Measurement of the force and torque produced in the calcium response of reactivated rat sperm flagella.

Rat sperm that are demembranated with Triton X-100 and reactivated with Mg-ATP show a strong mechanical response to the presence of free calcium ion. At pCa < 4, the midpiece region of the flagellum develops a strong and sustained curvature that gives the cell the overall appearance of a fishhook [Lindemann and Goltz, 1988: Cell Motil. Cytoskeleton 10:420-431]. In the present study, the force and torque that maintain the calcium-induced hook have been examined quantitatively. In addition, full-length and shortened flagella were manipulated to evaluate the plasticity of the hooks and determined the critical length necessary for maintaining the curvature. The hooks were found to be highly resilient, returning to their original configuration (>95%) after being straightened and released. The results from manipulating the shortened flagella suggest that the force holding the hook in the curved configuration is generated in the basal 60 microm of the flagellum. The force required to straighten the calcium-induced hooks was measured with force-calibrated glass microprobes, and the bending torque was calculated from the measured force. The force and torque required to straighten the flagellum were found to be proportional to the change in curvature of the hooked region of the flagellum, suggesting an elastic-like behavior. The average torque to open the hooks to a straight position was 2.6 (+/-1.4) x 10(-7) dyne x cm (2.6 x 10(-14) N x m) and the apparent stiffness was 4.3 (+/-1.3) x 10(-10) dyne x cm(2) (4.3 x 10(-19) N x m(2)). The stiffness of the hook was determined to be approximately one quarter the rigor stiffness of a rat sperm flagellum measured under comparable conditions.

Measurement of the force produced by an intact bull sperm flagellum in isometric arrest and estimation of the dynein stall force.

The force generated by a detergent-extracted reactivated bull sperm flagellum during an isometric stall was measured with a force-calibrated glass microprobe. The average isometric stall force from 48 individual measurements was 2.5 +/- 0.7 x 10(-5) dyne (2.5 +/- 0.7 x 10(-10) N). The force measurements were obtained by positioning a calibrated microprobe in the beat path of sperm cells that were stuck by their heads to a glass microscope slide. The average position of the contact point of the flagellum with the probe was 15 microm from the head-tail junction. This average lever arm length multiplied by the measured force yields an estimate of the active bending moment (torque) of 3.9 x 10(-8) dyne x cm (3.9 x 10(-15) N x m). The force was sustained and was for the most part uniform, despite the fact that the flagellum beyond the point of contact with the probe usually continued beating. It appears that the dynein motors in the basal portion of the flagellum continue to pull in an isometric stall for as long as the motion of the flagellum is blocked. If dynein motors in the flagellum distal to the contact point with the probe were contributing force to the displacement of the probe, then the flagellar segment immediately past the point of contact would have to show a net curvature in the direction of the probe displacement. No such curvature bias was observed in the R-bend arrests, and only a small positive curvature bias was measured in the P-bend arrests. Our analysis of the data suggests that more than 90% of the sustained force component is generated by the part of the flagellum between the probe and the flagellar base. Based on this premise, the isometric stall force per dynein head is estimated to be 5.0 x 10(-7) dyne (5 pN). This equals approximately 1.0 x 10(-6) dyne (10 pN) per intact dynein arm. These values are close to the isometric stall force of isolated dynein. This suggests that all of the dynein heads between the base and the probe, on the active side of the axoneme, are contributing to the force exerted against the probe.

Flagellar arrest behavior predicted by the Geometric Clutch model is confirmed experimentally by micromanipulation experiments on reactivated bull sperm.

