The molecular mechanisms underlying Ca 2+ entry into sperm are now much more well defined thanks to direct recordings of mature sperm cells. This article reviews the function of a sperm-specific ion channel, CatSper. CatSpers have a clearly defined function in sperm's hyperactivated motility and are essential for male fertility. We propose that physiological stimuli such as zona pellucida and cyclic nucleotides induce Ca 2+ entry through CatSper channels instead of acting on Ca V and CNG channels as previously thought. Footnotes The fertilization-related research in our laboratory has been supported by grants from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. ©2010 Int. Union Physiol. Sci./Am. Physiol. Soc.
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