Mateo-Otero, YentelMadrid-Gambin, FranciscoLlavanera, MarcGomez-Gomez, ÀlexHaro, NoemíPozo Mendoza, Óscar J., 1975-Yeste, Marc2024-02-292024-02-292023Mateo-Otero Y, Madrid-Gambin F, Llavanera M, Gomez-Gomez A, Haro N, Pozo OJ, Yeste M. Sperm physiology and in vitro fertilising ability rely on basal metabolic activity: insights from the pig model. Commun Biol. 2023 Mar 30;6(1):344. DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-04715-32399-3642http://hdl.handle.net/10230/59291Whether basal metabolic activity in sperm has any influence on their fertilising capacity has not been explored. Using the pig as a model, the present study investigated the relationship of energetic metabolism with sperm quality and function (assessed through computer-assisted sperm analysis and flow cytometry), and fertility (in vitro fertilisation (IVF) outcomes). In semen samples from 16 boars, levels of metabolites related to glycolysis, ketogenesis and Krebs cycle were determined through a targeted metabolomics approach using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. High-quality sperm are associated to greater levels of glycolysis-derived metabolites, and oocyte fertilisation and embryo development are conditioned by the sperm metabolic status. Interestingly, glycolysis appears to be the preferred catabolic pathway of the sperm giving rise to greater percentages of embryos at day 6. In conclusion, this study shows that the basal metabolic activity of sperm influences their function, even beyond fertilisation.application/pdfeng© The Author(s) 2023. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons license, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons license and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.info:eu-repo/semantics/articlehttp://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s42003-023-04715-3Cell biologyDiagnostic markersMetabolomicsinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess