The University of Sydney, Faculty of Science, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, NSW, 2006, Australia.
The University of Sydney, Faculty of Science, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, NSW, 2006, Australia.
Theriogenology. 2020 Jul 1;150:96-105. doi: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2020.02.018. Epub 2020 Feb 10.
Spermatozoa are faced with considerable challenges during their passage through the female reproductive tract. Following deposition, they must deal with several physical and biochemical barriers as well as an aggressive immune defence system before they reach the site of fertilisation. While many factors are at play, the surface characteristics of spermatozoa are central to communication with the female and successful transit. The surface proteome of spermatozoa has been extensively studied and shown to vary considerably between species that deposit semen in the vagina (ram and bull) and uterus (boar and stallion), likely due to major differences in accessory sex gland anatomy. Comparing the surface characteristics of spermatozoa from these domestic species and how individual components may equip spermatozoa to interact with different features of the female tract could help understand how spermatozoa navigate from vagina or uterus to oviduct ampulla. Furthermore, we can begin to explain why use of high quality preserved spermatozoa in artificial insemination programs may still result in reduced fertility due to altered interaction with the female. In this review, we describe the sperm surface characteristics of the ram, bull, boar and stallion and compare changes as a result of mixture with seminal plasma and/or in vitro processing. The role of these seminal components in facilitating sperm survival and transit within the female reproductive tract is summarised, drawing attention to potential implications for applied reproductive technologies.
精子在通过女性生殖道时面临着相当大的挑战。在到达受精部位之前，它们必须克服许多物理和生化屏障以及具有攻击性的免疫防御系统。虽然有许多因素起作用，但精子的表面特征是与雌性沟通和成功运输的关键。精子的表面蛋白质组已被广泛研究，并且在阴道（公羊和公牛）和子宫（公猪和种马）中沉积精液的物种之间存在很大差异，这可能是由于附属生殖腺解剖结构的重大差异所致。比较这些家养物种精子的表面特征以及单个成分如何使精子能够与雌性生殖道的不同特征相互作用，有助于了解精子如何从阴道或子宫到达输卵管壶腹。此外，我们可以开始解释为什么在人工授精计划中使用高质量保存的精子仍然会由于与雌性的相互作用改变而导致生育能力降低。在这篇综述中，我们描述了公羊、公牛、公猪和种马的精子表面特征，并比较了与精液混合和/或体外处理后的变化。总结了这些精液成分在促进精子在雌性生殖道内生存和运输中的作用，提请人们注意它们对应用生殖技术的潜在影响。
