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Related Concept Videos

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Spermatogenesis is the process by which haploid sperm cells are produced in the male testes. It starts with stem cells located close to the outer rim of seminiferous tubules. These spermatogonial stem cells divide asymmetrically to give rise to additional stem cells (meaning that these structures “self-renew”), as well as sperm progenitors, called spermatocytes. Importantly, this method of asymmetric mitotic division maintains a population of spermatogonial stem cells in the male...
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Feedback Regulation of Calcium Concentration01:27

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Calcium is an essential signaling molecule required for various cellular functions. Calcium pumps and ion channels on cell and organellar membranes, such as those on the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), regulate calcium concentrations inside the cell. They remain closed, keeping the cytosolic calcium levels low at a resting state.
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Fertilization01:38

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During fertilization, an egg and sperm cell fuse to create a new diploid structure. In humans, the process occurs once the egg has been released from the ovary, and travels into the fallopian tubes. The process requires several key steps: 1) sperm present in the genital tract must locate the egg; 2) once there, sperm need to release enzymes to help them burrow through the protective zona pellucida of the egg; and 3) the membranes of a single sperm cell and egg must fuse, with the sperm...
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Calmodulin (CaM) is a calcium-binding protein in eukaryotes that controls various calcium-regulated cellular processes. It has four calcium-binding sites that bind calcium to form the calcium-calmodulin ( Ca2+-CaM) complex. GPCR stimulation increases the calcium levels in the cells that bind to CaM and induces a conformational change.
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Sperm Transport01:15

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The journey of sperm from its origin to the point of ejaculation begins within the seminiferous tubules of the testis. Here, Sertoli cells produce fluid that propels non-motile sperm through a series of conduits, starting with the straight tubules leading to the rete testis. This interconnected network of tubules acts as the initial pathway for sperm, guiding them into the efferent ductules and then into the epididymis for maturation.
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Meiosis is a carefully orchestrated set of cell divisions, the goal of which—in humans—is to produce haploid sperm or eggs, each containing half the number of chromosomes present in somatic cells elsewhere in the body. Meiosis I is the first such division, and involves several key steps, among them: condensation of replicated chromosomes in diploid cells; the pairing of homologous chromosomes and their exchange of information; and finally, the separation of homologous chromosomes by...
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Recording Electrical Currents across the Plasma Membrane of Mammalian Sperm Cells
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Parallel Evolution of Sperm Hyper-Activation Ca2+ Channels.

Jacob C Cooper1, Nitin Phadnis1

  • 1Department of Biology, University of Utah.

Genome Biology and Evolution
|August 17, 2017
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Sperm hyper-activation, crucial for fertilization, involves calcium channels. This study reveals parallel adaptive evolution in primate CatSper and Drosophila Pkd2 channels, driven by sexual conflict.

Keywords:
CatSperevolutionary arms raceparallel evolutionreproductive proteinssexual conflictsperm hyper-activation

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Medium-throughput Screening Assays for Assessment of Effects on Ca2+-Signaling and Acrosome Reaction in Human Sperm
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Measuring Intracellular Ca2+ Changes in Human Sperm using Four Techniques: Conventional Fluorometry, Stopped Flow Fluorometry, Flow Cytometry and Single Cell Imaging
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Medium-throughput Screening Assays for Assessment of Effects on Ca2+-Signaling and Acrosome Reaction in Human Sperm
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Measuring Intracellular Ca2+ Changes in Human Sperm using Four Techniques: Conventional Fluorometry, Stopped Flow Fluorometry, Flow Cytometry and Single Cell Imaging
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Area of Science:

  • Reproductive Biology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Sperm hyper-activation is essential for fertilization, involving calcium influx via CatSper channels in humans.
  • Independent loss of CatSper genes in some lineages and co-option of Pkd2 in Drosophila highlight diverse evolutionary paths.
  • The non-homologous CatSper and Pkd2 channels offer a model to study convergent molecular evolution of sperm function.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the selective pressures on sperm hyper-activation channels (CatSper and Pkd2) across divergent species.
  • To compare the evolutionary patterns of primate CatSper and Drosophila Pkd2 calcium channels.
  • To elucidate the role of sexual conflict in the adaptive evolution of reproductive proteins.

Main Methods:

  • Comprehensive phylogenomic analysis of CatSper and Pkd2 gene families.
  • Comparative evolutionary analysis to detect positive selection.
  • Functional inference based on evolutionary patterns.

Main Results:

  • The primate CatSper complex exhibits rapid evolution under recurrent positive selection.
  • Drosophila Pkd2 shows parallel patterns of adaptive evolution, specifically linked to sperm hyper-activation.
  • Evidence suggests sexual conflict drives the adaptive evolution of these sperm channels.

Conclusions:

  • Sperm hyper-activation channels evolve rapidly under sexual conflict, similar to other reproductive proteins.
  • Convergent evolution of non-homologous channels underscores the intense selective pressures on fertilization machinery.
  • Understanding these mechanisms provides insights into how sexes manipulate sperm behavior through molecular evolution.