The central tenet of the Geometric Clutch hypothesis of flagellar beating is that the internal force transverse to the outer doublets (t-force) mediates the initiation and termination of episodes of dynein engagement. Therefore, if the development of an adequate t-force is prevented, then the dynein-switching necessary to complete a cycle of beating should fail. The dominant component of the t-force is the product of the longitudinal force on each outer doublet multiplied by the local curvature of the flagellum. In the present study, two separate strategies, blocking and clipping, were employed to limit the development of the t-force in Triton X-100 extracted bull sperm models. The blocking strategy used a bent glass microprobe to restrict the flagellum during a beat, preventing the development of curvature in the basal portion of the flagellum. The clipping strategy was designed to shorten the flagellum by clipping off distal segments of the flagellum with a glass microprobe. This limits the number of dyneins that can contribute to bending and consequently reduces the longitudinal force on the doublets. The blocking and clipping strategies both produced an arrest of the beat cycle consistent with predictions based on the Geometric Clutch hypothesis. Direct comparison of experimentally produced arrest behavior to the behavior of the Geometric Clutch computer model of a bull sperm yielded similar arrest patterns. The computer model duplicated the observed behavior using reasonable values for dynein force and flagellar stiffness. The experimental data derived from both blocking and clipping experiments are fully compatible with the Geometric Clutch hypothesis.

A model for flagellar motility.

Experimental investigation has provided a wealth of structural, biochemical, and physiological information regarding the motile mechanism of eukaryotic flagella/cilia. This chapter surveys the available literature, selectively focusing on three major objectives. First, it attempts to identify those conserved structural components essential to providing motile function in eukaryotic axonemes. Second, it examines the relationship between these structural elements to determine the interactions that are vital to the mechanism of flagellar/ciliary beating. Third, the vital principles of these interactions are incorporated into a tractable theoretical model, referred to as the Geometric Clutch, and this hypothetical scheme is examined to assess its compatibility with experimental observations.

Interdoublet sliding in bovine spermatozoa: its relationship to flagellar motility and the action of inhibitory agents.

Interdoublet sliding rates were assessed in bull sperm, utilizing a freeze-thaw procedure to allow axonemal disintegration. The sliding rate of 23 degrees C increased with increasing MgATP concentrations up to 1 mM ATP, to plateau at 8 microns/sec. The analyzed interdoublet shear in both live and demembranated (Triton X-100-extracted) bull sperm reactivated with 1 mM ATP established maximal microtubule sliding rates at 6 microns/sec during flagellar beating. Therefore, in vitro sliding rates were sufficient to account for the beat in intact flagella. The effect of inhibitors of flagellar motility on in vitro sliding rates was evaluated. While 8 microM vanadate minimally reduced the sliding rate (to approximately or equal to 4 microns/sec), only 0.5 microM vanadate was sufficient to terminate reactivated bull sperm motility. Nickel ion (0.66 mM) terminated all spontaneous motility, while only reducing microtubule sliding rates to approximately or equal to 5.0 microns/sec. Exposing intact bull sperm to theophylline (1 mM), and incubating the subsequently demembranated sperm in cAMP (3 microM), improved flagellar motility, but had little impact on microtubule sliding rates as determined by axonemal disintegration. Furthermore, deactivating live sperm with 2 mM KCN and 4 mM 2-deoxy-D-glucose renders the subsequently reactivated sperm immotile (as long as exogenous cAMP is absent). Yet, this treatment only reduced the sliding rate by 38%. Paradoxically, 4 mM MgADP reduced the sliding rates most dramatically (86%), whereas demembranated sperm models retain a strong, coordinated beating pattern in the presence of MgADP. These results demonstrate that there is no direct relationship between interdoublet sliding rates and the capacity for coordinated flagellar beating.

Functional significance of the outer dense fibers of mammalian sperm examined by computer simulations with the geometric clutch model.

