Sperm conjugation in mammal reproductive function: Different names for the same phenomenon?

MONCLUS MA; FORNES MW

MOLECULAR REPRODUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT

WILEY-LISS, DIV JOHN WILEY & SONS INC

Lugar: New York; Año: 2016

1040-452X

In many mammalian and non-mammalian species, mature sperm interact within thefemale reproductive tract or inside the epididymal lumen using cohesive forces. Thisphenomenon, known as ??sperm conjugation,?? is sometimes confused with spermagglutination, which is the result of the interaction of epididymal or ejaculate spermatozoaupon release into culture medium. In addition to ??agglutination,?? the terms??association,?? ??rouleaux,?? or ??rosettes?? are employed interchangeably to describethe conjugation phenomenon, which inevitably causes confusion due to the nonunifyingnomenclature. This variety of descriptions is likely due to a poor understandingof the molecular mechanisms involved in such conspicuous cell-cell interaction aswell as the different morphologies that result from such interactions among species.Here, we summarize the published data regarding mammalian sperm conjugation,considering the organisms in which sperm interaction was observed; the particularterminology employed; findings regarding the components that enable sperm toadhere; sperm behavior when deposited in the female reproductive tract; andhypotheses formulated to clarify the biological function and, when known, themechanisms for sperm interaction. We also propose a new classification systemfor this phenomenon that might clearly unify the criteria used to describe this behavior