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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 13, 2026

Measuring Sperm Guidance and Motility within the Caenorhabditis elegans Hermaphrodite Reproductive Tract

Measuring Sperm Guidance and Motility within the Caenorhabditis elegans Hermaphrodite Reproductive Tract

Published on: June 6, 2019

Rheotaxis guides mammalian sperm.

Kiyoshi Miki¹, David E Clapham

¹Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Cardiology, Manton Center for Orphan Disease Research, Boston Children's Hospital, 320 Longwood Avenue, Enders 1309, Boston, MA 02115, USA.

Current Biology : CB

|March 5, 2013

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Mammalian sperm use rheotaxis, swimming against fluid flow, to navigate the reproductive tract. This process, crucial for fertilization, relies on sperm rotation and CatSper channels.

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Last Updated: May 13, 2026

Measuring Sperm Guidance and Motility within the Caenorhabditis elegans Hermaphrodite Reproductive Tract

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Published on: June 6, 2019

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Real-Time Imaging of Acrosomal Calcium Dynamics and Exocytosis in Live Mouse Sperm

Real-Time Imaging of Acrosomal Calcium Dynamics and Exocytosis in Live Mouse Sperm

Published on: October 13, 2023

Area of Science:

Reproductive Biology
Sperm Motility
Chemotaxis

Background:

Mammalian sperm undergo capacitation, influenced by factors like pH and progesterone.
Chemotaxis, thermotaxis, and rheotaxis in mammals remain unconfirmed.
Sea urchin sperm motility is altered by chemotactic peptides, suggesting similar mechanisms in mammals.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the role of chemotaxis, thermotaxis, and rheotaxis in mammalian sperm guidance.
To determine the mechanisms and factors involved in sperm navigation within the female reproductive tract.

Main Methods:

Demonstrated rheotaxis in mouse and human sperm under varying viscosity conditions.
Quantified sperm rotation using sperm head rolling rate.
Investigated the role of CatSper channels in sperm motion.

Main Results:

Positive rheotaxis is a major factor guiding mouse and human sperm.
Oviductal fluid flow, triggered by prolactin post-coitus, facilitates sperm migration.
Sperm rotation, dependent on CatSper channels, is essential for rheotaxis.

Conclusions:

Rheotaxis is proposed as a key determinant of long-distance sperm guidance in mammals.
Coitus-induced fluid flow in the oviduct guides sperm migration.
Sperm rheotaxis necessitates rotational motion mediated by CatSper channels and hyperactivated motility.