In the early 1950s, Austin and Chang independently described the changes that are
required for the sperm to fertilize oocytes in vivo. These changes were originally grouped …

Background Although the insulin-producing pancreatic β-cells are quite capable of adapting
to both acute and chronic changes in metabolic demand, persistently high demand for …

This review focuses on one family of the known cAMP receptors, the exchange proteins
directly activated by cAMP (EPACs), also known as the cAMP-regulated guanine nucleotide …

A proper dialogue between spermatozoa and the egg is essential for conception of a new
individual in sexually reproducing animals. Ca2+ is crucial in orchestrating this unique event …

Abstract Cyclic adenosine 3′, 5′-monophosphate (cAMP), the first second messenger to
be described, plays a central role in cell signaling in a wide variety of cell types. Over the last …

Regulated exocytosis is the main mechanism utilized by specialized secretory cells to
deliver molecules to the cell surface by virtue of membranous containers (ie, secretory …

Background: Ca 2+ signals, elicited by cues from the oocyte and female tract, regulate
human sperm behavior. Results: CatSper channel activation (flagellum) and Ca 2+ store …

Tetraspanins are transmembrane glycoproteins that have been shown increasing interest as
host factors in infectious diseases. In particular, they were implicated in the pathogenesis of …

The dynamics of exocytosis are diverse and have been optimized for the functions of
synapses and a wide variety of cell types. For example, the kinetics of exocytosis varies by …

Sperm chemotaxis is a chemical guiding mechanism that may orient spermatozoa to the egg
surface. A picomolar concentration gradient of Progesterone (P), the main steroidal …