• PMID: 17712488
• Gene Name: F2RL1
• Condition: Assocaited with sperm motility
• Association: Associated
• Population size: 15
• Population details: 15 healthy semen donors
• Sex: Male
• Infertility type: Male infertility
• Other associated phenotypes: Assocaited with sperm motility

Protease activated receptor 2 and epidermal growth factor receptor are involved in the regulation of human sperm motility

Zitta K, Albrecht M, Weidinger S, Mayerhofer A, Köhn F.

AIM: To investigate mechanisms of tryptase-induced reduction of sperm motility and explore whether epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-R) and protease activated receptor 2 (PAR-2)- associated pathways are involved. METHODS: Fresh semen was collected from healthy donors (n = 15). Semen parameters and quality were assessed in accordance with the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria. Swim-up sperm were fixed and subjected to immunocytochemistry and immunoelectronmicroscopy with specific antibodies directed against PAR-2 and EGF-R. Protein extractions from swim-up spermatozoa were analyzed by Western blotting with antibodies for both receptors. Motility of spermatozoa was evaluated by computer-assisted semen analysis. RESULTS: Immunocytochemistry found PAR-2 and EGF-R in approximately 30% of examined human ejaculated spermatozoa. Both receptors were localized in the plasma membrane. Like tryptase, the PAR-2 synthetic agonist SLIGKV reduced sperm motility, and this effect was inhibited by application of two specific EGF-R pathway blockers (AG1478 and PD168393). CONCLUSION: The observed reduction of sperm motility by tryptase through the PAR-2 receptor involves EGF-R pathways. FAU - Zitta, Karina AU - Zitta K AD - Department of Dermatology and Allergy, Technical University Munich, Biedersteiner Strasse 29, Munich, Germany. K.Zitta@gen.vetmed.uni-muenchen.de FAU - Albrecht, Martin AU - Albrecht M FAU - Weidinger, Stephan AU - Weidinger S FAU - Mayerhofer, Artur AU - Mayerhofer A