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Want to know the crazy sperm behavior inside the uterus?It turns out the sperm aggregate into clusters in vivo to drive oviductal entry! Started this exciting project 8 years ago, now finally finished by many excellent colleagues and collaborators! Read more
https://twitter.com/bxv_dev/status/1318315875301167104
https://twitter.com/bxv_dev/status/1318315875301167104
Sperm derived from Tex101−/− mouse has normal number, motility and morphology, but they cannot form sperm cluster inside the uterus and fail to pass through the utero-tubal junction (UTJ). The Tex101−/− males are infertile.
We record that the clustered wildtype sperm tails beat in a synchronized manner, generating a strong force pushing the cell/debris . This unified force may push the UTJ open and allow some of the (hard-working and lucky) sperm to penetrate into the oviduct.
. This unified force may push the UTJ open and allow some of the (hard-working and lucky) sperm to penetrate into the oviduct.
The Tex101-/- sperm could not form the cluster around cell/debris, they cannot form a unified force. Imagine the situation in the uterus, their strength are scattered, divided, and may never reach the threshold that needed to push open the UTJ in vivo.
. Imagine the situation in the uterus, their strength are scattered, divided, and may never reach the threshold that needed to push open the UTJ in vivo.
To find more interesting experiments & data here: https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.10.18.344275v1.full
