• 한국발생생물학회지:발생과생식
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• 제15권3호
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• pp.197-204
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• 2011

Egg activation is a crucial step that initiates embryo development upon breaking the meiotic arrest. In mammalian, egg activation is accomplished by fusion with sperm, which induces the repeated intracellular $Ca^{2+}$- increases ($[Ca^{2+}]_i$ oscillation). Researches in mammals support the view of the $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ oscillation and egg activation is triggered by a protein factor from sperm that causes $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ release from endoplasmic reticulum, intracellular $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ store, by persistently activation of phosphoinositide pathway. It represents that the sperm factor generates production of inositol trisphosphate ($IP_3$). Recently a sperm specific form of phospholipase C zeta, referred to as PLCZ was identified. In this paper, we confer the evidence that PLCZ represent the sperm factor that induces $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ oscillation and egg activation and discuss the correlation of PLCZ and infertility.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제21권3호
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• pp.358-363
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• 2008

The intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) procedure has recently been utilized to produce transgenic animals and may serve as an alternative to the conventional pronuclear microinjection in species such as pigs whose ooplasm is opaque and pronuclei are often invisible. In this study, the effects of sperm membrane disruption and electrical activation of oocytes on in vitro development and expression of transgene green fluorescent protein (GFP) in ICSI embryos were tested to refine this recently developed procedure. Prior to ICSI, sperm heads were treated with Triton X-100+NaCl or Triton X-100+NaCl+NaOH, to disrupt membrane to be permeable to exogenous DNA, and incubated with linearized pEGFP-N1 vector. To induce activation of oocytes, a single DC pulse of 1.3 kV/cm was applied to oocytes for $30{\mu}sec$. After ICSI was performed with the aid of a micromanipulator, in vitro development of embryos and GFP expression were monitored. The chemical treatment to disrupt sperm membrane did not affect the developmental competence of embryos. 40 to 60% of oocytes were cleaved after injection of sperm heads with disrupted membrane, whereas 48.6% (34/70) were cleaved without chemical treatment. Regardless of electrical stimulation to induce activation, oocytes were cleaved after ICSI, reflecting that, despite sperm membrane disruption, the perinuclear soluble sperm factor known to mediate oocyte activation remained intact. After development to the 4-cell stage, 11.8 (2/17, Triton X-100+NaCl+NaOH) to 58.8% (10/17, Triton X-100+NaCl) of embryos expressed GFP. The expression of GFP beyond the stage of embryonic genome activation (4-cell stage in the pig) indicates that the exogenous DNA might have been integrated into the porcine genome. When sperm heads were co-incubated with exogenous DNA following the treatment of Triton X-100+NaCl, GFP expression was observed in high percentage (58.8%) of embryos, suggesting that transgenic pigs may efficiently be produced using ICSI.

• 한국잠사곤충학회지
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• 제40권1호
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• pp.33-37
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• 1998

Two types of sperm, apyrene and eupyrene, are identified in A. mylitta. The sperm in the adult moth are motionless in seminal vesicles. At the time of ejaculation they received a secretion from male ejaculatory duct that renders them motile. The dissociation of eupyrene bundles, eupyrene sperm motility and the sequence of events of sperm migration in both sexes are described in the present paper.

• 한국가축번식학회지
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• 제26권4호
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• pp.369-375
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• 2002

A sperm factor(s) for oocyte activation during fertilization has not been clearly identified. In this study to elucidate an oocyte activation factor(s), mouse sperm were sonicated and ultra-filtered with a 30 kilo-daltons (KD) cutoff membrane and the ultra-filtrate was then sequentially fractionated over Suporose 12 column and Superdex column, The recovered fractions were micro-injected into Mⅱmouse oocytes and second polar body formation (PBF) was examined. Suporose fraction RV2.10 prepared from sperm extract significantly increased PBF. Of Superdex fractions re-separated from Suporose fraction RV2.10, fraction RV2.12 also had the strongest PBF activity. By analyzing with micro-reverse phase column (URPC), the Superdex fraction RV2.12 appeared to be glutamic acid. In microinjection test, glutamic acid significantly increased PBF. This study suggests that glutamic acid should be a type of sperm factor for second polar body formation related to oocyte activation.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제15권3호
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• pp.665-671
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• 2005

