Stimulation of bovine sperm motility and respiration by the triazine dye cibacron blue F3GA

Bovine sperm motility and respiration were stimulated by the triazine dye Cibacron Blue F3GA (CB), which may operate as a nucleotide mimic. CB stimulation of respiration was half‐maximal at about 35 μM and respiration reached maximal levels about 1.5 minutes after CB addition. Respiratory stimulation was preceded by a transient increase in cytosolic cAMP. Sperm cAMP titers were elevated from 5 to 10 pmoles/10⁸ cells within 30 seconds of CB addition, but rapidly dropped to a stable level of about 7.5 pmoles/10⁸ cells. CB was a potent inhibitor of sperm membrane adenylyl cyclase and inhibited respiration in permeabilized cells. Taken together, the data indicated that CB stimulation was not manifested via the cytosol. In addition, a nonpermeant blue dextran preparation synthesized with CB also stimulated sperm respiration and motility. CB inhibited sperm membrane phosphodiesterase activity, suggesting that the transient pulse of cAMP resulted from CB interaction with this enzyme in the sperm membrane. © 1995 wiley‐Liss, Inc.