The flagella of mammalian sperm possess certain structural characteristics that distinguish them from simple flagella. Most notable of these features are the sheath (surrounding the axoneme), the outer dense fibers of ODFs (that are attached to the outer doublets), and the connecting piece (which anchors the ODFs at the base of the flagellum). In this study, the significance of these specialized axonemal elements is explored. Their impact on microtubule sliding and force production within the axoneme is specifically analyzed. A working hypothesis is developed based on the premise that forces produced by interdoublet sliding are transferred to the ODFs. In this way, the torque required to bend the flagellum is developed between the ODFs, which are anchored in the connecting piece. This working hypothesis was incorporated into the pre-existing "geometric clutch" model that earlier simulated only cilia and simple flagella. The characteristic length and stiffness of bovine sperm flagella were specified as modelling parameters. Additionally, the inter-ODF spacing of bull sperm was incorporated to calculate doublet sliding and bending torque. The resultant computer-simulated pattern of flagellar beating possesses many of the attributes of the beat of a live bull sperm flagellum. Notably, this life-like simulation can be produced using parameters for the central axonemal "motor" that are comparable to those effective in modelling a simple flagellum. In the proposed scheme, the accessory structures of the mammalian sperm axoneme provide increased stiffness while at the same time providing a means to proportionately raise the bending torque to overcome that additional flexural rigidity. This capacity is due to the inter-ODF distances being larger than the corresponding interdoublet spacings. If force is transmitted to the flagellar base by way of the ODFs, then the larger effective diameter generates both a greater bending torque and increased interdoublet sliding. This has the interesting effect of consolidating the energy from more dynein cross-bridges into the production of a single bend. Consequently. greater bending torque development is permitted than would be possible in a simple flagellum. In This way, the same 9 + 2 organization of a simple flagellum can power a much larger (and stiffer) version than would otherwise be possible.

Ni2+ inhibition induces asymmetry in axonemal functioning and bend initiation of bull sperm.

Bull sperm extracted with 0.1% Triton X-100 can be reactivated to full motility with 0.33 mM Mg-ATP (sperm models). When motile sperm models are treated with 0.66 mM NiSO4, spontaneous motility is lost. During the transition to motility arrest, the beat becomes progressively more asymmetric, finally arresting at one extreme of the beat cycle. After spontaneous motility has been lost, the flagellum retains the ability to respond to mechanical stimulation. If a microprobe is used to bend the flagellum in the direction opposite to its own prevailing curvature and released, the recoil is rapid and overshoots the equilibrium position. When the same flagellum is manipulated in the opposite direction (into a tighter bend of the existing curve), the recoil is slower and does not exceed the initial bend. If a microprobe is used to carefully bend the whole flagellum into a curve, the flagellum will resume continuous beating, but only if the imposed bend is in the direction opposite the natural curvature. The reinstated beating activity (mechanical reactivation) is sustained as long as the flagellum is held by the microprobe. The rate of change of the shear angle in these mechanically reactivated, Ni(2+)-inhibited sperm suggests an impaired rate of sliding on one side of the axoneme compared to similarly restrained control sperm. It appears that Ni2+ has a selective inhibitory effect on the dynein arms that bend the flagellum in one direction. Furthermore, the remaining functional arms activate only when the flagellum is bent in the direction opposing their own action.

"Geometric clutch" hypothesis of axonemal function: key issues and testable predictions.

The Geometric Clutch hypothesis integrates a large body of seemingly disconnected analytical measurements and observations into one conceptual framework. It remains to be established whether certain key requirements of the hypothesis are actual attributes of real axonemes. The hypothesis is rich in predictive value, as its fundamental working elements are developed directly from physical properties and structures of the axoneme. Exploration of these predictions will serve to confirm or reject the hypothesis itself, but even more importantly, may contribute to elucidation of the principles underlying ciliary and flagellar functioning.

A model of flagellar and ciliary functioning which uses the forces transverse to the axoneme as the regulator of dynein activation.

