title: The role of hormones in the acquisition of sperm motility in salmonid fish.
abstract: In salmonid fish, spermatozoa taken from the testes are immotile, but acquire motility during their passage through the sperm duct. Using male masu salmon (Oncorhynchus masou), we found that gonadotropin-induced testicular production of 17 alpha, 20 beta-dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one (17 alpha, 20 beta-DP), the oocyte maturation-inducing hormone of salmonid fish, is responsible for the acquisition of sperm motility. However, neither testosterone (T) nor 11-ketotestosterone (11-KT), the two major androgens in teleost fish, were effective. We also present evidence that 17 alpha, 20 beta-DP action is mediated through an increase in sperm duct pH, which in turn increases the cAMP content of sperm allowing the acquisition of motility.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Miura
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamauchi
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nagahama
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000378:metabolism; D006062:Gonadotropins / Q000494:pharmacology; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D006908:Hydroxyprogesterones / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D008297:Male; D012474:Salmon; D013081:Sperm Motility / Q000502:physiology*; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000502:physiology; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D013737:Testis / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D006062:Gonadotropins; D006908:Hydroxyprogesterones; C016844:salmon gonadotropin; C007433:17,20-dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one; D000242:Cyclic AMP