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 …

Sperm motility is linked to the activation of signaling pathways that trigger movement. These
pathways are mainly dependent on Ca2+, which acts as a secondary messenger. The …

Intracellular pH (pHi) regulation is essential for cell function. Notably, several unique sperm
ion transporters and enzymes whose elimination causes infertility are either pHi dependent …

Sperm are attracted by chemical factors that are released by the egg—a process called
chemotaxis. Most of our knowledge on sperm chemotaxis originates from the study of marine …

A pre‐requisite for sexual reproduction is successful unification of the male and female
gametes; in externally‐fertilising echinoderms the male gamete is brought into close …

As inbreeding is costly, it has been suggested that polyandry may evolve as a means to
reduce the negative fitness consequences of mating with genetically related males. While …

The chemotaxis of sperm towards eggs is a widespread phenomenon that occurs in most
forms of life from lower plants to mammals and plays important roles in ensuring fertilization …

Factors such as gamete quality can profoundly affect fertility, but the spawning micro-
environment that surrounds the spermatozoa and eggs during gamete contact has largely …

Many marine invertebrate taxa are broadcast spawners, where multiple individuals release
their gametes into the water for external fertilization, often in the presence of gametes from …

Ca2+ is known to have important roles in sperm chemotaxis, although the relationship
between intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+] i) and modulation of the swimming and …