: 0 f ftn0tit0rto;;e~;;-; ,;0 The Modulation of Sperm Function by the Oviductal Epithelium

During their sojourn in the female tract, sperm come into contact with the epithelial cells that line the tract and their secretions. In the past, much attention has been given to the nature and composition of uterine and oviductal fluid [1-3] with the aim of understanding what components of these fluids may affect the events associated with fertiliza-tion and preimplantation embryo development. A number of secretory glycoproteins have been identified in repro-ductive tract fluids of several species [3]. However, with the exception of two estrus-associated oviductal glycopro-teins that may play a role in the capacitation [4, 5] and/or motility [6] of bovine sperm, the function of these glyco-proteins in relation to sperm physiology remains unclear. One remarkable aspect of sperm behavior, widely ob-served across species, is a tendency to directly contact an