, stimulated specific tyrosine phosphorylation of several proteins between 30 and 120 kDa. On their own, none of the above reagents were effective but a combination of db-cAMP + PDE inhibitors was sufficient to achieve a maximal response. H-89, a protein kinase-A inhibitor, suppressed tyrosine phosphorylation significantly. Immunofluorescence revealed that the newly-phosphorylated proteins localised mainly in the sperm tail. These findings suggest that in ram spermatozoa cAMP levels are too low to initiate tyrosine phosphorylation of flagellar proteins that are indicative of the capacitation state and that this is caused by unusually high levels of intracellular PDEs.

In vitro capacitation of bull spermatozoa by oviductal fluid and its components

Zygote ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 259-273 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann-Sofi Bergqvist ◽  
Joan Ballester ◽  
Anders Johannisson ◽  
Marta Hernandez ◽  
Nils Lundeheim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Female Genital Tract ◽  
Sperm Capacitation ◽  
Merocyanine 540 ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
High Fluorescence ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Oviductal Fluid ◽  
Female Genital

SummarySperm capacitation is crucial for fertilization. However, debate continues on exactly how, where and when capacitation is elicited in the bovine female genital tract. In this study we used merocyanine-540 and the chlortetracycline (CTC) assay to test how capacitation of bull spermatozoa is affected in vitro by exposure to oviductal fluid (ODF) collected in vivo, various glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) or bicarbonate. Following different durations of exposure, spermatozoa were stained with CTC or merocyanine-540, and evaluated with epifluorescent light microscopy or flow cytometry, respectively. Incubation time did not significantly affect capacitation. Exposure (30–120 min) to ODF capacitated (p < 0.05) bull spermatozoa as measured by either merocyanine-540 or CTC. Hyaluronan was the only GAG that induced a significant increase in B-pattern spermatozoa (capacitated; p = 0.012) compared with controls. Dermatan sulphate also induced capacitation (merocyanine-540 high fluorescence; p = 0.035). Exposure to bicarbonate-enriched media also yielded an increase in merocyanine-540 high fluorescence (p < 0.0001). When bicarbonate was added to the other treatments (ODF or GAGs) an equal increase in merocyanine-540 high fluorescence was noted (p < 0.0001), compared with before addition of bicarbonate and independent of the treatment before exposure. There was no significant difference in the number of B-pattern spermatozoa when bicarbonate was added, but an significant increase in spermatozoa with an acrosome-reacted (AR)-pattern (p < 0.0001) was observed. Exposure of spermatozoa to solubilized zonae pellucidae significantly increased the AR-pattern spermatozoa (p = 0.016). In conclusion, ODF was more potent in inducing capacitation of bull spermatozoa than the individual GAGs. Our results also indicate that bicarbonate is an effector of bull sperm capacitation.

scholarly journals Synergism between albumin, bicarbonate and cAMP upregulation for cholesterol efflux from ram sperm

Reproduction ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 160 (2) ◽  
pp. 269-280
Author(s):  
Naomi C Bernecic ◽  
Bart M Gadella ◽  
Simon P de Graaf ◽  
Tamara Leahy
Keyword(s):  
Cholesterol Efflux ◽  
Functional Relationship ◽  
Mammalian Species ◽  
Dibutyryl Camp ◽  
Pde Inhibitors ◽  
Sperm Plasma Membrane ◽  
Ram Sperm ◽  
First Time ◽  
Dependent Processes

Compared to other mammalian species, ram spermatozoa are difficult to capacitate in vitro. Dibutyryl cAMP (db-cAMP) and the phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitors, caffeine and theophylline (cAMP up-regulators), must be added to traditional capacitation media (containing bicarbonate, calcium and BSA) to elicit a capacitation response. In this exploratory study, we assessed whether bicarbonate was still required for ram spermatozoa if cAMP is up-regulated by the addition of db-cAMP and PDE inhibitors and what role BSA plays in cholesterol efflux under these conditions. In this study, the validated BODIPY-cholesterol assay was used for the first time in ram spermatozoa to quantify cholesterol efflux by tracking the loss of BODIPY-cholesterol from the sperm plasma membrane using flow cytometry. The results show that under cAMP up-regulated conditions, an increase in membrane fluidity and tyrosine phosphorylation of sperm proteins remain as bicarbonate-dependent processes. In fact, the supplementation of bicarbonate under these conditions was necessary to further enhance cAMP production in ram spermatozoa, which correlated with the presence of these capacitation-related processes. When BSA was supplemented with cAMP up-regulators (as well as bicarbonate), there was a loss of approximately 20–23% of BODIPY-cholesterol (79.5 ± 30.5% to 76.9 ± 12.3% remaining from 10 min), indicating that BSA is essential for mediating cholesterol efflux in ram spermatozoa as measured by the BODIPY-cholesterol assay. The current study identifies the functional relationship between bicarbonate, BSA and cAMP up-regulators that is required to support capacitation-related processes in ram spermatozoa, specifically cholesterol efflux.

