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Ion channels implicated in sperm function

Physiological Function   Channel Type   Subunit   Localization   Functional Role(s)   Supporting Evidence   Key Reference(s)   Volume regulation   K+ Channel (quininesensitive)   ...   ...   Efflux of K+ for volume decrease   Blockers disrupt volume regulation   Yeung and Cooper (2001), Yeung et al (2003)   Capacitation   K+ channel   ...   ...   Induce membrane hyperpolarization necessary for capacitation   Channel antagonists block hyperpolarization and sperm capacitation   Arnoult et al (1999) Munoz-Garay et al (2001)   Progressive motility   High voltage-activated Ca2+ channel   Cav2.3   Acrosomal region, principal piece of tail   Induce Ca2+ influx for flagella movement   Motility pattern change in Cav2.3–/– sperm   Westenbroeck and Babcock (1999), Sakata et al (2002)     Transient receptor potential channel (TRPC)   TRPC   Head, tail   Involved in motility   Inhibitors affect sperm motility   Castellano et al (2003)     Nonselective cation channel   PKD2   Head, tail   Involved in sperm directional movement   Male sterility and sperm movement defect in Drosophila PKD2 mutant   Gao et al (2003)   Hyperactivated motility   Receptor-operated Ca2+ channel   IP3R   Acrosomal membrane, neck   Efflux Ca2+ from redundant nuclear envelope to trigger hyperactivated motility   Inhibitor of Ca2+-ATPase activates hyperactivated motility   Ho and Suarez (2001), Ho and Suarez (2003)     Putative Ca2+ channel   CatSper1, CatSper2   Principal piece of tail   Essential for hyperactivated motility   Male sterility and lack of sperm hyperactivated motility in CatSper–/– mice   Ren et al (2001), Carlson et al (2003), Quill et al (2003)   Acrosome reaction (AR)   Ligand-gated cation channel   7 nAChR   Acrosomal region, midpiece of tail   Induce membrane depolarization needed for AR   Channel antagonists inhibit AR   Bray et al (2002b), Son and Meizel (2003)     T-type Ca2+ channel   Cav3.2   Head, principal piece of tail   Conduct the initial transient Ca2+ influx during AR   Inhibitors block both Ca2+ influx and AR   Arnoult et al (1996a), Lopez-Gonzalez et al (2003)     Receptor-operated Ca2+ channel   IP3R   Acrosomal membrane, neck   Efflux and deplete Ca2+ from acrosome needed for the opening of store-operated Ca2+ channel   Inhibitor of acrosomal Ca2+ pump activates AR   O'Toole et al (2000)     Store-operated Ca2+ channel   TRPC   Head, tail   Permit the sustained Ca2+ influx for AR   Channel antibody inhibits both Ca2+ influx and AR   Jungnickel et al (2001)

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