Sperm navigation along helical paths in 3D chemoattractant landscapes

TY - JOUR

T1 - Sperm navigation along helical paths in 3D chemoattractant landscapes

AU - Jikeli, Jan F.

AU - Alvarez, Luis

AU - Friedrich, Benjamin M.

AU - Wilson, Laurence G.

AU - Pascal, René

AU - Colin, Remy

AU - Pichlo, Magdalena

AU - Rennhack, Andreas

AU - Brenker, Christoph

AU - Kaupp, U. Benjamin

PY - 2015/8/17

Y1 - 2015/8/17

N2 - Sperm require a sense of direction to locate the egg for fertilization. They follow gradients of chemical and physical cues provided by the egg or the oviduct. However, the principles underlying three-dimensional (3D) navigation in chemical landscapes are unknown. Here using holographic microscopy and optochemical techniques, we track sea urchin sperm navigating in 3D chemoattractant gradients. Sperm sense gradients on two timescales, which produces two different steering responses. A periodic component, resulting from the helical swimming, gradually aligns the helix towards the gradient. When incremental path corrections fail and sperm get off course, a sharp turning manoeuvre puts sperm back on track. Turning results from an 'off'Ca2+ response signifying a chemoattractant stimulation decrease and, thereby, a drop in cyclic GMP concentration and membrane voltage. These findings highlight the computational sophistication by which sperm sample gradients for deterministic klinotaxis. We provide a conceptual and technical framework for studying microswimmers in 3D chemical landscapes.

AB - Sperm require a sense of direction to locate the egg for fertilization. They follow gradients of chemical and physical cues provided by the egg or the oviduct. However, the principles underlying three-dimensional (3D) navigation in chemical landscapes are unknown. Here using holographic microscopy and optochemical techniques, we track sea urchin sperm navigating in 3D chemoattractant gradients. Sperm sense gradients on two timescales, which produces two different steering responses. A periodic component, resulting from the helical swimming, gradually aligns the helix towards the gradient. When incremental path corrections fail and sperm get off course, a sharp turning manoeuvre puts sperm back on track. Turning results from an 'off'Ca2+ response signifying a chemoattractant stimulation decrease and, thereby, a drop in cyclic GMP concentration and membrane voltage. These findings highlight the computational sophistication by which sperm sample gradients for deterministic klinotaxis. We provide a conceptual and technical framework for studying microswimmers in 3D chemical landscapes.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84939623549&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1038/ncomms8985

DO - 10.1038/ncomms8985

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:84939623549

SN - 2041-1723

VL - 6

JO - Nature Communications

JF - Nature Communications

M1 - 7985

ER -