The elevation of cyclic AMP concentrations in flagella-less sea urchin sperm heads

Cycl AMP concentrations were elevated and acrosome reactions were induced in intact sea urchin spermatozoa by Nigericin, A23187, and pH 9.0 seawater. To determine whether or not the metabolism of cyclic AMP was being altered in sperm heads, the heads were mechanically separated from the flagella, and the flagella-less heads were then isolated by differential centrifugation. The isolated heads contained 1 to 2 nmol of ATP and 1 to 2 pmol of cyclic AMP/mg wet weight and retained these concentrations for several hours if stored at 0 degrees C. The flagella-less heads also retained the mitochondria of the midpiece area. The heads retained their functional status and could be stimulated to undergo acrosome reactions (filament extension) in response to Nigericin, A23187, or pH 9.0 seawater. Furthermore, the isolated heads could activate sea urchin eggs after induction of an acrosome reaction by Nigericin or pH 9.0 seawater. The isolated heads contained appreciable adenylate cyclase, cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase, cyclic GMP phosphodiesterase, guanylate cyclase, cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase, and calmodulin. Nigericin, pH 9.0 seawater, and A23187 caused not only the induction of an acrosome reaction but also elevations of cyclic AMP in the isolated heads, and extracellular Ca2+ was an absolute requirement for both responses. At 16 degrees C, Nigericin caused elevations of cyclic AMP within 5 s, but maximal elevations were not observed until 1 min; it induced a maximal percentage of acrosome reactions by 40 s. Incubation of cells at 0 degrees C resulted in a delay of maximal acrosome reactions until between 10 and 20 min after addition of Nigericin. Under these conditions, maximal elevations of cyclic AMP were observed by 5 min, demonstrating that cyclic AMP elevations precede the complete morphological change associated with an acrosome reaction. ATP concentrations within the sperm heads declined in response to Nigericin, pH 9.0 seawater, or A23187, and its decrease also required the presence of extracellular Ca2+. The decline in ATP concentrations was slightly more rapid in the presence of rotenone, suggestive of some ATP synthetic capabilities of the isolated head preparation. 45Ca2+ uptake was increased by Nigericin elevated pH, and A23187 but was not appreciably altered by monensin. Monensin also did not cause appreciable elevations of cyclic AMP concentrations, induction of an acrosome reaction, or decreases of ATP concentrations. Here, we describe for the first time that cyclic AMP concentrations can be increased in flagella-less heads of spermatozoa and show that these changes are associated with an acrosome reaction.