Our goal is to elucidate the signaling pathway involved in sperm hyperactivation. Hyperactivation, a vigorous type of sperm motility, is found in the oviduct at time of fertilization. Because the ability of sperm to hyperactivate is often an indictor of sperm fertility, determining the mechanism by which hyperactivated motility is regulated can lead to development of treatments to promote sperm fertility or alternatively, result in development of contraceptives targeting specific modulators of sperm motility.
Our specific aims are to use procaine-induced hyperactivated bull sperm to determine the role of: 1) Protein phosphorylation in hyperactivated sperm using western blot analysis and indirect immunofluorescence. 2) Intracellular Ca 2+ in hyperactivated motility using fluorescent Ca 2+ indictors and single cell imaging. 3) Cytoplasmic alkalization in modulating hyperactivated motility by measuring intracellular pH using pH sensitive fluorescent probes and single cell image analysis. We propose that hyperactivation is mediated by a signaling pathway involving phosphorylation of flagellar proteins, which is dependent on Ca 2+ influx and alkalization of the cytosol. ? ?

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD)
Type
Predoctoral Individual National Research Service Award (F31)
Project #
1F31HD043693-01
Application #
6591093
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1-REB (29))
Program Officer
Rankin, Tracy L
Project Start
2003-05-16
Project End
2005-05-15
Budget Start
2003-05-16
Budget End
2004-05-15
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
2003
Total Cost
$33,663
Indirect Cost
Name
Cornell University
Department
Other Basic Sciences
Type
Schools of Veterinary Medicine
DUNS #
872612445
City
Ithaca
State
NY
Country
United States
Zip Code
14850