Abstract: Sperm motility is an important indicator of the measurement of semen quality and male fertility， and approximately 19% of patients with male infertility are caused by the lower of sperm motility. The energy required for sperm motility comes from the oxidative phosphorylation of mitochondrial respiratory chain. The changes of mitochondrial structure and function caused by various reasons， such as the reduction of membrane potential， abnormality of enzyme activity or expression， and the mutation or deletion of mitochondrial DNA （mtDNA）， may result in the dyssynthesis of mitochondrial energy and depression of sperm motility. This article reviews the recent advancements of the correlation between mitochondrial function and sperm motility in order to explore the pathogenesy of poor motility of sperm and possible pathway of clinical treatment for asthenospermia.

Key words: Sperm, Motility, Mitochondria, Mitochondrial DNA （mtDNA）