Mouse sperm patch‐clamp recordings reveal single Cl− channels sensitive to niflumic acid, a blocker of the sperm acrosome reaction

FEBS Letters

Darszon, A²  Delgado, R¹  Labarca, P¹  López-González, I²  Espinosa, F²  de la Vega-Beltrán, J.L² 

[1] Centro de Estudios Cientı́ficos de Santiago and Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile;Depto. Genética y Fisiologı́a Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnologı́a, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Apdo. 510-3, Cuernavaca Morelos 62271, Mexico

关键词: Acrosome reaction;    Ion channel;    Niflumic acid;    Sperm patch-clamp recording;   

DOI  :  10.1016/S0014-5793(98)00305-6

学科分类：生物化学/生物物理

来源: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

【 摘 要 】

Ion channels lie at the heart of gamete signaling. Understanding their regulation will improve our knowledge of sperm physiology, and may lead to novel contraceptive strategies. Sperm are tiny (∼3 μm diameter) and, until now, direct evidence of ion channel activity in these cells was lacking. Using patch-clamp recording we document here, for the first time, the presence of cationic and anionic channels in mouse sperm. Anion selective channels were blocked by niflumic acid (NA) (IC₅₀=11 μM). The blocker was effective also in inhibiting the acrosome reaction induced by the zona pellucida, GABA or progesterone. These observations suggest that Cl⁻ channels participate in the sperm acrosome reaction in mammals.

【 授权许可】

Unknown