Odorant receptors and olfactory-like signaling mechanisms in mammalian sperm

Since their discovery in 1991, members of the odorant receptor (OR) family have been found in various ectopic tissues, including testis and sperm. It took, however, more than a decade for the first mammalian testicular ORs to be functionally characterized and implicated in a reproductively relevant...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Molecular and cellular endocrinology 2006-05, Vol.250 (1), p.128-136
Main Authors: Spehr, Marc, Schwane, Katlen, Riffell, Jeffrey A., Zimmer, Richard K., Hatt, Hanns
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adenylate cyclase
Animals
Chemotaxis
Fertilization
Humans
Male
Mice
Odorant receptor
Olfactory Pathways - metabolism
Receptors, Odorant - analysis
Receptors, Odorant - metabolism
Signal Transduction
Sperm Motility
Spermatozoa - chemistry
Spermatozoa - metabolism
Spermatozoa - physiology
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Summary:Since their discovery in 1991, members of the odorant receptor (OR) family have been found in various ectopic tissues, including testis and sperm. It took, however, more than a decade for the first mammalian testicular ORs to be functionally characterized and implicated in a reproductively relevant scenario. Activation of hOR17-4 and mOR23 in human and mouse sperm, respectively, mediates distinct flagellar motion patterns and chemotactic behavior in various bioassays. For hOR17-4, receptor function and downstream signal transduction events are shown to be subject to pharmacological manipulation. Further insight into the basic principles that govern sperm OR operation as well as into the molecular logic that underlies OR-mediated signaling could set the stage for pioneering future applications in procreation and/or contraception.
ISSN:0303-7207
1872-8057
DOI:10.1016/j.mce.2005.12.035