The canals lining the sperm tail contain pores. Calcium enters through them, which promotes
In a new study, researchers from YaleUniversity and the University of Texas Southwestern took pictures of the critical components of these so-called CatSper ion channels. It turned out that they are interconnected and arranged in a zigzag pattern. This molecular architecture ensures a well-coordinated whip-like movement of the sperm tail.
“The subunits of these channels are arranged like beadson a checkerboard necklace,” explains Jean-Ju Chang, assistant professor of cellular and molecular physiology at Yale University and co-author of the study.
Previously, scientists identified a complex of channelsCatSper, which is linearly located along the sperm flagella, as the main driver of their hyperactivated motility. The use of cryoelectron tomography has allowed biologists to view the complex of channels at the atomic level. This gave them insight into the complex relationships of components along them that are essential for the rapid onset of life in mammals.
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