BOVINE SPERM CA2+ SIGNALING AND ENERGY PATHWAYS IN BASIC SCIENCE AND ASSISTED REPRODUCTIVE TECHNOLOGIES (ART)

The long-term goalof this project isto define the relationship between signaling and metabolic pathways in bull sperm and use them to improve Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) in the bovine model. In addition, the immediate goal is to improve bovine sperm function bymanipulation of Ca2+and metabolic signaling pathways.Objectives:To study how changes in [Ca2+]iand metabolism affect bull sperm function.To determine the effect of SER treatment on[Ca2+]ilevels in bovine sperm.To evaluate theOxPhos pathway response to SER and A23187pulse treatments.To test the use of A23187pulse and/or SER treatment for the development of new ART in the bovine model.To evaluate the effect of SERor a combination of SER and A23187pulse onfertilization and early embryo development after IVF in the bovine model.To test the application of SER treatment for the improvement of bovine ICSI.To analyzespermPLCζaccessibility after SER treatment.