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Minimum and maximum extracellular Ca²⁺ requirements during mouse sperm capacitation and fertilization in vitro

Summary. The minimum and maximum extracellular Ca²⁺ concentrations required to promote capacitation, the acrosome reaction, hyperactivated motility, zona penetration and gamete fusion in the mouse have been established. The traces of free calcium in Ca²⁺-deficient medium were shown not to enhance capacitation since the inclusion of EGTA to chelate free ions during a 120 min preincubation failed to alter the kinetics of capacitation from those observed in the absence of EGTA; 1 h after addition of 1·80 mM-Ca²⁺, both suspensions were highly fertile. Complete capacitation, when suspensions were immediately functional upon the addition of 1·80 mM-Ca²⁺, required the presence of 90 µM-Ca². Considerably higher concentrations were required to initiate optimal sperm responses: acrosome reaction, 900 µM; gamete fusion, 900 µM; hyperactivated motility, 1·80 mM; zona penetration, 1·80 mM. None of these changes was effected when Ca²⁺ was <450 µM. The responses to elevated Ca²⁺ were dependent on the length of incubation, being initially positive and then negative. A short (30 min) exposure to 3·40 mM-Ca²⁺ (x 2 the standard) accelerated capacitation, as evidenced by significantly increased acrosome loss, precocious expression of hyperactivated motility and enhanced fertilizing ability when Ca²⁺ was reduced to 1·80 mM. However, extended (120 min) preincubation irreversibly damaged sperm function. In the presence of 7·20 mM-Ca²⁺ (x 4), fertilizing ability was inhibited at both 30 and 120 min, despite a high incidence of acrosome loss. The primary deleterious effect appeared to be on motility which was judged to be more erratic than in 1·80 mM-Ca²⁺, possibly due to elevated intracellular Ca²⁺. Because of the considerable difference in threshold Ca²⁺ concentrations, it is now possible to dissociate the Ca²⁺-dependent events of capacitation from those of the acrosome reaction and motility changes.

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