Regulation of motility and Ca2+ signalling in human sperm

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Pendekanti, Venkata (2017). Regulation of motility and Ca2+ signalling in human sperm. University of Birmingham. Ph.D.

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Abstract

Human sperm motility is complex, involving several behaviours with different functions. The sperm ‘selects’ and switches between behaviours by using calcium signalling. For example, during the sperm’s transit through the female reproductive tract, it undergoes molecular changes (capacitation, which is absolutely necessary for successful fertilisation). This is accompanied by the adoption of a whiplash-like behaviour called hyperactivation, which enables the sperm to penetrate the oocyte. Many infertile men have sufficient sperm, but their sperm have decreased in motility and/or have failed to adopt the appropriate behaviours, and so they fail to reach and/or fertilise the oocyte. In order to develop a treatment for these cases, it is important to understand the determination and regulation of sperm motility (Alasmari et al.,2013; Tamburrino et al.,2014).
In this project, I investigated the effects on human sperm behaviour of the preparation method (conventional density gradient method versus the direct swim up method) and manipulation of Ca2+ store mobilisation and CatSper activation and assessed the efficacy of the different behaviours for penetration through artificial viscous and viscoelastic environments composed of methylcellulose and polyacrylamide.
Levels of spontaneously-occurring hyperactivated motility were greater in density-gradient than swim-up prepared cells but swim-up cells performed better in the Kremer penetration test (p<0.005). 4-AP proved a potent inducer of hyperactivated motility but inhibited penetration into viscous medium in cells prepared by both methods.

Type of Work:

Thesis (Doctorates > Ph.D.)

Award Type:

Doctorates > Ph.D.

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