Calcium-Dependent Membrane Fusion in Mammalian Sperm
Summary
Membrane fusion in mammalian sperm is a highly regulated, calcium-dependent process that culminates in the acrosome reaction, an exocytotic event essential for fertilisation. Upon encountering the oocyte vestments, capacitated sperm experience a rapid influx of extracellular calcium through specialised channels in the plasma membrane, notably the CatSper complex, coupled with mobilisation of calcium from internal stores via inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors. These coordinated calcium signals trigger the sequential disassembly and reassembly of SNARE complexes, driving the merger of the outer acrosomal membrane with the overlying plasma membrane. The precise control of calcium concentration in distinct subcellular domains ensures that fusion events are spatially confined and temporally synchronised, thereby enabling release of digestive enzymes from the acrosome and successful penetration of the zona pellucida. Dysregulation at any step—from channel activation to SNARE engagement—can impair fertilisation competence, underlining the global significance of this fusion cascade.
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Calcium-Dependent Membrane Fusion in Mammalian Sperm publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in calcium-dependent membrane fusion in mammalian sperm across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Acrosome reaction: Calcium-dependent exocytosis of the sperm’s acrosomal vesicle enabling zona pellucida penetration.
SNARE complex: A set of membrane-anchored proteins whose regulated assembly and disassembly mediate vesicle–membrane fusion.
CatSper channel: A sperm-specific, pH- and voltage-sensitive calcium channel in the flagellar plasma membrane.
Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor (IP3R): An intracellular calcium-release channel located on organellar membranes.
Capacitation: A series of biochemical and biophysical changes that render sperm competent to undergo the acrosome reaction and fertilise an oocyte.
References
- The pair ceramide 1-phosphate/ceramide kinase regulates intracellular calcium and progesterone-induced human sperm acrosomal exocytosis. Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology (2023).
- Molecular identification of Ca(2+)channels in human sperm. Experimental & Molecular Medicine (2003).
- IP3R Channels in Male Reproduction. International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2020).
- Dynamics of SNARE Assembly and Disassembly during Sperm Acrosomal Exocytosis. PLOS Biology (2005).
- Discrete Dynamic Model of the Mammalian Sperm Acrosome Reaction: The Influence of Acrosomal pH and Physiological Heterogeneity. Frontiers in Physiology (2021).
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