scholarly journals NADPH Oxidase 5 and Melatonin: Involvement in Ram Sperm Capacitation

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Miguel-Jiménez ◽  
Blanca Pina-Beltrán ◽  
Silvia Gimeno-Martos ◽  
Melissa Carvajal-Serna ◽  
Adriana Casao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nadph Oxidase ◽  
Calcium Ionophore ◽  
Calcium Ionophore A23187 ◽  
Ionophore A23187 ◽  
Sperm Capacitation ◽  
Mammalian Sperm ◽  
Ram Sperm ◽  
Mammalian Spermatozoa ◽  
Nadph Oxidase 5

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play an essential role in mammalian sperm capacitation. NADPH oxidase 5 (NOX5) has been described as the main source of ROS production in some mammalian spermatozoa, such as human and equine. On the other hand, melatonin can decrease cellular ROS levels and regulates NOX activity in somatic cells. Therefore, the objectives of this work were (1) to identify NOX5 in ram spermatozoa and analyze its possible changes during in vitro capacitation and (2) to investigate the effect of melatonin on NOX5 expression and localization and on superoxide levels in capacitated ram spermatozoa. Protein bands associated with NOX5 were detected by Western blot analysis. Likewise, indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) revealed six different immunotypes for NOX5, which varied throughout in vitro capacitation. Superoxide (O2⋅–), evaluated by DHE/Yo-Pro-1, rose after in vitro capacitation and in the presence of the calcium ionophore A23187 but decreased in the presence of the NOX inhibitor GKT136901. GKT also reduced the percentage of capacitated and acrosome-reacted spermatozoa that had increased during incubation in capacitating conditions. The presence of melatonin at micromolar concentrations avoided the increment in O2⋅– and the changes in NOX5 immunotypes provoked by capacitation. In conclusion, NOX5 is present in ram spermatozoa and the changes in its distribution, associated with sperm capacitation, can be prevented by melatonin. To this extent, it could imply that melatonin exerts its antioxidant role, at least in part, by modulating NOX5 activity during ram sperm capacitation.

Follicle-stimulating hormone-dependent estrogen secretion by rat Sertoli cells in vitro: Modulation by calcium

1991 ◽  
Vol 125 (3) ◽  
pp. 280-285 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Alan Talbot ◽  
Ann Lambert ◽  
Robert Mitchell ◽  
Marek Grabinski ◽  
David C. Anderson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sertoli Cells ◽  
Culture Medium ◽  
Follicle Stimulating Hormone ◽  
Dibutyryl Camp ◽  
Immature Rat ◽  
Estradiol Secretion ◽  
Old Rats ◽  
Stimulating Hormone

Abstract We have investigated the role of Ca2+ in the control of FSH-induced estradiol secretion by Sertoli cells isolated from 8-10 days old rats. Exogenous Ca2+ (4-8 mmol/1) inhibited FSH-stimulated E2 secretion such that, with 8 mmol/l Ca2+ and FSH (8 IU/l) E2 secretion decreased from 2091±322 to 1480±84 pmol/l (p<0.002), whilst chelation of Ca2+ in the culture medium with EGTA (3 mmol/l) increased E2 secretion from 360±45 to 1242±133 pmol/l) in the absence of FSH. Further, EGTA (3 mmol/l) markedly potentiated FSH (8 IU/l), forskolin (1 μmol/l) and dibutyryl cAMP (1 mmol/l)-stimulated E2 secretion. Addition of the Ca2+ ionophores, ionomycin (2-5 μmol/l) and A23187 (2 μmol/l), inhibited FSH (8 IU/l)-stimulated E2 secretion by >80%. The effect of ionomycin was totally reversible, whereas that of A23187 was irreversible. Ionomycin (5 μmol/l) had no effect on EGTA-induced E2 secretion in the absence of FSH, but reduced EGTA-provoked E2 secretion by 59% in the presence of FSH (8 IU/l). Similarly, forskolin- and dibutyryl cAMP-provoked E2 production was inhibited 46-50% by ionomycin (5 μmol/l). We conclude that FSH-induced E2 secretion from immature rat Sertoli cells is modulated by intra- and extracellular Ca2+.

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