Sperm chemotaxis and regulation of flagellar movement by Ca2+

The chemotaxis of sperm towards eggs is a widespread phenomenon that occurs in most forms of life from lower plants to mammals and plays important roles in ensuring fertilization. In spermatozoa, the attractants act as beacons, indicating the path leading to the eggs from the same species. The existence of species-specific sperm chemotaxis has been demonstrated in marine invertebrates; thus, sperm chemotaxis may be involved in preventing crossbreeding, especially in marine invertebrates with external fertilization. However, the mechanisms of sperm chemotaxis in mammalian species differ from those of marine invertebrates. In mammals, the attractant source is not the egg, but follicular fluids or cumulus cells and chemotactic behaviour is shown only in small populations of sperm. Nevertheless, the fundamental mechanisms underlying sperm chemotaxis are likely to be common among all species. Among these mechanisms, intracellular Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)](i)) is an important factor for the regulation of chemotactic behaviour in spermatozoa. Sperm attractants induce the entry of extracellular Ca(2+), resulting in [Ca(2+)](i) increase in the sperm cells. Furthermore, [Ca(2+)](i) modulates sperm flagellar movement. However, the relationship between [Ca(2+)](i) and the chemotactic response of a sperm flagellum is not well known. Investigation of the dynamic responses of sperm cells to their attractants is important for our understanding of the regulation of fertilization. Here, we reviewed sperm chemotaxis focusing on the mechanisms that regulate sperm flagellar beating during the chemotactic response.