Ciliary and flagellar motion is driven by the dynein-tubulin interaction between adjacent doublets of the axoneme, and the resulting sliding displacements are converted into axonemal bends that are propagated. When the axoneme is bent in the normal beating plane, force develops across the axoneme in the plane of the bend. This transverse force (t-force) has maximal effect on the interdoublet spacing of outer doublets 2-4 on one side of the axoneme and doublets 7-9 on the opposite side. Episodes of sliding originates as the t-force brings these doublets into closer proximity (allowing dynein bridges to form) and are terminated when these doublets are separated from each other by the t-force. A second factor, the adhesive force of the dynein-tubulin attachments (bridges), also acts to pull neighboring doublets closer together. This force resists termination of a sliding episode once initiated, and acts locally to give the population of dynein bridges a type of excitability. In other words, as bridges form, the probability of nearby bridges attaching is increased by a positive feedback exerted through the interdoublet spacing. A conceptual working hypothesis explaining the behavior of cilia and flagella is proposed based on the above concepts. Additionally, the feasibility of this proposed mechanism is demonstrated using a computer simulation. The simulation uses a Monte Carlo-type algorithm for dynein attachment and adhesive force, together with a geometric evaluation of the t-force on the key microtubule pairs. This model successfully develops spontaneous oscillations from any starting configuration (including a straight position). It is compatible with the physical dimensions, mechanical properties and bridge forces measured in real cilia and flagella. In operation, it exhibits many of the observed actions of cilia and flagella, most notably wave propagation and the ability to produce both cilia-like and flagella-like waveforms.

Inhibition of microtubule sliding by Ni2+ and Cd2+: evidence for a differential response of certain microtubule pairs within the bovine sperm axoneme.

Bovine sperm, extracted with 0.1% Triton X-100, frozen at -20 degrees C for 48-120 hours, and thawed, disintegrated by microtubule sliding when 1 mM MgATP was added. Microtubules and outer dense fibers (ODFs) were usually extruded in groups or "bundles". A total of 44.5% of the cells extruded two distinct bundles, one from each side of the connecting piece, exhibiting opposite curvatures. Only one bundle was observed in 46.2% of the cells, and 9.2% showed no signs of sliding. Transmission electron microscopy (T.E.M.) showed one group consisting of the 4,5-6,7 elements, with the 9,1,2 elements on the other side of the axoneme making up the other bundle. T.E.M. revealed that when only one side of the axoneme had extruded elements, they were always from the 4,5-6,7 group. The remainder of the axoneme (8,9,1,2,3 and the central pair) was left relatively intact, suggesting a difference in the sliding response of the nine pairs of axonemal microtubules. These results indicate a predisposition for sliding between elements 7 and 8 over that between doublets 2 and 3, perhaps due to a disparity in activation thresholds. Also, both Ni2+ and Cd2+ appear to selectively block activation of 2-3 interdoublet sliding. Incubation with 0.25 mM Ni2+ prior to adding MgATP modified the percentages of sliding patterns: 8.6% demonstrated two-sided extrusion, 58.2% showed one-sided, and 33.2% had no extruded bundles. Again, when half the axoneme was missing, it was always the 4,5-6,7 group. Ten micromolar Cd2+ altered the sliding pattern similarly to Ni2+, with 28% two-sided extrusion, 55.9% one-sided extrusion and 16.1% with no extruded bundles. Either pretreatment regimen impeded extrusion of the 9,1,2 group in a high percentage of cells, compared to untreated cells. This specific inhibition of the 9,1,2 side by Ni2+ or Cd2+ is especially significant since Ni2+ also inhibits spontaneous wave initiation in bull sperm (Lindemann et al.: Journal of Cell Biology 87:420-426, 1980), and both Ni2+ and Cd2+ reportedly block the flagellar Ca(2+)-response in rat sperm (Lindemann and Goltz: Cell Motility and the Cytoskeleton 10:420-431, 1988; Lindemann et al.: Cell Motility and the Cytoskeleton 20:316-324, 1991).

The flagellar beat of rat sperm is organized by the interaction of two functionally distinct populations of dynein bridges with a stable central axonemal partition.

