Mammalian sperm require activation within the female reproductive tract to fertilize eggs, and bicarbonate is essential for this process in vitro. A recent study implicates the cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator (CFTR) as a possible regulator for bicarbonate release in vivo.
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Sutton, K., Jungnickel, M. & Florman, H. Of fertility, cystic fibrosis and the bicarbonate ion. Nat Cell Biol 5, 857–859 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncb1003-857
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ncb1003-857