Two-dimensional slither swimming of sperm within a micrometre of a surface.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 26555792.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/ncomms9703 and PMC identifier 4667638.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Sperm motion near surfaces plays a crucial role in fertilization, but the nature of this motion has not been resolved. Using total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy, we selectively imaged motile human and bull sperm located within one micron of a surface, revealing a distinct two-dimensional (2D) 'slither' swimming mode whereby the full cell length (50-80 μm) is confined within 1 μm of a surface. This behaviour is distinct from bulk and near-wall swimming modes where the flagellar wave is helical and the head continuously rotates. The slither mode is intermittent (∼1 s, ∼70 μm), and in human sperm, is observed only for viscosities over 20 mPa·s. Bull sperm are slower in this surface-confined swimming mode, owing to a decrease in their flagellar wave amplitude. In contrast, human sperm are ∼50% faster-suggesting a strategy that is well suited to the highly viscous and confined lumen within the human fallopian tube.
Medical subject headings
- Sperm Motility
- Spermatozoa