A model of CatSper channel mediated calcium dynamics in mammalian spermatozoa

Bull Math Biol. 2010 Nov;72(8):1925-46. doi: 10.1007/s11538-010-9516-5. Epub 2010 Feb 19.

Abstract

CatSpers are calcium (Ca(2+)) channels that are located along the principal piece of mammalian sperm flagella and are directly linked to sperm motility and hyperactivation. It has been observed that Ca(2+) entry through CatSper channels triggers a tail to head Ca(2+) propagation in mouse sperm, as well as a sustained increase of Ca(2+) in the head. Here, we develop a mathematical model to investigate this propagation and sustained increase in the head. A 1-d reaction-diffusion model tracking intracellular Ca(2+) with flux terms for the CatSper channels, a leak flux, and plasma membrane Ca(2+) clearance mechanism is studied. Results of this simple model exhibit tail to head Ca(2+) propagation, but no sustained increase in the head. Therefore, in this model, a simple plasma membrane pump-leak system with diffusion in the cytosol cannot account for these experimentally observed results. It has been proposed that Ca(2+) influx from the CatSper channels induce additional Ca(2+) release from an internal store. We test this hypothesis by examining the possible role of Ca(2+) release from the redundant nuclear envelope (RNE), an inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP(3)) gated Ca(2+) store in the neck. The simple model is extended to include an equation for IP(3) synthesis, degradation, and diffusion, as well as flux terms for Ca(2+) in the RNE. When IP(3) and the RNE are accounted for, the results of the model exhibit a tail to head Ca(2+) propagation as well as a sustained increase of Ca(2+) in the head.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Calcium / physiology*
  • Calcium Channels / physiology*
  • Inositol 1,4,5-Trisphosphate / physiology
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Models, Biological*
  • Nuclear Envelope / physiology
  • Sperm Motility / physiology*
  • Sperm Tail / physiology*
  • Spermatozoa / physiology*

Substances

  • Calcium Channels
  • Inositol 1,4,5-Trisphosphate
  • Calcium