Initiation and activation of sperm motility are prerequisite processes for the contact and fusion of male and female gametes at fertilization. The phenomena are under the regulation of cAMP and $Ca^{2+}$ in vertebrates and invertebrates. Mammalian sperm requires $Ca^{2+}$ and cAMP for the activation of sperm motility. Cell signaling for the initiation and activation of sperm motility in the ascidians and salmonid fishes has drawn much attention. In the ascidians, the sperm-activating and attracting factors from unfertilized egg require extracellular $Ca^{2+}$ for activating sperm motility and eliciting chemotactic behavior toward the egg. On the other hand, the cAMP-dependent phosphorylation of protein is essential for the initiation of sperm motility in salmonid fishes. A decrease of the environmental $K^+$ concentration surrounding the spawned sperm causes $K^+$ efflux and $Ca^{2+}$ influx through the specific $K^+$ channel and dihydropyridine-sensitive L-/T-type $Ca^{2+}$ channel, respectively, thereby leading to the membrane hyperpolarization. The membrane hyperpolarization induces synthesis of cAMP, which triggers further cell signaling processes, such as cAMP-dependent protein phosphorylation, to initiate sperm motility in salmonid fishes. This article reviews the studies on the physiological mechanisms of sperm motility and its cell signaling in aquatic species.

• 한국발생생물학회지:발생과생식
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• 제7권2호
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• pp.81-88
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• 2003

정자의 운동개시는 수정시에 정자와 난자가 만나기 위한 전제조건이다. 동물의 정자는 CAMP와Ca2'의 조절기구에 의해서 정자의 운동개시가 일어난다. 정자운동 활성 및 개시를 위한 세포 신호전달기구는 멍게류와 연어과 어류에서 많은 연구가 이루어져 왔다. 멍게류의 경우, 난에서 분비되는 정자 활성 및 유인물질(sperm-activating and -attracting factor)은 정자 활성 및 난으로의 유인을 위하여 외부의 $Ca^{2+}$을 요구한다. 한편 연어과 어류의 정자에서는 Cyclic AMP 의존형의 단백질 인산화가 정자 운동개시 기구에 관여한다. 방정된 정자 주위의 $K^{+}$ 농도의 감소는 특정한 $K^{+}$ channel 및 dihydropyridine 감수성의 L-/T- type $Ca^{2+}$ channel을 통한 $K^{+}$ 유출과 $Ca^{2+}$ 유입에 의해 세포막의 과분극과 세포내 $Ca^{2+}$ 이온의 농도증가를 가져온다. 세포막의 과분극에 의해서 합성된 cyclic AMP는 정자 운동개시의 주요기구인 cyclic AMP의존형의 단백질 인산화를 유도한다.

• 한국수정란이식학회지
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• 제20권3호
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• pp.201-206
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• 2005

본 연구는 ICSI후 돼지 난자의 활성화 처리와 ICSI전 주입정자의 수정 능력 획득 유기효과를 구명하기 위하여 실시하였다. ICSI후 ethanol, cycloheximide 그리고 ethanol과 cycloheximide를 병용처리 시 난할율과 배반포배 발달율이 대조구와 처리 구간에 유의적인 차이가 없었다(p<0.05). 그러나 ICSI전 caffeine과 Ca-ionpphre로 주입정자의 수정능력 획득 유기 처리 시 난할율과 배반포배발달율 모두 처리구에서 유의적으로 놓았다(p<0.05). 한편 ICSI후 난자활성화처리 시 전핵형성율과 총 난자 활성화율은 대조구와 처리구간에 유의차가 없었지만(p<0.05) 정자의 수정능력 획득 유기 처리 시 전핵형성율과 총 난자 활성화율은 처리구에서 유의적으로 높게 나타났다(p<0.05).

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• 제21권2호
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• pp.241-249
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• 2017

Plasma membrane hyperpolarization associated with activation of $Ca^{2+}$-activated $K^+$ channels plays an important role in sperm capacitation during fertilization. Although Slo3 (slowpoke homologue 3), together with the auxiliary ${\gamma}^2$-subunit, LRRC52 (leucine-rich-repeat-containing 52), is known to mediate the pH-sensitive, sperm-specific $K^+$ current KSper in mice, the molecular identity of this channel in human sperm remains controversial. In this study, we tested the classical $BK_{Ca}$ activators, NS1619 and LDD175, on human Slo3, heterologously expressed in HEK293 cells together with its functional interacting ${\gamma}^2$ subunit, hLRRC52. As previously reported, Slo3 $K^+$ current was unaffected by iberiotoxin or 4-aminopyridine, but was inhibited by ~50% by 20 mM TEA. Extracellular alkalinization potentiated hSlo3 $K^+$ current, and internal alkalinization and $Ca^{2+}$ elevation induced a leftward shift its activation voltage. NS1619, which acts intracellularly to modulate hSlo1 gating, attenuated hSlo3 $K^+$ currents, whereas LDD175 increased this current and induced membrane potential hyperpolarization. LDD175-induced potentiation was not associated with a change in the half-activation voltage at different intracellular pHs (pH 7.3 and pH 8.0) in the absence of intracellular $Ca^{2+}$. In contrast, elevation of intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ dramatically enhanced the LDD175-induced leftward shift in the half-activation potential of hSlo3. Therefore, the mechanism of action does not involve pH-dependent modulation of hSlo3 gating; instead, LDD175 may modulate $Ca^{2+}$-dependent activation of hSlo3. Thus, LDD175 potentially activates native KSper and may induce membrane hyperpolarization-associated hyperactivation in human sperm.

