Zinc: A small molecule with a big impact on sperm function

Zinc is an essential mineral, but our understanding of its uses in the body is limited. Capitalizing on approaches available in the model system Caenorhabditis elegans, Zhao and colleagues show that zinc transduces a signal that induces sperm to become motile. This is an enigmatic process because sp...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:PLoS biology 2018-06, Vol.16 (6), p.e2006204-e2006204
Main Author: Chu, Diana S
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biology and Life Sciences
Caenorhabditis elegans
Cytoplasm
Deoxyribonucleic acid
DNA
Fertility
Genetics
Health aspects
Homeostasis
Infertility
Intracellular
Kinases
Males
Mammals
Medicine and Health Sciences
Molecular chains
Motility
Nematodes
Organelles
Primer
Protein transport
Proteins
Reproduction (biology)
Research and Analysis Methods
Researchers
Signal processing
Signal transduction
Sperm
Spermatogenesis
Spermatozoa
Systematic review
Transcription
Worms
Zinc
Zinc in the body
Zinc transporter
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Summary:Zinc is an essential mineral, but our understanding of its uses in the body is limited. Capitalizing on approaches available in the model system Caenorhabditis elegans, Zhao and colleagues show that zinc transduces a signal that induces sperm to become motile. This is an enigmatic process because sperm in all sexually-reproducing animals are transcriptionally inactive. Zinc levels inside sperm are regulated by an evolutionarily conserved zinc transporter called Zrt- and Irt-like Protein Transporter 7.1 (ZIPT-7.1). This zinc transporter localizes to intracellular organelles, suggesting that it primarily controls zinc levels by releasing zinc into the cytoplasm from internal stores rather than importing it from the external environment. The zinc released within cells acts as a messenger in a signaling pathway to promote mobility acquisition. These studies reveal an important role for zinc as an intracellular second messenger that generates physiological changes vital for sperm motility and fertility.
ISSN:1545-7885
1544-9173
1545-7885
DOI:10.1371/journal.pbio.2006204