Link to bioRxiv paper:
http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2023.06.22.546073v1?rss=1

Authors: Jablonski, M., Luque, G. M., Gomez-Elias, M., Sanchez-Cardenas, C., Xu, X., de la Vega-Beltran, J. L., Corkidi, G., Linares, A., Abonza, V., Krapf, D., Krapf, D., Darszon, A., Guerrero, A., Buffone, M. G.

Abstract:
Mammalian sperm delve into the female reproductive tract to fertilize the female gamete. Within the midpiece of the sperm flagellum lies a cortical network of actin that is arranged as a double helix sheltering the mitochondrial sheath. This work demonstrates that the actin network of the midpiece undergoes structural changes that result in motility cessation. This structural modification is accompanied by a decrease in diameter of the midpiece and is driven by intracellular calcium changes that occur concomitant with a reorganization of the actin helicoidal cortex. Although midpiece contraction may occur in a subset of cells that undergo acrosomal exocytosis, live-cell imaging during in vitro fertilization showed that the midpiece contraction is required for motility cessation during the fusion process. These findings provide the first evidence of the F-actin network's role in regulating sperm motility, adapting its function to meet specific cellular requirements during fertilization. These findings provide the first evidence of the F-actin network's role in regulating sperm motility, adapting its function to meet specific cellular requirements during fertilization, and highlighting the broader significance of understanding sperm motility.

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