title: Microbial quorum-sensing molecules induce acrosome loss and cell death in human spermatozoa.
abstract: Infertility in men and women is frequently associated with genital contamination by various commensal or uropathogenic microbes. Since many microorganisms are known to release quorum-sensing signals in substantial amounts, we raised the question whether such molecules can directly affect human spermatozoa. Here we show that farnesol and 3-oxododecanoyl-l-homoserine lactone, employed by the opportunistic pathogenic yeast Candida albicans and the gram-negative bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa, respectively, induce multiple damage in spermatozoa. A reduction in the motility of spermatozoa coincided in a dose-dependent manner with apoptosis and necrosis at concentrations which were nondeleterious for dendritic cell-like immune cells. Moreover, sublethal doses of both signaling molecules induced premature loss of the acrosome, a cap-like structure of the sperm head which is essential for fertilization. Addressing their mechanism of action, we found that the bacterial molecule, but not the fungal molecule, actively induced the acrosome reaction via a calcium-dependent mechanism. This work uncovers a new facet in the interaction of microorganisms with human gametes and suggests a putative link between microbial communication systems and host infertility.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rennemeier
authors.forename: Torsten
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Frambach
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hennicke
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dietl
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Staib
mesh_terms: D015107:4-Butyrolactone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000633:toxicity; D000177:Acrosome / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000378:metabolism; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D053938:DNA Fragmentation / Q000187:drug effects; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D005204:Farnesol / Q000633:toxicity*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006714:Homoserine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000633:toxicity; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000382:microbiology*; D008297:Male; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D009336:Necrosis; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000378:metabolism; D053038:Quorum Sensing; D013081:Sperm Motility / Q000187:drug effects; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: C109860:N-(3-oxododecanoyl)homoserine lactone; D005204:Farnesol; D006714:Homoserine; D015107:4-Butyrolactone
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