title: K+-independent initiation of motility in chum salmon sperm treated with an organic alcohol, glycerol.
abstract: Sperm of salmonid fishes are quiescent in the presence of millimolar concentrations of extracellular K+, but motility initiation occurs when sperm are suspended in K+-free medium. In this study, glycerol (CH2OHCHOHCH2OH) treatment of intact sperm in the presence of K+ induced the initiation of motility even though a large amount of K+ was present. Another organic alcohol, erythritol (CH2OH(CHOH)2CH2OH), had a similar effect, but ethylene glycol (CH2OHCH2OH) did not initiate sperm motility. Furthermore, this glycerol-treated sperm showed motility without subsequent addition of ATP and cAMP. CCCP, an uncoupler of the mitochondrial electron-transport chain involved in ATP synthesis, suppressed motility of glycerol-treated sperm, suggesting that ATP synthesis is required for dynein to slide microtubules in glycerol-treated sperm. The amount of intracellular cAMP ([cAMP]i) in glycerol-treated sperm did not increase on motility activation, but a protein kinase A (PKA) inhibitor, H-89, inhibited glycerol-treated sperm motility. In addition, phosphorylation of protein associated with motility initiation also occurred in glycerol-treated sperm, suggesting that the glycerol treatment induces activation of PKA without an increase in [cAMP]i. Taken together, it can be concluded that organic alcohol, glycerol and erythritol induce phosphorylation for motility initiation, bypassing the increase in [cAMP]i as a result of a decrease in extracellular K+ concentration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, University of Tokyo, Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Morita
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fujinoki
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Okuno
mesh_terms: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000378:metabolism; D017868:Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D004896:Erythritol / Q000494:pharmacology; D019855:Ethylene Glycol / Q000494:pharmacology; D005990:Glycerol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D017685:Oncorhynchus keta / Q000502:physiology*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011188:Potassium / Q000378:metabolism; D013081:Sperm Motility / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D000242:Cyclic AMP; D017868:Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases; D019855:Ethylene Glycol; D005990:Glycerol; D004896:Erythritol; D011188:Potassium