Display Settings:

Format

Send to:

Choose Destination
We are sorry, but NCBI web applications do not support your browser and may not function properly. More information
    Mol Cell Endocrinol. 2006 Jun 27;252(1-2):115-9. Epub 2006 May 2.

    Sperm thermotaxis.

    Source

    Department of Biological Chemistry, The Weizmann Institute of Science, 76100 Rehovot, Israel.

    Abstract

    Thermotaxis--movement directed by a temperature gradient--is a prevalent process, found from bacteria to human cells. In the case of mammalian sperm, thermotaxis appears to be an essential mechanism guiding spermatozoa, released from the cooler reservoir site, towards the warmer fertilization site. Only capacitated spermatozoa are thermotactically responsive. Thermotaxis appears to be a long-range guidance mechanism, additional to chemotaxis, which seems to be short-range and likely occurs at close proximity to the oocyte and within the cumulus mass. Both mechanisms probably have a similar function--to guide capacitated, ready-to-fertilize spermatozoa towards the oocyte. The temperature difference between the site of the sperm reservoir and the fertilization site is generated at ovulation by a temperature drop at the former. The molecular mechanism of sperm thermotaxis waits to be revealed.

    PMID:
    16672171
    [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

      Supplemental Content

      Icon for Elsevier Science

      Save items

      Recent activity

      • Sperm thermotaxis.
        Sperm thermotaxis.
        Mol Cell Endocrinol. 2006 Jun 27 ;252(1-2):115-9. Epub 2006 May 2 .
        PubMed

      Your browsing activity is empty.

      Activity recording is turned off.

      Turn recording back on

      See more...
      Write to the Help Desk