Xiao Wanglong, Yu Mengdi, Yuan Yan, Liu Xingzhu, Chen Ying
Institute of Life Science and School of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, P. R. China.
Queen Mary College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, P. R. China.
Mol Hum Reprod. 2022 Jul 29;28(8). doi: 10.1093/molehr/gaac027.
Sperm are guided through the female reproductive tract. A temperature difference of about 2°C exists between the storage site and fertilization site of the mammalian oviduct, leading to the hypothesis that sperm can sense and swim towards the oocyte along a rising temperature gradient, known as thermotaxis. Research over the past two decades has reported that sperm feature a sophisticated thermal detection system to detect and track ambient temperature gradients. More recently, thermotaxis is expected to be added to the microfluidic isolation method based on sperm tactic responses for sperm selection. In this article, mammalian sperm thermotaxis is discussed, explaining the underlying behavioural mechanisms and molecular basis, according to the latest research. Finally, this article explores the possible application of sperm thermotaxis in ART.
精子被引导通过雌性生殖道。哺乳动物输卵管的储存部位和受精部位之间存在约2°C的温差，这引发了一种假说，即精子能够沿着上升的温度梯度感知并游向卵母细胞，这一现象被称为趋温性。过去二十年的研究报告称，精子具有一套复杂的热检测系统来检测和追踪环境温度梯度。最近，基于精子趋化反应的微流控分离方法有望增加趋温性以用于精子筛选。在本文中，根据最新研究，对哺乳动物精子趋温性进行了讨论，解释了其潜在的行为机制和分子基础。最后，本文探讨了精子趋温性在辅助生殖技术中的可能应用。