Two distinct patterns of microtubular sliding were observed in rat sperm flagellar axonemes. The particular pattern of sliding was determined by the extraction conditions used to prepare the sperm for axoneme disintegration. Sperm prepared by incubating concentrated suspensions of Triton X-100-extracted sperm at pH 9.0 disintegrated by extruding the doublets and outer dense fibers numbered 4 through 7 in response to Mg-ATP. Sperm prepared by incubating motile Triton X-100-extracted models at 37 degrees C for 1 to 3 hours extruded doublets and outer dense fibers 9, 1 and 2. Axonemes disintegrated by both regimens tended to have doublets 3 and 8 (with their corresponding outer dense fibers), as well as the central pair, in place. In numerous instances, the 3-central-8 complex with outer dense fibers 3 and 8 could be found isolated in midpiece sections prepared from both methods. The 3-central-8 partition was also sometimes seen in isolation in cross-sections of the principal piece where it remained attached to the fibrous sheath. The flagellar remnant produced by extrusion of fibers 4 through 7 under high pH conditions was generally straight or randomly curved. In contrast, the flagellar remnant produced by extrusion of the 9-1-2 bundle of fibers was most often curved into a hook in the midpiece region. While the hook-like configuration was not Ca(2+)-dependent, it may be based on a related mechanism. The sliding of the 9-1-2 group of fibers is a consequence of dynein-tubulin sliding between the 2 and 3 doublets. This sliding pattern appears to be preferentially activated in the motile sperm models in EGTA, but seldom if ever produced sliding in the high-pH-extracted models. We conclude that the 3-central pair-8 complex and associated outer dense fibers form an I-beam-like partition that does not participate in sliding, but acts as a structural foundation for organizing a planar beat. In addition, it is clear that preferential activation of certain dynein arms can be evoked, depending on the treatment regimen employed. This shows definitively that the types of microtubule sliding in the two bend directions are not identical.

The calcium-induced curvature reversal of rat sperm is potentiated by cAMP and inhibited by anti-calmodulin.

Rat sperm, demembranated with 0.1% Triton X-100, were used to explore the reversal in flagellar curvature induced by calcium ion. As reported earlier (Lindemann and Goltz, Cell Motil. Cytoskeleton, 10:420-431, 1988), the radius of curvature of the flagellar midpiece of rat sperm is controlled by the free Ca2+ concentration. A reversal of the direction of curvature (judged by the asymmetric sperm head) takes place at approximately 2.5 x 10(-6) M free Ca2+. In our current study, the time course of the curvature change, after elevating free Ca2+ to 3.5 x 10(-4) M, was utilized to assess the effects of the cAMP-kinase A pathway on the calcium response. In addition, calmodulin's involvement in this response was explored using anti-calmodulin and Cd2+. The activity state of the sperm models (which could be directly influenced through cAMP) was found to control the rate of curvature change in response to increased free Ca2+. In the most extreme case, fully quiescent sperm did not respond to Ca2+ at all, and cAMP-primed sperm models completed the response to Ca2+ in two minutes or less. Anti-calmodulin demonstrated strong inhibitory effects on the curvature reversal. Cadmium ion was also extremely potent at blocking the response to Ca2+, completely eliminating the curvature reversal at 2 x 10(-10) M free Cd2+. Based on these findings, it appears that the Ca(2+)-activated curvature reversal of rat sperm is potentiated by cAMP-dependent kinase and may be mediated through calmodulin.

Evidence for an increased sensitivity to Ca2+ in the flagella of sperm from tw32/+mice.

The majority of sperm from mice carrying the tw32 haplotype undergo hyperactivation sooner than sperm from +/+ mice of the same strains (Olds-Clarke, Dev Biol 131:475-482, 1989). To investigate the mechanism underlying this abnormal motility, the Ca2+ sensitivity of their flagellar apparatus was compared to that of age- and strain-matched controls using Triton X-100-extracted sperm. Under these conditions, the curvature of the sperm flagellum is controlled by the free calcium concentration. Sperm from mice carrying the tw32 haplotype consistently exhibited a change in flagellar curvature at lower free calcium concentrations than controls. In addition, intact sperm from tw32/+ mice were much more likely than congenic control sperm to have a hook-like bend in the midpiece, which persisted throughout most of the beat cycle. Sperm exhibiting the hooked middle piece could be converted to a more normal appearance by 2 mM procaine, which immobilizes cytoplasmic calcium. Thus an increased sensitivity of the sperm motor apparatus to calcium could be the cause of the precocious hyperactivation of sperm from mice carrying the tw32 haplotype.

Regulation of mammalian sperm motility.

