| Name of channel/stimuli |
Localization on spermatozoa/availability |
Role in ion flow |
Role in sperm physiology |
Effects on capacitation |
Species |
Contributors |
| CatSper |
Principal piece of sperm tail |
Ca2+ influx |
Ca2+ uptake, hyperactivated motility |
induce |
human |
[69] |
| Hv1 |
Principal piece of sperm tail |
Ca2+ influx/H+ efflux |
induces sperm intracellular alkalinisation |
induce |
human |
[120] |
| CNG |
α subunit is observed along the entire flagellum, whereas the short β subunit is restricted to the principal piece of the flagellum |
Ca2+ influx |
stimulates influx of calcium via cAMP/cGMP |
induce |
zebrafish, sea urchin |
[98, 102] |
| GBRC |
equatorial segment of the sperm head |
Cl- influx |
increases capacitation in guinea pig and ejaculated human sperm and ram sperm induces the acrosome reaction in human, mouse and rat sperm |
induce |
rat |
[35] |
| Kirs |
Both tail and head |
K+ influx |
maintains membrane potential and K+ homeostasis, membrane excitability |
induce |
mouse |
[303] |
| Slo3 |
Principal piece of sperm tail |
K+ influx |
hyperpolarizes sperm membrane, regulates membrane potential; sperm specific |
induce |
mouse |
[304] |
| Cav |
Principal piece of sperm tail |
Ca2+ influx |
voltage-gated Ca2+ influx into mature sperm cells in response to the application of a high-K+/high-pH extracellular medium |
induce |
mouse |
[72, 81] |
| Iatp |
Midpiece |
Ca2+/H+/Na+ influx |
energizes mitochondria in the midpiece |
induce |
mouse |
[305] |
| NBC |
/ |
HCO3-/Na+ influx |
induces hyperpolarization through the HCO3- influx; increase protein tyrosine phosphorylation through Na+ influx |
induce |
mouse |
[48] |
| sNHE |
/ |
Na+ influx/H+ efflux |
induces a pHi increase |
induce |
human, bovine |
[306, 307] |
