reviewReproductionJul 30, 2013BRONZE OA

Mitochondria functionality and sperm quality

AAAlexandra AmaralBHBárbara Hatzlhoffer LourençoMMMónica MarquesJRJoão Ramalho‐Santos

University of Coimbra · Universitat de Barcelona

PubMed
Indexed incrossrefpubmed

Abstract

Although mitochondria are best known for being the eukaryotic cell powerhouses, these organelles participate in various cellular functions besides ATP production, such as calcium homoeostasis, generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), the intrinsic apoptotic pathway and steroid hormone biosynthesis. The aim of this review was to discuss the putative roles of mitochondria in mammalian sperm function and how they may relate to sperm quality and fertilisation ability, particularly in humans. Although paternal mitochondria are degraded inside the zygote, sperm mitochondrial functionality seems to be critical for fertilisation. Indeed, changes in mitochondrial integrity/functionality, namely defects in…

Citation impact

569
total citations
FWCI
11.07
Percentile
100%
References
124
Citations per year

Authors

4

Topics & keywords

Topics
Keywords
  • Mitochondrion
  • Cell biology
  • Sperm
  • Biology
  • Zygote
  • Bioenergetics
  • Motility
  • Reactive oxygen species
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