• A study by the Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences and the University of Bonn has shown that pH value is crucial for sperm motility in sea urchins and salmon. • An increase in pH activates the enzyme adenylyl cyclase (sAC), which produces the messenger substance cAMP, thereby regulating sperm motility. • This mechanism may be widespread among many marine invertebrates and fish. • The researchers’ findings have now been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Article Summaries:

  • A new study from the Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences and the University of Bonn shows that the pH of the surrounding environment controls whether sea urchin and salmon sperm remain immotile or begin to swim. An increase in pH activates the enzyme adenylyl cyclase (sAC), which generates cyclic AMP (cAMP), a key messenger that regulates sperm motility. The researchers suggest this pH‑sAC‑cAMP pathway may be common to many marine invertebrates and fish. The findings were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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