The physiological regulation of sperm motility has become more amendable to investigation since the demonstration that cAMP and calcium play a role in modulating the functioning of the flagellar axoneme. Although the external triggering mechanisms that initiate motility and capacitation are still unknown, evidence supports a modification of the calcium balance by gated Ca2+ channels, accompanied by shifts in the internal pH. Ca2+ and pH may in turn act indirectly through cAMP and cAMP-dependent kinase (kinase(a] to control the phosphorylation state of functional proteins in the flagellar axoneme. The role of calcium is of central importance, but it is clear that several separate Ca2+-dependent mechanisms are involved. Ca2+ controls the curvature of the sperm flagellum and, so, can change the motility of the sperm from progressive swimming to tumbling. Under the appropriate conditions, calcium appears to have the capacity to deactivate motility by activating phosphodiesterase and phosphatase. The deactivating effect of Ca2+ may be offset under some circumstances by coactivation of adenyl cyclase, so phosphorylation of the axoneme and the motility are maintained. The specific factors determining the predominant calcium effect are not yet known, but internal pH of the sperm may play a major role.

The interaction of pH and cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate on activation of motility in Triton X-100 extracted bull sperm.

The motility of demembranated bull sperm was found to be governed by the concentrations of cyclic adenosine 3', 5'-monophosphate (cAMP) and Ca2+ at low pH (6.6-7.1), and was less sensitive to these variables at higher pH (7.4-7.8). Although motility was generally found to increase with increasing pH in the range from 6.6 to 7.8, the addition of exogenous cAMP markedly and selectively improved the motility at the lower end of the range (pH 6.6-7.1). In the presence of 10 microM cAMP, low Ca2+ (8.0 X 10(-8) M), and a high concentration of Mg-adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP, 8 mM), demembranated sperm at pH 6.8 and 7.1 exhibited swimming similar to that of live ejaculated sperm. At a free Ca2+ concentration of 4.4 X 10(-5) M, the motility was rapidly inhibited at pH 6.8-7.1, whereas at pH 7.4-7.8, the activity was not greatly affected. Since calcium is known to antagonize the cAMP pathway by activating Ca2+-dependent phosphodiesterase and Ca2+-dependent phosphatase, this further supports the idea that cAMP-dependent activation is crucial for motility at low pH. Our results demonstrate that the flagellar axoneme can function normally at relatively acidic pH, and produce vigorous swimming at high levels of ATP. The ATP content of live sperm was measured and found to be high enough (approximately 8 mM) to support the vigorous motility seen at pH 6.6-7.1 in the models.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

An investigation of the effectiveness of certain antioxidants in preserving the motility of reactivated bull sperm models.

Bull sperm that had been disrupted by freezing and thawing were reactivated with 1 mM Mg-adenosine 5'-triphosphate. The antioxidants superoxide dismutase, catalase, dithiothreitol, and reduced glutathione (GSH) were tested for their ability to prolong the motility of the reactivated sperm. GSH was employed both by itself and as part of a reducing system that maintained the tripeptide in the reduced form. Three of the test agents were found to increase the duration of motility in the sperm preparations; these were reduced glutathione, dithiothreitol, and superoxide dismutase. Glutathione was the most effective protective agent, yielding reactivated preparations with a half-life for the decay of motility of 2.5 h. While dithiothreitol (DTT) is widely employed as an antioxidant, we found that DTT is measurably less effective than glutathione (half-life of 1.5 h). In spite of glutathione's effectiveness in preserving motility, we have found, by direct assay, that mature bull sperm do not contain detectable amounts of this common biological antioxidant. Our results support the hypothesis that oxidative damage contributes to the loss of motility in reactivated sperm and suggest that oxidation could be a factor in motility loss in living sperm.

Calcium regulation of flagellar curvature and swimming pattern in triton X-100--extracted rat sperm.

