• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• 제64권2호
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• pp.235-246
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• 2022

In this study, we used more reliable experimental materials and methods to detect the effects of osteopontin (OPN) on boar sperm in vitro capacitation, acrosome reaction, and fertilization efficiency. We reorganized and obtained the OPN protein of the porcine source. Immunofluorescence and Western blot show the localization and expression of the OPN protein before and after sperm capacitation. To determine whether OPN can affect sperm during sperm capacitation, we examined cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) concentrations after sperm capacitation, and the results showed that OPN significantly increased the cAMP concentration in sperm (p < 0.05). Flow cytometry showed that 0.1 ㎍/mL OPN-treated sperm had better acrosome reaction ability. In vitro fertilization (IVF) showed that 0.1 ㎍/mL OPN significantly increased the rate of embryo division. In conclusion, this study found that 0.1 ㎍/mL porcine OPN protein can significantly improve porcine capacitated sperm motility, cAMP concentration after capacitation sperm, acrosome reaction ability, and embryo division during IVF and provides new clues to explore the mechanism of OPN's function on sperm.

• 한국동물생명공학회지
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• 제37권4호
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• pp.285-291
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• 2022

In 1951, Colin Russell Austin and Min Chueh Chang identified "capacitation", a special process involving ejaculated spermatozoa in the female reproductive tract. Capacitation is a phenomenon that occurs in vivo, but almost all knowledge of capacitation has been obtained from in vitro studies. Therefore, numerous trials have been performed to establish in vitro capacitation methods for various studies on reproduction. Although a series of studies have been conducted to develop an optimal protocol for inducing capacitation, most have focused on identifying the appropriate chemical compounds to induce the capacitation of boar spermatozoa in vitro. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify the optimal incubation time for inducing capacitation in vitro. Duroc semen was incubated for various periods (60, 90, and 120 min) to induce capacitation. Sperm function (sperm motility, motion kinematic parameters, and capacitation status) was evaluated. The results showed that total sperm motility, rapid sperm motility, progressive sperm motility, curvilinear velocity, and average path velocity significantly decreased in a time-dependent manner. However, the capacitation status did not show any significant changes. Taken together, these results indicate that an incubation time of more than 60 min suppresses sperm motility and motion kinematic parameters. Therefore, we suggest that 60 min may be the best incubation time to induce capacitation without negative effects on sperm motility and motion kinematics in boar spermatozoa in vitro.

• 한국수정란이식학회지
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• 제26권4호
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• pp.287-296
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• 2011

Mammalian fertilization is a complex cascade process consisting of sperm migration through the female reproductive tract, physiological changes to sperm such as sperm capacitation and acrosome reaction, and sperm-egg interaction in the oviduct in vivo. On the other hand, in vitro fertilization (IVF) is a process by which egg cells are fertilized by sperm outside the body: in vitro. IVF has been used for a variety of purposes in reproductive biotechnology for human and animals. The discovery of sperm capacitation in 1951 promoted the development of IVF technology. In the initial stage of IVF, sperm capacitation in preincubation medium was shown to be essential to fuse with eggs. Besides, sperms should detour some of the in vivo regulations for IVF. This review introduces a general mammalian fertilization process, including sperm capacitation, removal of cumulus matrix, acrosome reaction, and sperm-egg fusion and focuses on the roles of key biochemical molecules, signal mechanisms, and genes involved during IVF and novel results of sperm-oocyte interaction elucidated in various gene-knockout mice models.

• 한국수정란이식학회지
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• 제7권1호
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• pp.21-30
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• 1992

