Regulation of sperm flagellar motility by calcium and cAMP‐dependent phosphorylation

Abstract

There is substantial evidence that cAMP‐dependent phosphorylation is involved in the activation of motility of spermatozoa as they are released from storage in the male reproductive tract. This evidence includes observations that in vivo activation of motility can be inhibited by protein kinase inhibitors, can be reversed by protein phosphatase treatment of demembranated spermatozoa, and is associated with phosphorylation of sperm proteins, and observations that spermatozoa that have not been activated in vivo can be activated in vitro by cAMP‐dependent phosphorylation. Activation in vivo can often be triggered by conditions that increase intracellular pH, but the relevance of this to in vivo activation under natural conditions and the steps between pH increase and cAMP increase have not been fully established. The relationships between changes in the protein substrates for cAMP‐dependent phosphorylation and changes in axonemal function are still unknown. Sperm chemotaxis to egg secretions is widespread; in the sea urchin Arbacia, the egg jelly peptide resact has been identified as a chemoattractant. Response to chemoatlractants involves changes in assymmetry of flagellar bending waves, and similar changes in asymmetry can be produced in vitro by increases in [Ca⁺⁺]. Temporal changes in resact receptor occupancy might lead to transient changes in intracellular [Ca⁺⁺] and the asymmetry of flagellar bending, but many links in this hypothetical sequence remain to be established. Both of these signalling systems offer immediate opportunities for investigations of biochemical pathways leading to easily assayable biological responses. However, complications resulting from interactions between these two systems need to be considered.