Rotational motion and rheotaxis of human sperm do not require functional CatSper channels and transmembrane Ca2+ signaling

• Christian Schiffer ^[1] ; Steffen Rieger ^[2] ; Christoph Brenker ^[1] ; Samuel Young ^[1] ; Hussein Hamzeh ^[3] ; Dagmar Wachten ^[4] ; Frank Tüttelmann ^[5] ; Albrecht Röpke ^[5] ; U Benjamin Kaupp ^[3] ; Tao Wang ^[6] ; Alice Wagner ^[7] ; Claudia Krallmann ^[1] ; Sabine Kliesch ^[1] ; Carsten Fallnich ^[8] ; Timo Strünker ^[9]
  1. [1] 1 Centre of Reproductive Medicine and Andrology University Hospital Münster University of Münster Münster Germany
  2. [2] 2 Optical Technologies Group Institute of Applied Physics University of Münster Münster Germany
  3. [3] 3 Molecular Sensory Systems Center of Advanced European Studies and Research Bonn Germany
  4. [4] 4 Minerva Max Planck Research Group, Molecular Physiology Center of Advanced European Studies and Research Bonn Germany; 5 Institute of Innate Immunity University Hospital University of Bonn Bonn Germany
  5. [5] 6 Institute of Human Genetics University of Münster Münster Germany
  6. [6] 1 Centre of Reproductive Medicine and Andrology University Hospital Münster University of Münster Münster Germany; 7 Institute of Life Science and School of Life Science Nanchang University Nanchang China
  7. [7] 1 Centre of Reproductive Medicine and Andrology University Hospital Münster University of Münster Münster Germany; 6 Institute of Human Genetics University of Münster Münster Germany
  8. [8] 2 Optical Technologies Group Institute of Applied Physics University of Münster Münster Germany; 8 Cells‐in‐Motion Cluster of Excellence (EXC1003‐CiM) Münster Germany
  9. [9] 1 Centre of Reproductive Medicine and Andrology University Hospital Münster University of Münster Münster Germany; 8 Cells‐in‐Motion Cluster of Excellence (EXC1003‐CiM) Münster Germany

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• Localización: EMBO journal: European Molecular Biology Organization, ISSN 0261-4189, Vol. 39, Nº. 4, 2020
• Idioma: inglés
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  • Navigation of sperm in fluid flow, called rheotaxis, provides long‐range guidance in the mammalian oviduct. The rotation of sperm around their longitudinal axis (rolling) promotes rheotaxis. Whether sperm rolling and rheotaxis require calcium (Ca2+) influx via the sperm‐specific Ca2+ channel CatSper, or rather represent passive biomechanical and hydrodynamic processes, has remained controversial. Here, we study the swimming behavior of sperm from healthy donors and from infertile patients that lack functional CatSper channels, using dark‐field microscopy, optical tweezers, and microfluidics. We demonstrate that rolling and rheotaxis persist in CatSper‐deficient human sperm. Furthermore, human sperm undergo rolling and rheotaxis even when Ca2+ influx is prevented. Finally, we show that rolling and rheotaxis also persist in mouse sperm deficient in both CatSper and flagellar Ca2+‐signaling domains. Our results strongly support the concept that passive biomechanical and hydrodynamic processes enable sperm rolling and rheotaxis, rather than calcium signaling mediated by CatSper or other mechanisms controlling transmembrane Ca2+ flux.