Abstract: Sperm motility is a necessary condition for natural fertilization and achieving sperm-oocyte fusion under natural conditions. Sperm exhibit different motility patterns during the passage from the male epididymis to the female reproductive tract, which could be altered within a short period of time depending on changes in the environment, demonstrating that the sperm membrane proteins (ion channels) are involved in the regulation of sperm motility, and the normal expression of ion channels is closely related to the process of fertilization. Current studies have found that Ca²⁺, K⁺ and Na⁺ plasma channels are involved in physiological processes such as sperm membrane polarization, movement, capacitation and acrosomal reaction. The molecular mechanism and topological structure of sperm ion channels are preliminary understood through patch clamp and electrophysiology techniques. The physiological functions and topological structures of Ca²⁺, pH, voltage-gated Na⁺, K⁺, Cl^- channels involved in the regulation of sperm motility were summarized in this paper, in the hope of providing the comprehensive information on regulating mechanism and function of ion channel research, and promoting the development of animal reproductive biology.

Key words: sperm, ion channels, sperm motility, Ca²⁺/K⁺, topological structure