Tiny Dancer: EFCAB9 Triggers Sperm Hyperactivation via CatSper

Rachel E Bainbridge; Anne E Carlson

doi:10.1016/j.tibs.2019.08.001

Tiny Dancer: EFCAB9 Triggers Sperm Hyperactivation via CatSper

Trends Biochem Sci. 2019 Oct;44(10):823-826. doi: 10.1016/j.tibs.2019.08.001. Epub 2019 Aug 22.

Authors

Rachel E Bainbridge¹, Anne E Carlson²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA.
² Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].

PMID: 31447243
DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2019.08.001

Abstract

The Ca²⁺-conducting ion channel, CatSper, is expressed exclusively on the sperm flagellum and regulates sperm motility. A new study (Hwang et al., Cell, 2019) reveals that the pH-sensing and Ca²⁺-binding protein, EFCAB9, is a subunit of the CatSper channel and has a key role in triggering mammalian sperm to change their swimming at fertilization.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Comment

MeSH terms

Animals
Calcium Channels
Calcium*
Humans
Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
Male
Sperm Motility*
Spermatozoa

Substances

Calcium Channels
Calcium

Grants and funding

T32 HD087194/HD/NICHD NIH HHS/United States