Free Ca2+ changes the curvature of epididymal rat sperm flagella in demembranated sperm models. The radius of curvature of the flagellar midpiece region was measured and found to be a continuous function of the free Ca2+ concentration. Below 10(-7) M free Ca2+, the sperm flagella assumed a pronounced curvature in the same direction as the sperm head. The curvature reversed direction at 2.5 x 10(-6) M Ca2+ to assume a tight, hook-like bend at concentrations of 10(-5) to 10(-4) M free Ca2+. Sodium vanadate at 2 x 10(-6) M blocked flagellar motility, but did not inhibit the Ca2+-mediated change in curvature. Nickel ion at 0.2 mM and cadmium ion at 1 microM interfered with the transition and induced the low Ca2+ configuration of the flagellum. The forces that maintain the Ca2+-dependent curvature are locally produced, as dissection of the flagella into segments did not significantly alter the curvature of the excised portions. Irrespective of the induced pattern of curvature, the sperm exhibited coordinated, repetitive flagellar beating in the presence of ATP and cAMP. At 0.3 mM ATP the flagellar waves propagated along the principal piece while the level of free Ca2+ controlled the overall curvature. When Ca2+-treated sperm models with hooked midpieces were subjected to higher concentrations of ATP (1-5 mM), some cells exhibited a pattern of movement similar to hyperactivated motility in capacitated live sperm. This type of motility involved repetitive reversals of the Ca2+-induced bend in the midpiece, as well as waves propagated along the principal piece. The free Ca2+ available to the flagellum therefore appeared to modify both the pattern of motility and the flagellar curvature.

Regulation of activation state and flagellar wave form in epididymal rat sperm: evidence for the involvement of both Ca2+ and cAMP.

Rat sperm from the cauda epididymis exhibit increased motility, longevity, and a distinct circular pattern of flagellar curvature in response to 5 mM procaine-HCl or 0.1 mM 8-(N,N-diethylamino)-octyl-3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoate (TMB-8), reagents that are thought to play a role in the immobilization of free cellular calcium. Triton X-100-extracted sperm models will exhibit the same pattern of motility and curvature as procaine- or TMB-8-activated cells, but only when calcium is removed by a strong chelating agent, and in the presence of cAMP (3 microM). Demembranated sperm models produced from epididymal rat sperm are quiescent unless cAMP is added. In these sperm models, the presence or absence of free calcium mediates a transition in flagellar curvature. The increased activity of the procaine-treated intact cells was not accompanied by a change in cellular ATP content, nor was ATP availability the limiting factor in the quiescent sperm. Therefore, the increased motility produced by procaine is probably mediated by a fall in free intracellular Ca2+ accompanied by a rise in cAMP. Our finding that calcium controls the curvature of sperm flagella may explain altered patterns of flagellar beating, such as the hyperactivated motility that sperm exhibit in the female reproductive tract.

The interaction of cAMP with modeled bull sperm.

Demembranated and membrane disrupted bull sperm models exhibit an increase in motility when exposed to cAMP. Tritium-labeled cAMP was used to locate the initial site of action of cAMP in the modeled sperm preparations. cAMP did not bind selectively to the modeled cells, and the presence or absence of plasma membrane fragments on the models did not significantly alter this result. When suspension medium taken from modeled sperm preparations was subjected to gel filtration on Sephadex G25-150 columns, cAMP bound to a high molecular weight component that eluted with the void volume. The responsible binding factor is a soluble component that is released when the plasma membranes of the sperm are disrupted during the modeling procedure. To test the importance of the cAMP binding factor, modeled sperm were centrifuged, the supernatant solution was decanted, and the cells were resuspended in fresh medium. After this treatment the cells could be restored to motility with Mg-ATP but no longer exhibited a response to cAMP. Furthermore, addition of cAMP binding factor isolated by gel filtration partially restored the response of these sperm to cAMP. Investigation of the properties of the cAMP-binding factor have confirmed that it is specific for cAMP, with a much lower affinity for AMP and cGMP. In the presence of a large excess of unlabeled cAMP the labeled complex has a half-life of approximately 1 hour. Our results indicate that the action of cAMP on the motility of modeled sperm is mediated by its attachment to a high molecular weight, soluble component of the cell cytoplasm.