Skip to main content
  • Spermiologie
  • Published:

Le chimiotactisme des spermatozoïdes a-t-il un rôle dans la fécondation?

Does sperm chemotaxis have a role in fertilization?

Résumé

Le chimiotactisme des spermatozoïdes par le fluide folliculaire a été établi par différents moyens en ce qui concerne les spermatozoïdes de l’homme et de la souris. Seule une petite fraction d’une population donnée de spermatozoïdes (en moyenne environ 10%) présente une sensibilité chimiotactique, et cette fraction constitue les spermatozoïdes capacités. La sensibilité chimiotactique et l’état capacité sont tous les deux transitoires (avec une durée de vie de 50 minutes à 4 heures) et ne surviennent qu’une seule fois dans la vie d’un spermatozoïde. On a proposé comme rôle au chimiotactisme des spermatozoïdes chez les mammifères (du moins chez l’homme) le recrutement sélectif de spermatozoïdes capacités pour la fécondation de l’ovocyte; le rôle du remplacement continu des spermatozoïdes sensibles au chimiotactisme/capacités serait de prolonger la durée de temps pendant laquelle des spermatozoïdes capacités seraient disponibles dans le tractus génital féminin. Les substances chimio-attractives des spermatozoïdes n’ont pas été identifiées mais elles semblent être des peptides thermo-stables. La localisationin vivo du chimiotactisme des spermatozoïdes est inconnue; de nombreuses localisations potentielles sont discutées dans cet article.

Abstract

Sperm chemotaxis to follicular fluid has been established by a variety of means in human and mouse spermatozoa. It was found that only a small fraction of a given sperm population (averaging around 10%) is chemotactically responsive and that this fraction constitutes capacitated (ripe) spermatozoa. Both the chemotactic responsiveness and the capacitated state are transient (with a lifetime between 50 min and 4 h) and they occur only once in the sperm’s lifetime. It has been proposed that the role of sperm chemotaxis in mammals (at least in man) is selective recruitment of capacitated spermatozoa for fertilizing the egg, and that the role of the continuous replacement of chemotactic/capacitated spermatozoa is to prolong the duration of time over which capacitated spermatozoa would be available in the female reproductive tract. The sperm chemoattractants have not been identified but they appear to be heat-stable peptides. Thein vivo location of sperm chemotaxis is not known; a number of possible locations are discussed.

References

  1. MILLER, R.L. (1985). Sperm chemo-orientation in the metazoa.In: Biology of Fertilization (C.B. Metz and A. Monroy, eds.), pp. 275–237. Academic Press, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  2. COSSON, M.P. (1990). Sperm chemotaxis.In: Controls of Sperm Motility: Biological and Clinical Aspects (C. Gagnon, ed.) pp. 103–135. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.

    Google Scholar 

  3. EISENBACH, M. (1999). Sperm chemotaxis. Rev. Reprod. 4, 56–66.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. World Health Organization (1993). “Laboratory manual for the examination of human semen and semen-cervical mucus interaction.” Cambridge University Press, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  5. HARPER, M.J.K. (1982). Sperm and egg transport.In: Germ Cells and Fertilization (C.R. Austin and R.V. Short, eds.), pp. 102–127. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, England.

    Google Scholar 

  6. BARRATT, C.L.R. AND COOKE, I.D. (1991). Sperm transport in the human female reproductive tract — a dynamic interaction. Int. J. Androl. 14, 394–411.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. WILLIAMS, M., HILL, C.J., SCUDAMORE, I., DUNPHY, B., COOKE, I.D. AND BARRATT, C.L.R. (1993). Sperm numbers and distribution within the human Fallopian tube around ovulation. Hum. Reprod. 8, 2019–2026.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. HUNTER, R.H.F. (1993). Sperm:egg ratios and putative molecular signals to modulate gamete interactions in polytocous mammals. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 35, 324–327.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. HANSEN, C., SRIKANDAKUMAR, A. AND DOWNEY, B.R. (1991). Presence of follicular fluid in the porcine oviduct and its contribution to the acrosome reaction. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 30, 148–153.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. EISENBACH, M. AND TUR-KASPA, I. (1999). Do human eggs attract spermatozoa? BioEssays 21, 203–210.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. RALT, D., MANOR, M., COHEN-DAYAG, A., TURKASPA, I., MAKLER, A., YULI, I., DOR, J., BLUMBERG, S., MASHIACH, S. AND EISENBACH, M. (1994). Chemotaxis and chemokinesis of human spermatozoa to follicular factors. Biol. Reprod. 50, 774–785.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. MAKLER, A., REICHLER, A., STOLLER, J. AND FEIGIN, P.D. (1992). A new model for investigating in real time the existence of chemotaxis in human spermatozoa. Fertil. Steril. 57, 1066–1074.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. MAKLER, A., STOLLER, J., REICHLER, A., BLUMENFELD, Z. AND YOFFE, N. (1995): Inability of human sperm to change their orientation in response to external chemical stimuli. Fertil. Steril. 63, 1077–1082.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. MANOR, M. (1994). Identification and purification of female-originated chemotactic factors. Ph.D. thesis, The Weizmann Institute of Science.

