Department of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), Madrid, Spain.
Mol Reprod Dev. 2024 Oct;91(10):e23772. doi: 10.1002/mrd.23772.
Bioenergetics plays a crucial role in sperm functions, including motility, capacitation-related protein modifications, oocyte recognition and interaction, all of which are essential for fertilization. Sperm metabolism is recognized as flexible, responding to environmental cues and energetic demands during ejaculation, the journey along the female tract, and until fertilization. Recent studies suggest that sperm metabolic functions are relevant beyond fertilization and may influence zygote and embryo development, impacting paternal-derived effects on offspring development and health. In recent years, sperm metabolic functions and homeostasis have gained increasing interest in male reproduction research. Given the crucial implications of sperm metabolism on fertility-related processes, this field is of interest not only in human male fertility but also in livestock research, semen conservation, and assisted reproductive techniques. Newly developed assessment tools are allowing a better understanding of sperm metabolism under different conditions and identifying species-specific peculiarities. This review aims to discuss the current knowledge of mammalian sperm metabolism, focusing on species-specific features, changes during the sperm journey, and potential contributions to translational research and reproductive biotechnologies. Furthermore, we propose future perspectives on sperm bioenergetics research.
生物能量学在精子功能中起着至关重要的作用，包括运动、顶体反应相关蛋白修饰、卵母细胞识别和相互作用，所有这些都是受精所必需的。精子代谢被认为是灵活的，能够响应射精、沿着女性生殖道的旅程以及受精过程中的环境线索和能量需求。最近的研究表明，精子代谢功能在受精后仍然很重要，可能会影响合子和胚胎的发育，从而影响父系对后代发育和健康的影响。近年来，精子代谢功能和动态平衡在男性生殖研究中引起了越来越多的关注。鉴于精子代谢对与生育相关的过程的重要影响，这个领域不仅在人类男性生育力方面具有重要意义，而且在畜牧业研究、精液保存和辅助生殖技术方面也具有重要意义。新开发的评估工具使人们能够更好地了解不同条件下的精子代谢，并确定物种特异性的特点。本综述旨在讨论哺乳动物精子代谢的最新知识，重点介绍物种特异性特征、精子运动过程中的变化以及对转化研究和生殖生物技术的潜在贡献。此外，我们还对精子生物能量学研究提出了未来的展望。
