Sugar-coated sperm: Unraveling the functions of the mammalian sperm glycocalyx. Mol Reprod Dev 2015 Sep;82(9):635-50
Date
06/11/2015Pubmed ID
26061344Pubmed Central ID
PMC4744710DOI
10.1002/mrd.22500Scopus ID
2-s2.0-84941731922 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 123 CitationsAbstract
Mammalian spermatozoa are coated with a thick glycocalyx that is assembled during sperm development, maturation, and upon contact with seminal fluid. The sperm glycocalyx is critical for sperm survival in the female reproductive tract and is modified during capacitation. The complex interplay among the various glycoconjugates generates numerous signaling motifs that may regulate sperm function and, as a result, fertility. Nascent spermatozoa assemble their own glycans while the cells still possess a functional endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi in the seminiferous tubule, but once spermatogenesis is complete, they lose the capacity to produce glycoconjugates de novo. Sperm glycans continue to be modified, during epididymal transit by extracellular glycosidases and glycosyltransferases. Furthermore, epididymal cells secrete glycoconjugates (glycophosphatidylinositol-anchored glycoproteins and glycolipids) and glycan-rich microvesicles that can fuse with the maturing sperm membrane. The sperm glycocalyx mediates numerous functions in the female reproductive tract, including the following: inhibition of premature capacitation; passage through the cervical mucus; protection from innate and adaptive female immunity; formation of the sperm reservoir; and masking sperm proteins involved in fertilization. The immense diversity in sperm-associated glycans within and between species forms a remarkable challenge to our understanding of essential sperm glycan functions.
Author List
Tecle E, Gagneux PAuthor
Eillen Tecle PhD Assistant Professor in the Microbiology and Immunology department at Medical College of WisconsinMESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
AnimalsFemale
Glycocalyx
Humans
Male
Mice
Spermatozoa