• 한국가축번식학회지
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• 제23권1호
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• pp.19-27
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• 1999

본 연구는 사람정자 추출물을 마우스 난모세포의 세포질내에 주입하여 단위발생에 미치는 영향을 구명하기 위하여 실시하였으며, 그 얻어진 결과는 다음과 같았다. 1. 마우스 난모세포가 0, 1.7 그리고 5mM의 칼슘농도를 가지는 PBS 배지로 각각 10 pl 씩 주입되었을 때, 전핵을 형성하고 제2극체를 방출하는 난모세포의 활성율은 각각 14.5, 9.8 그리고 14.9%였다. 칼슘농도별 난모세포의 활성율은 유의성이 인정되지 않았다 (P＞0.05). 2. 마우스난모세포에 가열하지 않은 사람정자 추출물 10 pl을 주입후 0, 1.7 그리고 5mM의 칼슘농도를 가지는 PBS 배지에서 각각 배양하였을 때, 1.7 mM 칼슘 농도에서의 난모세포 활성율(51.8%)은 0 과 5mM 칼슘 농도에서의 난모세포 활성율보다 유의하게 높았다. 3. 마우스 난모세포에 가열처리한 사랍정자 추출물 10 pl을 주입 후 0, 1.7 그리고 5mM의 칼슘농도를 가지는 PBS 배지에서 각각 배양하였을 때, 칼슘 농도별 난모세포 활성율은 유의성이 인정되지 않았다. 난모세포 활성율은 11.8∼17.0%의 범위에 있었다. 4. 마우스 난모세포에 가열하지 않은 사람 정자 추출물, 가열 처리한 사람 정자 추출물, 그리고 PBS 배지를 각각 l0 pl 씩 주입 후 1.7 mM 칼슘농도를 가지는 PBS 배지에서 각각 배양하였을 때, 가열하지 않은 사람 정자 추출물을 주입한 난모세포의 활성율이 54.5% 로 제일 높았다. 처리별 난모세포의 활성율은 유의성이 인정되었다(P＜0.05), 5. 마우스 난모세포에 가열하지 않은 l일령과 6일령 정자 추출물을 각각 l0 pl 씩 주입 후 1.7mM 칼슘농도를 가지는 PBS 배지에서 각각 배양하였을 때, 1일령 정자 추출물을 주입한 난모세포의 활성율은 60.0%로 6일령 정자 추출물을 주입한 난모세포의 활성율 11.1% 보다 유의하게 높았다. 이상의 결과를 종합해 보면 가열하지 않은 사람정자 추출물에는 oscillin 과 같은 난모세포 활성인자가 존재한다는 것이 입증되었다.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제42권2호
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• pp.45-50
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• 2015

Objective: Artificial oocyte activation (AOA) is an effective method to avoid total fertilization failure in human in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) cycles. AOA performed using a calcium ionophore can induce calcium oscillation in oocytes and initiate the fertilization process. We evaluated the usefulness of AOA with a calcium ionophore in cases of total fertilization failure in previous cycles and in cases of severe male factor infertility patients with non-motile spermatozoa after pentoxifylline (PF) treatment. Methods: The present study describes 29 intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)-AOA cycles involving male factor infertility at Cheil General Hospital from January 2006 to June 2013. Patients were divided into two groups (control, n=480; AOA, n=29) depending on whether or not AOA using a calcium ionophore (A23187) was performed after testicular sperm extraction-ICSI (TESE-ICSI). The AOA group was further split into subgroups according to sperm motility after PF treatment: i.e., motile sperm-injected (n=12) and non-motile sperm-injected (n=17) groups (total n=29 cycles). Results: The good embryo rate (52.3% vs. 66.9%), pregnancy rate (20.7% vs. 52.1%), and delivery rate (10.3% vs. 40.8%) were lower in the PF/AOA group than in the control group. When evaluating the effects of restoration of sperm motility after PF treatment on clinical outcomes there was no difference in fertilization rate (66.6% vs. 64.7% in non-motile and motile sperm, respectively), pregnancy rate (17.6% vs. 33.3%), or delivery rate (5.9% vs. 16.7%) between the two groups. Conclusion: We suggest that oocyte activation is a useful method to ensure fertilization in TESE-ICSI cycles regardless of restoration of sperm motility after PF treatment. AOA may be useful in selected patients who have a low fertilization rate or total fertilization failure.