This study was aimed to develope the new method for bovine sperm capacitation through testing and combinating factors relating to sperm capacitation. For verifying the efficiency of this method on inducing capacitation, in vitro fertilization was carried out. The results obtained were as follows: When pHs of HBS /PR for sperm-washing were 5.99, 6.38, 6.78, 7.10, 7.40, 7.69, 8.15, 8.45 and 8.83, variances between light absorhance differences obtained from sperm pre-washing solution and post-washing solution(VADs) were 0.000, 0.001, -0.001, -0.005, -0.005, -0.021,-0.017,-0.016,and-0.036, respectively. There were significant decreases of VADs in pH 7.69 and pH 8.83. When sperm were firstly, secondly, and thirdly washed with HBS /PR, VADs were -0. 024, - 0.006, and - 0.004, respectively. There was significant decrease of VAD in 1st sperm-washing. When washed-sperm were secondly washed with HBS /PR supplemented with no (con-trol), heparin, CSA, PC12, and BSA, VADs were 0.009, -0.024, -0.008, -0.009, and 0.014, respectively. When the sperm were thirdly washed with HBS /PR with no(control), heparin, CSA, PC12 and BSA, VADs were 0.020, -0.007, 0.005, 0.006, and 0.019, respectively. Only heparin treatment showed the negative values of VADs in 2nd and 3rd sperm-washing. Of oocytes cultured with sperm which were repeatedly washed with heparin and high pH, 52% (57/110) were cleaved over 2 cell stage. However, percent of oocytes parthenogenetically divided was 5%(2 /42).

• 한국동물학회지
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• 제38권4호
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• pp.514-522
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• 1995

생쥐 정자의 수정능력 획득과정 및 첨체반응을 전후로 정자표면과 albumin의 상호작용을 조사하였다. 부정소 정자를 체외에서 배양하는 과정에서 정자표면에서 이탈된 단백질의 분석과 함께 FITC-bovine serum albumin으로 정자를 형광염색하여 정자표면에 대한 albumin의 결합양상의 변화를 조사하였다. 90분간 정자를 배양한 수 정자를 제거한 후 농축한 배양액내에 정자 또는 부정소액에서 기원한 여러종의 단백질가 함께 albumin이 다량으로 발견되었다 정자의 체외배양 과정에서 일어나는 albumin의 이탈은 배양액내의 $Ca^2$+과 무관하게 일어났다. BSA-FITC는 정소내 정자의 두부표면에 미약하게 결합한 반면 미부부정소 정자의 첨체표면에는 다량 결합하였다. $Ca^2$+-ionophore인 A23187으로 첨체반응을 유발한 정자의 두부 표면에서는 후첨체부위만이 강하게 염색되었다. 이러한 결과는 정소 및 웅성 생식수관니에서 정자표면에 부착된 albumin이 자성 생식수관을 거치는 동안 이탈됨을 시사하며 이러한 현상은 정자의 수정능력획득과 밀접한 관련이 있는 것으로 사료된다.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제13권6호
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• pp.748-756
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• 2000

Effects of xanthine (X), xanthine oxidase (XO), and catalase (C), $H_2O_2$, and carbohydrates on sperm capacitation, acrosome reaction, and fertilizing ability in vitro were examined. Glucose alone, but not fructose, supported the maximum rate of sperm capacitation and acrosome reaction. However, in the combination of X, XO, and C (XXOC) or $H_2O_2$, fructose alone also supported maximum capacitation, acrosome reaction, and fertilization. Either insufficient or excessive amounts of $H_2O_2$ decreased sperm capacitation and the acrosome reaction. In order to understand how glucose generates $H_2O_2$ or other reactive oxygen species in sperm cells, 6-aminonicotinamide, an inhibitor of the pentose-phosphate pathway (PPP), and apocynin, an inhibitor of NADPH oxidase, were added to sperm suspensions in glucose-containing medium. Results appeared that sperm capacitation, acrosome reaction, and fertilization were consequently inhibited by either one of these compounds. These inhibitory effects were nullified by addition of XXOC. These results support the hypothesis that glucose, in addition to being a substrate for glycolysis, facilitates sperm capacitation and the acrosome reaction by generating reactive oxygen species through G-6-P dehydrogenase and NADPH oxidase.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• 제37권4호
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• pp.169-174
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• 2013

Sperm capacitation refers to polymerization of filamentous (F)-actin from globular (G)-actin. While the role of actin-related protein 2/3 (Arp2/3) complex in actin polymerization is well appreciated, the underlying mechanism(s) and its relationship with capacitation are poorly understood. Therefore, to evaluate the potential role of Arp2/3 complex on capacitation, bovine spermatozoa were incubated with multiple doses (1, 10 and $100{\mu}M$) of CK-636, an inhibitor of Arp2/3 complex with heparin. The cellular localization of the Arp2/3 complex in spermatozoa was identified by immunohistochemistry, whereas western blot was also applied to detect the protein tyrosine phosphorylation of sperm proteins. Additionally, sperm motility and kinematic parameters were evaluated using a computer-assisted sperm analysis system. CK-636 resulted in significant changes in the ratio of Arp2/3 complex localization between acrosome and equatorial region of the spermatozoa. Short-term exposure of spermatozoa to $100{\mu}M$ of CK-636 significantly decreased sperm motility, however a non-detectable effect on protein tyrosine phosphorylation was observed during capacitation. On the basis of these results, we propose that Arp2/3 complex is associated with morphological changes during capacitation and compromised sperm motility.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제21권2호
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• pp.181-189
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• 2008

