Existence and importance of NaK-ATPase in the plasma membrane of boar spermatozoa.

Sodium-potassium-ATPase (NaK-ATPase), a target to treat congestive heart failure, is the only known receptor for cardiac glycosides implicated in intracellular signaling and additionally functions enzymatically in ion transport. Spermatozoa need transmembrane ion transport and signaling to fertilize, and NaK-ATPase is identified here for the first time in boar spermatozoa. Head plasma membrane (HPM) isolated from boar spermatozoa was confirmed pure by marker enzymes acid and alkaline phosphatase (218 ± 23% and 245 ± 38% enrichment, respectively, versus whole spermatozoa).

Extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERKs) pathway and reactive oxygen species regulate tyrosine phosphorylation in capacitating boar spermatozoa.

The extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) family of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway is identified for the first time in boar sperm and is associated with capacitation and tyrosine phosphorylation (tyr-P). Reactive oxygen species (ROS) modulate this signal transduction. Western immunoblotting detected the ERK pathway components RAF1, MEK1/2, and ERK1/2 in extracts from fresh boar spermatozoa and determined that their phosphoprotein profiles differed in a capacitation-dependent fashion.

Reactive oxygen species and boar sperm function.

Boar spermatozoa are very susceptible to reactive oxygen species (ROS), but ROS involvement in damage and/or capacitation is unclear. The impact of exposing fresh boar spermatozoa to an ROS-generating system (xanthine/xanthine oxidase; XA/XO) on sperm ROS content, membrane lipid peroxidation, phospholipase (PL) A activity, and motility, viability, and capacitation was contrasted to ROS content and sperm function after cryopreservation. Exposing boar sperm (n = 4-5 ejaculates) to the ROS-generating system for 30 min rapidly increased hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and lipid peroxidation in all sperm, increased PLA in dead sperm, and did not affect intracellular O2- (flow cytometry of sperm labeled with 2',7'-dichlorodihydrofluorscein diacetate, BODIPY 581/591 C11, bis-BODIPY-FL C11, hydroethidine, respectively; counterstained for viability).