  15. VILLANUEVA-DÍAZ, C., ARIAS-MARTÍNEZ, J., BERMEJO-MARTÍNEZ, L. AND VADILLOORTEGA, F. (1995). Progesterone induces human sperm chemotaxis. Fertil. Steril. 64, 1183–1188.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. JAISWAL, B.S., TUR-KASPA, I., DOR, J., MASHIACH, S. AND EISENBACH, M. (1999). Human sperm chemotaxis: Is progesterone a chemoattractant? Biol. Reprod. 60, 1314–1319.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. OLIVEIRA, R.G., TOMASI, L., ROVASIO, R.A. AND GIOJALAS, L.C. (1999): Increased velocity and induction of chemotactic response in mouse spermatozoa by follicular and oviductal fluids. J. Reprod. Fertil. 115, 23–27.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. COHEN-DAYAG, A., RALT, D., TUR-KASPA, I., MANOR, M., MAKLER, A., DOR, J., MASHIACH, S. AND EISENBACH, M. (1994). Sequential acquisition of chemotactic responsiveness by human spermatozoa. Biol. Reprod. 50, 786–790.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. GIOJALAS, L.C. AND ROVASIO, R.A. (1998). Mouse spermatozoa modify their dynamic parameters and chemotactic response to factors from the oocyte microenvironment. Int. J. Androl. 21, 201–206.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. EISENBACH, M. AND RALT, D. (1992). Precontact mammalian sperm-egg communication and role in fertilization. Am. J. Physiol. 262 (Cell Physiol. 31), C1095-C1101.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. COHEN-DAYAG, A., TUR-KASPA, I., DOR, J., MASHIACH, S. AND EISENBACH, M. (1995). Sperm capacitation in humans is transient and correlates with chemotactic responsiveness to follicular factors. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 92, 11039–11043.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. JAISWAL, B.S., COHEN-DAYAG, A., TUR-KASPA, I. AND EISENBACH, M. (1998). Sperm capacitation is, after all, a prerequisite for both partial and complete acrosome reaction. FEBS Lett. 427, 309–313.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. JAISWAL, B.S., EISENBACH, M. AND TURKASPA, I. (1999). Detection of partial and complete acrosome reaction in human spermatozoa: which inducers and probes to use? Mol. Hum. Reprod. 5, 214–219.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. SUAREZ, S.S. (1998). The oviductal sperm reservoir in mammals: mechanisms of formation. Biol. Reprod. 58, 1105–1107.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. OVERSTREET, J.W. AND DROBNIS, E.Z. (1991). Sperm transport in the female tract.In: Advances in donor insemination (C.L.R. Barratt and I.D. Cooke, eds.), pp. 33–49. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, England.

    Google Scholar 

  26. SMITH, T.T. AND YANAGIMACHI, R. (1991). Attachment and release of spermatozoa from the caudal isthmus of the hamster oviduct. J. Reprod. Fertil. 91, 567–573.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. LEFEBVRE, R. AND SUAREZ, S.S. (1996). Effect of capacitation on bull sperm binding to homologous oviductal epithelim. Biol. Reprod. 54, 575–582.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. BRONSON, R. AND HAMADA, Y. (1977). Gamete interactions in vitro. Fertil. Steril. 28, 570–576.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. BEDFORD, J.M. AND KIM, H.H. (1993). Cumulus oophorus as a sperm sequestering device,in vivo. J. Exp. Zool. 265, 321–328.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. EISENBACH, M. (1995). Sperm changes enabling fertilization in mammals. Curr. Opin. Endocrinol. Diabetes 2, 468–475.