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of $Ca^{2+}$, $HCO_3{^-}$ and BSA on the in vitro capacitation-associated protein tyrosine phosphorylation, hyperactivation and acrosome reaction in guinea pig sperm. Caudal epididymal sperm were incubated in four different groups: modified TALP (Tyrode's albumin lactate pyruvate) or TALP without one of the medium constituents ($Ca^{2+}$, $HCO_3{^-}$ and BSA). After incubation for the required time (0 h, 0.5 h, 1 h, 3 h, 5 h, and 7 h), sperm were removed for further experiment. The capacitation effect was assessed by CTC (Chlortetracycline) staining. Western blotting and indirect immunofluorescence were used to analyze the level and localization of tyrosine phosphorylation. The results showed that guinea pig sperm underwent a time-dependent increase in protein tyrosine phosphorylation during the in vitro capacitation and the percentage of protein tyrosine phosphorylated sperm increased from 36% to 92% from the beginning of incubation to 7 h incubation. Also, there was a shift in the site of phosphotyrosine-specific fluorescence from the head of sperm to both the head and the flagellum. Moreover, an absence of $Ca^{2+}$ or $HCO_3{^-}$ inhibited in vitro hyperactivation and acrosome reaction and decreased the phosphorylation of the proteins throughout the period of in vitro capacitation. However, an absence of BSA could not influence these processes if substituted by polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) in the medium.

• 한국가축번식학회지
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• 제14권4호
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• pp.303-308
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• 1990

To investigate the effect of heparin on sperm capacitation. The acrosome reaction of bovine sperm which were incubated in mTALP containing heparin and the in vitro development of bovine follicular oocytes which were cocultured with heparin-treated sperm were evaluated, and the resutls were as follows : 1. When bovine fresh sperm were incubated in mTALP solution containing 0, 5, 10 and 25$\mu\textrm{g}$/ml heparin for 15 to 840 minutes, there was no significant difference between motilies of heparin-treated sperm and untreated sperm, but the acrosome-reaction rate of heparin-treated sperm was significantly higher than that of untreated sperm. Moreover the acrosome reaction rate of was sperm treated with heparin was significantly increased after incubating for 15 minutes. 2. When fresh sperm were incubated in mTALP solution containing 10$\mu\textrm{g}$/ml heparn for 840 minutes, the motility of sper incubated for 840 minutes was lower than those of sperm incubated for 0, 15, 60 and 120 minutes, but the acrosome-reaction rate of sperm incubated for 840 minutes was higher than those of the others. 3. When frozen-sperm were incubated in mTALP solution containing 10$\mu\textrm{g}$/ml heparin for 120 minutes, the acrosome reaction rate of sperm was significantly increased after incubating for 15 minutes. 4. When fresh sperm treated with heparin were cocultured with bovine follicular oocytes, 16.7 to 23.7% of the oocytes were developed to 2-8 cell stage.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제18권1호
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• pp.23-34
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• 1991

In order to study the sperm-egg interaction during fertilization process in mouse, the effects of sperm concentration, the duration of capacitation and insemination, the stages of maturation and development of eggs, and sperm extracts and BSA on sperm binding to egg were examined. Sperm-egg binding was increased depending on sperm concentration within the range of $10^3-10^6$ sperm/ml. It showed the most numbers of sperm-egg binding at 60min from the beginning of preincubation(capacitation) and insemination, respectively. During sperm capacitation, sperm-egg binding inhibitor was released from sperm into the incubation medium. Sperm extracts containing trypsin-like enzyme which is secreted through the acrosome reaction increased the binding. BSA in the culture medium showed a positive effect on the binding. It is suggested that physicochemical alterations of zona pellucida in the process of maturation and fertilization of eggs leaded to inhibition of sperm-egg binding.