Mammalian spermatozoa can be chemorepelled from the progesterone attracting source, a novel regulation for fertilization?

GUIDOBALDI, HA; CUBILLA, MC; MORENO, A; MOLINO, MV; BAHAMONDES, L; GIOJALAS, LC

Holderness

Congreso; Gordon Research Conference: Fertilization and Development Activation; 2015

Gordon Research Conference

Several kinds of cells moves towards the source of an attractant molecule, and some of them can also be repelled from it. These cell motility orientation processes are respectively called chemotaxis and chemorepulsion. Mammalian spermatozoa chemotactically swim towards a source of progesterone (P), steroid secreted by the cumulus cells that surround the oocyte; however their chemorepulsive behavior was not investigated yet. Synthetic progesterone receptor ligands (sPRL) may act as an antagonist of the progesterone receptor in the presence of P. Here we showed that spermatozoa previously incubated with low doses of sPRL are chemorepelled from the P attracting source, shearing at least in part the signaling pathways employed for sperm chemotaxis mediated by P. Since the chemorepelled spermatozoa are those physiologically ready to fertilize the egg, the finding may have both biological and medical implications, preventing either polyspermy under natural conditions or fertilization under pharmacological treatment with sPRL.