    Google Scholar 

  31. JAISWAL, B.S. AND EISENBACH, M. (1999). Capacitation.In: Fertilization (D.M. Hardy and D.L. Garbers, eds.), pp. In press. Academic Press, San Diego.

    Google Scholar 

  32. RALT, D., GOLDENBERG, M., FETTEROLF, P., THOMPSON, D., DOR, J., MASHIACH, S., GARBERS, D.L. AND EISENBACH, M. (1991). Sperm attraction of follicular factor(s) correlates with human egg fertilizability. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 88, 2840–2844.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. GNESSI, L., RUFF, M.R., FRAIOLI, F. AND PERT, C.B. (1985). Demonstration of receptor-mediated chemotaxis by human spermatozoa. A novel quantitative bioassay. Exp. Cell Res. 161, 219–230.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. ANDERSON, R.A., FEATHERGILL, K.A., RAWLINS, R.G., MACK, S.R. AND ZANEVELD, L.J.D. (1995). Atrial natriuretic peptide: a chemoattractant of human spermatozoa by a guanylate cyclase-dependent pathway. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 40, 371–378.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. LEE, S.-L., KAO, C.-C. AND WEI, Y.-H. (1994). Antithrombin III enhances the motility and chemotaxis of boar sperm. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 107A, 277–282.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. IQBAL, M., SHIVAJI, S., VIJAYASARATHY, S. AND BALARAM, P. (1980). Synthetic peptides as chemoattractants for bull spermatozoa: structure activity correlations. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 96, 235–242.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. ZAMIR, N., RIVEN-KREITMAN, R., MANOR, M., MAKLER, A., BLUMBERG, S., RALT, D. AND EISENBACH, M. (1993). Atrial natriuretic peptide attracts human spermatozoain vitro. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 197, 116–122.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. VILLANUEVA-DÍAZ, C., ARIAS-MARTÍNEZ, J., BUSTOS-LÓPEZ, H. AND VADILLO-ORTEGA, F. (1992). Novel model for study of human sperm chemotaxis. Fertil. Steril. 58, 392–395.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. SLIWA, L. (1993). Effect of heparin on human spermatozoa migration in vitro. Arch. Androl. 30, 177–181.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. Sliwa, L. (1994). Chemotactic effect of hormones in mouse spermatozoa. Arch. Androl. 32, 83–88.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. ZAMIR, N., SKOFITSCH, G., ESKAY, R. AND JACOBOWITZ, D.M. (1986). Distribution of immunoreactive atrial natriuretic peptide in the central nervous system of the rat. Brain Res. 365, 105–111.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  42. VILLANUEVA-DÍAZ, C., VADILLO-ORTEGA, F., KABLY-AMBE, A., DIAZ-PEREZ, M.A. AND KRIVITZKY, S.K. (1990). Evidence that human follicular fluid contains a chemoattractant for spermatozoa. Fertil. Steril. 54, 1180–1182.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  43. SLIWA, L. (1993). Heparin as a chemoattractant for mouse spermatozoa. Arch. Androl. 31, 149–152.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  44. SLIWA, L. (1995). Chemotaction of mouse spermatozoa induced by certain hormones. Arch. Androl. 35, 105–110.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  45. MILLER, R.L. (1982). Synthetic peptides are not chemoattractants for bull sperm. Gamete Res. 5, 395–401.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  46. EISENBACH, M. (1999). Mammalian sperm chemotaxis and its association with capacitation. Dev. Genet. 25, 87–94.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  47. NAVARRO, M.C., VALENCIA, J., VAZQUEZ, C., COZAR, E. AND VILLANUEVA, C. (1998). Crude mare follicular fluid exerts chemotactic effects on stallion spermatozoa. Reprod. Domest. Anim. 33, 321–324.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. Eisenbach.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Eisenbach, M. Le chimiotactisme des spermatozoïdes a-t-il un rôle dans la fécondation?. Androl. 10, 131–140 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03034364

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03034364

Mots clés

Key words