Label-free metabolic fingerprinting of motile mammalian spermatozoa with subcellular resolution

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F68378050%3A_____%2F25%3A00618627" target="_blank" >RIV/68378050:_____/25:00618627 - isvavai.cz</a>

Alternative codes found

RIV/00216208:11310/25:10498724

Result on the web

<a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s12915-025-02167-1" target="_blank" >https://doi.org/10.1186/s12915-025-02167-1</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12915-025-02167-1" target="_blank" >10.1186/s12915-025-02167-1</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Label-free metabolic fingerprinting of motile mammalian spermatozoa with subcellular resolution

Original language description

BackgroundSperm metabolic pathways that generate energy for motility are compartmentalized within the flagellum. Dysfunctions in metabolic compartments, namely mitochondrial respiration and glycolysis, can compromise motility and male fertility. Studying these compartments is thus required for fertility treatment. However, it is very challenging to capture images of metabolic compartments in motile spermatozoa because the fast beating of the flagellum introduces motion blur. Therefore, most approaches immobilize spermatozoa prior to imaging.ResultsOur findings indicate that immobilizing sperm alters their metabolic profile, highlighting the necessity for measuring metabolism in spermatozoa during movement. We achieved this by encapsulating mouse epididymis in a hydrogel followed by two-photon fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy for imaging motile sperm in situ. The autofluorescence of endogenous metabolites-FAD, NADH, and NADPH-enabled us to visualize sperm metabolic compartments without staining. We trained machine learning for automated image segmentation and generated metabolic fingerprints using object-based phasor analysis. We show that metabolic fingerprints of spermatozoa and the mitochondrial compartment (1) can distinguish individual males by genetic background, age, or fecundity status, (2) correlate with fertility, and (3) change with age likely due to increased oxidative metabolism.ConclusionsOur approach eliminates the need for sperm immobilization and labeling and captures the native state of sperm metabolism. This technique could be adapted for metabolism-based sperm selection for assisted reproduction.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

J_imp - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database

CEP classification

—

OECD FORD branch

10601 - Cell biology

Project

Result was created during the realization of more than one project. More information in the Projects tab.

Continuities

I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace

Publication year

2025

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

BMC Biology

ISSN

1741-7007

e-ISSN

1741-7007

Volume of the periodical

23

Issue of the periodical within the volume

1

Country of publishing house

GB - UNITED KINGDOM

Number of pages

19

Pages from-to

85

UT code for WoS article

001450817300001

EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-105000986433