In situ structural analysis of the human CatSper-channel complex (B04)

• Subject Area: Cell Biology
• Term: since 2026
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 549467913

Loss of CatSper function is a common channelopathy that leads to male infertility. To shed light on the role of CatSper in human sperm in both health and disease, high-resolution structures of in-cell assembled CatSper as well as its spatial arrangement along the flagellum will be determined, using cutting-edge cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) and tailored structure-function analyses. Moreover, by cryo-ET of the channel in sperm from patients lacking the CATSPER2 gene, i.e., the most common cause of CatSper-related infertility, the molecular pathology leading to loss of CatSper function will be elucidated.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 1748: Principles of Reproduction – Unravelling the Molecular Mechanisms of Male Infertility
• Applicant Institution: Universität Münster
• Project Head: Professor Dr. Christos Gatsogiannis