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Updated: Oct 13, 2025

Medium-throughput Screening Assays for Assessment of Effects on Ca2+-Signaling and Acrosome Reaction in Human Sperm
Published on: March 1, 2019
Role of Integrins in Sperm Activation and Fertilization
Veronika Merc1, Michaela Frolikova1, Katerina Komrskova1,2
1Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, Institute of Biotechnology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, BIOCEV, Prumyslova 595, 252 50 Vestec, Czech Republic.
Abstract:
In mammals, integrins are heterodimeric transmembrane glycoproteins that represent a large group of cell adhesion receptors involved in cell-cell, cell-extracellular matrix, and cell-pathogen interactions. Integrin receptors are an important part of signalization pathways and have an ability to transmit signals into and out of cells and participate in cell activation. In addition to somatic cells, integrins have also been detected on germ cells and are known to play a crucial role in complex gamete-specific physiological events, resulting in sperm-oocyte fusion. The main aim of this review is to summarize the current knowledge on integrins in reproduction and deliver novel perspectives and graphical interpretations presenting integrin subunits localization and their dynamic relocation during sperm maturation in comparison to the oocyte. A significant part of this review is devoted to discussing the existing view of the role of integrins during sperm migration through the female reproductive tract; oviductal reservoir formation; sperm maturation processes ensuing capacitation and the acrosome reaction, and their direct and indirect involvement in gamete membrane adhesion and fusion leading to fertilization.
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