The role of mitochondrial proteins in sperm capacitation

Spermatozoa deposited in the female reproductive tract need to undergo a multifaceted maturation process prior to fertilization termed “capacitation”. This process is regulated by several proteins which are compartmentalized in discrete domains of the spermatozoon including the head, the mid-piece and the principal piece. Over the last decade many proteins involved in capacitation have been identified, such as proteins involved in the organization of the tail, proteins involved in signal transduction, chaperones, ion-channel proteins and mitochondria-associated proteins. This review focuses on the identity and function of mitochondrial proteins which undergo capacitation-dependent tyrosine phosphorylation in spermatozoa.