Relevance of Aquaporins for Gamete Function and Cryopreservation.

ABSTRACT: The interaction between cells and the extracellular medium is of great importance, and drastic changes in extracellular solute concentrations drive water movement across the plasma membrane. Aquaporins (AQPs) are a family of transmembrane channels that allow the transport of water and small solutes across cell membranes. Different members of this family have been identified in gametes. In sperm, they are relevant to osmoadaptation after entering the female reproductive tract, which is crucial for sperm motility activation and capacitation and, thus, for their fertilizing ability. In addition, they are relevant during the cryopreservation process, since some members of this family are also permeable to glycerol, one of the most frequently used cryoprotective agents in livestock. Regarding o

SUBMITTER: Delgado-Bermudez A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8909058 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature