{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,18]],"date-time":"2026-10-18T05:19:09Z","timestamp":1792300749118,"version":"4.4.0"},"reference-count":50,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,7,15]],"date-time":"2021-07-15T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1626307200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001659","name":"Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["EXC-2046\/1, project ID: 390685689"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["EXC-2046\/1, project ID: 390685689"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001659","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001659","name":"Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["IRTG2290"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["IRTG2290"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001659","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.ploscompbiol.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS Comput Biol"],"abstract":"<jats:p>\n                    Sperm migration in the female genital tract controls sperm selection and, therefore, reproductive success as male gametes are conditioned for fertilization while their number is dramatically reduced. Mechanisms underlying sperm migration are mostly unknown, since\n                    <jats:italic>in vivo<\/jats:italic>\n                    investigations are mostly unfeasible for ethical or practical reasons. By presenting a spatio-temporal model of the mammalian female genital tract combined with agent-based description of sperm motion and interaction as well as parameterizing it with bovine data, we offer an alternative possibility for studying sperm migration\n                    <jats:italic>in silico<\/jats:italic>\n                    . The model incorporates genital tract geometry as well as biophysical principles of sperm motion observed\n                    <jats:italic>in vitro<\/jats:italic>\n                    such as positive rheotaxis and thigmotaxis. This model for sperm migration from vagina to oviducts was successfully tested against\n                    <jats:italic>in vivo<\/jats:italic>\n                    data from literature. We found that physical sperm characteristics such as velocity and directional stability as well as sperm-fluid interactions and wall alignment are critical for success, i.e. sperms reaching the oviducts. Therefore, we propose that these identified sperm parameters should be considered in detail for conditioning sperm in artificial selection procedures since the natural processes are normally bypassed in reproductive\n                    <jats:italic>in vitro<\/jats:italic>\n                    technologies. The tremendous impact of mucus flow to support sperm accumulation in the oviduct highlights the importance of a species-specific optimum time window for artificial insemination regarding ovulation. Predictions from our extendable\n                    <jats:italic>in silico<\/jats:italic>\n                    experimental system will improve assisted reproduction in humans, endangered species, and livestock.\n                  <\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pcbi.1009109","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,7,15]],"date-time":"2021-07-15T13:26:14Z","timestamp":1626355574000},"page":"e1009109","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pcbi.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":12,"title":["Sperm migration in the genital tract\u2014In silico experiments identify key factors for reproductive success"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"17","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3273-8002","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Jorin","family":"Diemer","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2200-6553","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Jens","family":"Hahn","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1456-5278","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Bj\u00f6rn","family":"Goldenbogen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1749-4863","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Karin","family":"M\u00fcller","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0567-7075","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Edda","family":"Klipp","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,7,15]]},"reference":[{"issue":"4","key":"pcbi.1009109.ref001","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"R127","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cub.2016.10.046","article-title":"Mammalian pregnancy","volume":"27","author":"P Abbot","year":"2017","journal-title":"Current Biology"},{"issue":"3","key":"pcbi.1009109.ref002","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e1017156","DOI":"10.1080\/19420889.2015.1017156","article-title":"Why so many sperm cells?","volume":"8","author":"K Reynaud","year":"2015","journal-title":"Communicative & Integrative Biology"},{"key":"pcbi.1009109.ref003","volume-title":"Knobil and Neill\u2019s Physiology of Reproduction: Two-Volume Set","author":"TM Plant","year":"2014"},{"issue":"6","key":"pcbi.1009109.ref004","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"646","DOI":"10.1093\/humupd\/dmx022","article-title":"Temporal trends in sperm count: A systematic review and meta-regression analysis","volume":"23","author":"H Levine","year":"2017","journal-title":"Human Reproduction Update"},{"issue":"3","key":"pcbi.1009109.ref005","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"231","DOI":"10.1093\/humupd\/dmp048","article-title":"World Health Organization reference values for human semen characteristics","volume":"16","author":"TG Cooper","year":"2009","journal-title":"Human Reproduction Update"},{"issue":"10","key":"pcbi.1009109.ref006","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1957","DOI":"10.1093\/humrep\/dex264","article-title":"Assisted reproductive technology in Europe, 2013: Results generated from European registers by ESHRE","volume":"32","author":"C Calhaz-Jorge","year":"2017","journal-title":"Human Reproduction"},{"issue":"1","key":"pcbi.1009109.ref007","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"23","DOI":"10.1093\/humupd\/dmi047","article-title":"Sperm transport in the female reproductive tract","volume":"12","author":"SS Suarez","year":"2006","journal-title":"Human Reproduction Update"},{"issue":"6","key":"pcbi.1009109.ref008","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"491","DOI":"10.1093\/molehr\/gav012","article-title":"Do sperm possess a molecular passport? Mechanistic insights into sperm selection in the female reproductive tract","volume":"21","author":"WV Holt","year":"2015","journal-title":"Molecular Human Reproduction"},{"issue":"1","key":"pcbi.1009109.ref009","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"105","DOI":"10.1016\/j.theriogenology.2015.07.019","article-title":"Sperm selection in the female mammalian reproductive tract. Focus on the oviduct: Hypotheses, mechanisms, and new opportunities","volume":"85","author":"WV Holt","year":"2016","journal-title":"Theriogenology"},{"issue":"12","key":"pcbi.1009109.ref010","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1180","DOI":"10.1093\/molehr\/gau067","article-title":"Sexual selection and the evolution of sperm quality","volume":"20","author":"JL Fitzpatrick","year":"2014","journal-title":"Molecular Human Reproduction"},{"issue":"4","key":"pcbi.1009109.ref011","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"276","DOI":"10.1038\/nrm1893","article-title":"Sperm guidance in mammals\u2014An unpaved road to the egg","volume":"7","author":"M Eisenbach","year":"2006","journal-title":"Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology"},{"issue":"5","key":"pcbi.1009109.ref012","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"407","DOI":"10.1262\/jrd.2014-170","article-title":"Morphological study of boar sperm during their passage through the female genital tract","volume":"61","author":"FA Garc\u00eda-V\u00e1zquez","year":"2015","journal-title":"The Journal of reproduction and development"},{"issue":"5A","key":"pcbi.1009109.ref013","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"597","DOI":"10.1051\/rnd:19840508","article-title":"Sperm transport in the cow: peri-ovulatory redistribution of viable cells within the oviduct","volume":"24","author":"RH Hunter","year":"1984","journal-title":"Reproduction, nutrition, development"},{"key":"pcbi.1009109.ref014","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1038\/ncomms14584","article-title":"A microfluidic culture model of the human reproductive tract and 28-day menstrual cycle","volume":"8","author":"S Xiao","year":"2017","journal-title":"Nature Communications"},{"issue":"1","key":"pcbi.1009109.ref015","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"127","DOI":"10.1016\/0040-8166(81)90043-4","article-title":"Distribution of spermatozoa in the utero-tubal junction and isthmus of pigs, and their relationship with the luminal epithelium after mating: A scanning electron microscope study","volume":"13","author":"JE Fl\u00e9chon","year":"1981","journal-title":"Tissue and Cell"},{"issue":"1","key":"pcbi.1009109.ref016","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"39","DOI":"10.1095\/biolreprod59.1.39","article-title":"Bull sperm binding to oviductal epithelium is mediated by a Ca2+-dependent lectin on sperm that recognizes Lewis-a trisaccharide","volume":"59","author":"SS Suarez","year":"1998","journal-title":"Biology of reproduction"},{"key":"pcbi.1009109.ref017","volume-title":"The visualization toolkit: an object oriented approach to 3D graphics","author":"W Schroeder","year":"2006"},{"key":"pcbi.1009109.ref018","volume-title":"The ParaView Guide: A Parallel Visualization Application","author":"U Ayachit","year":"2015"},{"key":"pcbi.1009109.ref019","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"183","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jbiomech.2018.02.009","article-title":"Effects of surrounding fluid on motility of hyperactivated bovine sperm","volume":"71","author":"T Hyakutake","year":"2018","journal-title":"Journal of Biomechanics"},{"issue":"17","key":"pcbi.1009109.ref020","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"5431","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.1500541112","article-title":"Microgrooves and fluid flows provide preferential passageways for sperm over pathogen Tritrichomonas foetus","volume":"112","author":"Ck Tung","year":"2015","journal-title":"Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences"},{"issue":"2","key":"pcbi.1009109.ref021","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"106","DOI":"10.1002\/ar.1092250205","article-title":"Study of the functional anatomy of bovine cervical mucosa with special reference to mucus secretion and sperm transport","volume":"225","author":"K June Mullins","year":"1989","journal-title":"The Anatomical Record"},{"key":"pcbi.1009109.ref022","author":"EA Codling","year":"2008","journal-title":"Random walk models in biology"},{"key":"pcbi.1009109.ref023","author":"P Romanczuk","year":"2012","journal-title":"Active Brownian particles: From individual to collective stochastic dynamics: From individual to collective stochastic dynamics"},{"issue":"3","key":"pcbi.1009109.ref024","article-title":"Rheotaxis facilitates upstream navigation of mammalian sperm cells","volume":"2014","author":"V Kantsler","year":"2014","journal-title":"eLife"},{"issue":"40","key":"pcbi.1009109.ref025","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"16018","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.1212506109","article-title":"High-throughput lensfree 3D tracking of human sperms reveals rare statistics of helical trajectories","volume":"109","author":"TW Su","year":"2012","journal-title":"Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America"},{"issue":"3","key":"pcbi.1009109.ref026","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"792","DOI":"10.1109\/TMI.2016.2630720","article-title":"Automatic Tracking and Motility Analysis of Human Sperm in Time-Lapse Images","volume":"36","author":"LF Urbano","year":"2017","journal-title":"IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging"},{"issue":"1","key":"pcbi.1009109.ref027","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"5","DOI":"10.1016\/j.theriogenology.2013.09.004","article-title":"Computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA): Capabilities and potential developments","volume":"81","author":"RP Amann","year":"2014","journal-title":"Theriogenology"},{"issue":"21","key":"pcbi.1009109.ref028","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"8007","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.1202934109","article-title":"Human spermatozoa migration in microchannels reveals boundary-following navigation","volume":"109","author":"P Denissenko","year":"2012","journal-title":"Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences"},{"key":"pcbi.1009109.ref029","author":"S Fair","year":"2019","journal-title":"The biological mechanisms regulating sperm selection by the ovine cervix"},{"issue":"11-12","key":"pcbi.1009109.ref030","first-page":"2333","article-title":"Microswimmers near surfaces","volume":"225","author":"J Elgeti","year":"2016","journal-title":"European Physical Journal: Special Topics"},{"issue":"3","key":"pcbi.1009109.ref031","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"198","DOI":"10.1016\/j.tcb.2013.10.004","article-title":"The computational sperm cell","volume":"24","author":"L Alvarez","year":"2014","journal-title":"Trends in Cell Biology"},{"issue":"1","key":"pcbi.1009109.ref032","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1038\/srep26669","article-title":"Predominance of sperm motion in corners","volume":"6","author":"R Nosrati","year":"2016","journal-title":"Scientific Reports"},{"issue":"4","key":"pcbi.1009109.ref033","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1018","DOI":"10.1016\/j.bpj.2010.05.015","article-title":"Hydrodynamics of sperm cells near surfaces","volume":"99","author":"J Elgeti","year":"2010","journal-title":"Biophysical Journal"},{"issue":"1","key":"pcbi.1009109.ref034","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"185","DOI":"10.1007\/s00441-015-2244-2","article-title":"Mammalian sperm interactions with the female reproductive tract","volume":"363","author":"SS Suarez","year":"2016","journal-title":"Cell and Tissue Research"},{"issue":"1","key":"pcbi.1009109.ref035","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"65","DOI":"10.1002\/j.1939-4640.2000.tb03277.x","article-title":"Correlation of CASA Velocity and Linearity Parameters With Sperm Mobility Phenotype in Turkeys","volume":"2121","author":"LM King","year":"2000","journal-title":"Journal of Andrology J Androl"},{"key":"pcbi.1009109.ref036","volume-title":"Numerical Solution of Stochastic Differential Equations","author":"PE Kloeden","year":"1995"},{"issue":"8","key":"pcbi.1009109.ref037","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1174","DOI":"10.1016\/j.theriogenology.2008.07.020","article-title":"Immunological responses to semen in the female genital tract","volume":"70","author":"HJ Schuberth","year":"2008","journal-title":"Theriogenology"},{"issue":"4","key":"pcbi.1009109.ref038","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"295","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1095-8312.1993.tb00933.x","article-title":"Sexual selection and the temporal separation of reproductive events: sperm storage data from reptiles, birds and mammals","volume":"50","author":"TR BIRKHEAD","year":"1993","journal-title":"Biological Journal of the Linnean Society"},{"issue":"1","key":"pcbi.1009109.ref039","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"102","DOI":"10.1095\/biolreprod44.1.102","article-title":"Fertilizing capacity of bovine sperm may be maintained by binding to oviductal epithelial cells","volume":"44","author":"JW Pollard","year":"1991","journal-title":"Biology of Reproduction"},{"issue":"6","key":"pcbi.1009109.ref040","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"443","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cub.2013.02.007","article-title":"Rheotaxis guides mammalian sperm","volume":"23","author":"K Miki","year":"2013","journal-title":"Current Biology"},{"key":"pcbi.1009109.ref041","author":"ME Cort\u00e9s","year":"2014","journal-title":"Crystallization of Bovine Cervical Mucus at Oestrus: An Update"},{"issue":"12","key":"pcbi.1009109.ref042","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2645","DOI":"10.3168\/jds.S0022-0302(83)82138-9","article-title":"Sperm Survival and Transport in the Female Reproductive Tract","volume":"66","author":"HW Hawk","year":"1983","journal-title":"Journal of Dairy Science"},{"issue":"5-6","key":"pcbi.1009109.ref043","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"439","DOI":"10.1387\/ijdb.082595mg","article-title":"Implications of diversity in sperm size and function for sperm competition and fertility","volume":"52","author":"M Gomendio","year":"2008","journal-title":"International Journal of Developmental Biology"},{"issue":"7","key":"pcbi.1009109.ref044","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e41915","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0041915","article-title":"Thermotaxis of human sperm cells in extraordinarily shallow temperature gradients over a wide range","volume":"7","author":"A Bahat","year":"2012","journal-title":"PLoS ONE"},{"issue":"4","key":"pcbi.1009109.ref045","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"703","DOI":"10.1016\/j.theriogenology.2011.11.011","article-title":"Using computational modeling to investigate sperm navigation and behavior in the female reproductive tract","volume":"77","author":"M Burkitt","year":"2012","journal-title":"Theriogenology"},{"issue":"33","key":"pcbi.1009109.ref046","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"13256","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.0703530104","article-title":"Chemotaxis of sperm cells","volume":"104","author":"BM Friedrich","year":"2007","journal-title":"Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America"},{"issue":"4","key":"pcbi.1009109.ref047","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e1006109","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pcbi.1006109","article-title":"Decision making improves sperm chemotaxis in the presence of noise","volume":"14","author":"JA Kromer","year":"2018","journal-title":"PLOS Computational Biology"},{"key":"pcbi.1009109.ref048","unstructured":"Busch, Waberski. K\u00fcnstliche Besamung bei Haus- und Nutztieren. Schattauer; 2007. Available from: http:\/\/www.schattauer.de\/de\/book\/detail\/product\/139-kuenstliche-besamung-bei-haus-und-nutztieren\/productPage\/40.html."},{"issue":"1","key":"pcbi.1009109.ref049","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"153","DOI":"10.1530\/jrf.0.0750153","article-title":"On mammalian sperm dimensions","volume":"75","author":"JM Cummins","year":"1985","journal-title":"Journal of reproduction and fertility"},{"issue":"3","key":"pcbi.1009109.ref050","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"261","DOI":"10.1038\/s41592-019-0686-2","article-title":"SciPy 1.0: fundamental algorithms for scientific computing in Python","volume":"17","author":"P Virtanen","year":"2020","journal-title":"Nature Methods"}],"container-title":["PLOS Computational Biology"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pcbi.1009109","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2023,11,5]],"date-time":"2023-11-05T22:19:41Z","timestamp":1699222781000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pcbi.1009109"}},"subtitle":[],"editor":[{"given":"Stacey","family":"Finley","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"editor"}]}],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2021,7,15]]},"references-count":50,"journal-issue":{"issue":"7","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,7,15]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pcbi.1009109","relation":{"has-preprint":[{"id-type":"doi","id":"10.1101\/2020.03.05.977967","asserted-by":"object"}]},"ISSN":["1553-7358"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1553-7358","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2021,7,15]]}}}