Role of NBC cotransporter in the PKA-dependent regulation of membrane potential during human sperm capacitation.

MG BUFFONE; N GILIO; C TREVIÑO; P TORRES RODRIGUEZ; GM LUQUE; LC PUGA MOLINA; NA PINTO; A DARSZON; A ROMAROWSKI; N TORRES

Conferencia; Gordon Research Conference and Seminars: Fertilization and Activation of Development; 2017

After ejaculation, mature sperm are not able to fertilize an oocyte. They require to spend a limited period of time in the female reproductive tract and undergo several maturational changes, all grouped under the name of capacitation (Austin 1951; Chang 1951). Capacitation prepares sperm to acquire the ability to develop hyperactivated motility and to undergo acrosomal exocytosis (Buffone, et al. 2014; Stival et al. 2016). From a molecular point of view, one of the first event that occurs during capacitation is a HCO3--dependent activation of the ADCY10 which leads to cAMP synthesis and the subsequent activation of PKA (Buffone, et al. 2014). We previously observed that PKA and CFTR activity are both necessary for membrane potential (Em) regulation (Puga Molina et al. 2016). Because CFTR phosphorylation by PKA is mandatory for the function of the channel, in this work we investigated the initial HCO3- transport and how PKA modulates Em changes during capacitation.