Spatial Organization of the Sperm Cell Glycoproteome.

Sperm cells are terminally differentiated cells that are essential for reproduction in sexually reproducing species. Consistent with their highly specialized function, sperm cells harbor a unique proteome containing many proteins not expressed in somatic cells. In contrast, the post-translational landscape of the sperm proteome remains largely unexplored, limiting our understanding of how modifications such as glycosylation impact sperm function and sperm-egg interactions.

Subchronic elevation in ambient temperature drives alterations to the sperm epigenome and accelerates early embryonic development in mice.

Forecasted increases in the prevalence and severity of extreme weather events accompanying changes in climatic behavior pose potential risk to the reproductive capacity of humans and animals of ecological and agricultural significance. While several studies have revealed that heat stress induced by challenges such as testicular insulation can elicit a marked negative effect on the male reproductive system, and particularly the production of spermatozoa, less is known about the immediate impact on male reproductive function following subchronic whole-body exposure to elevated ambient temperature. To address this knowledge gap, we exposed unrestrained male mice to heat stress conditions that emulate a heat wave (daily cycle of 8 h at 35 °C followed by 16 h at 25 °C) for a period of 7 d.

Plasma Lipidomics Reveals Lipid Signatures of Early Pregnancy in Mares.

Understanding the systemic biochemistry of early pregnancy in the mare is essential for developing new diagnostics and identifying causes for pregnancy loss. This study aimed to elucidate the dynamic lipidomic changes occurring during the initial stages of equine pregnancy, with a specific focus on days 7 and 14 post-ovulation. By analysing and comparing the plasma lipid profiles of pregnant and non-pregnant mares, the objective of this study was to identify potential biomarkers for pregnancy and gain insights into the biochemical adaptations essential for supporting maternal recognition of pregnancy and early embryonic development.

Impact of Bisphenol A and its alternatives on oocyte health: a scoping review.

Background: Bisphenol A (BPA) is an endocrine disrupting chemical released from plastic materials, including food packaging and dental sealants, persisting in the environment and ubiquitously contaminating ecosystems and human populations. BPA can elicit an array of damaging health effects and, alarmingly, 'BPA-free' alternatives mirror these harmful effects. Bisphenol exposure can negatively impact female fertility, damaging both the ovary and oocytes therein.

The efficacy and functional consequences of interactions between human spermatozoa and seminal fluid extracellular vesicles.

Abstract: Seminal fluid extracellular vesicles (SFEVs) have previously been shown to interact with spermatozoa and influence their fertilisation capacity. Here, we sought to extend these studies by exploring the functional consequences of SFEV interactions with human spermatozoa. SFEVs were isolated from the seminal fluid of normozoospermic donors prior to assessing the kinetics of sperm-SFEV binding in vitro, as well as the effects of these interactions on sperm capacitation, acrosomal exocytosis, and motility profile.