Acrosin inhibitor detection along the boar epididymis

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• 作者：Pavla Maňá ; sková ; -Postlerová ; ^a ; ^{pavlam@ibt.cas.cz" class="auth_mail" title="E-mail the corresponding author} ; Nina Cozlová ; ^a ; ^b ; Andriy Dorosh^a ; Miroslav &Scaron ; ulc^b ; ^c ; Benoit Guyonnet^d ; ^e ; ¹ ; Věra Joná ; ková ; ^a
• 关键词：Acrosin inhibitor ; Boar epididymis ; Spermatozoa
• 刊名：International Journal of Biological Macromolecules
• 出版年：2016
• 出版时间：January 2016
• 年：2016
• 卷：82
• 期：Complete
• 页码：733-739
• 全文大小：1161 K

文摘

Epididymal sperm maturation represents a key step in the reproduction process. Spermatozoa are exposed to epididymal fluid components representing the natural environment essential for their post-testicular maturation. Changes in sperm membrane proteins are influenced by proteolytic, glycosylation and deglycosylation enzymes present in the epididymal fluid. Accordingly, the occurrence of inhibitors of these enzymes in the epididymis is very important for the regulation of sperm membrane protein processing. In the present study, we monitored acrosin inhibitor distribution in boar epididymal fluid and in spermatozoa from different segments of the organ. Using specific polyclonal antibody we registered increasing signal of the acrosin inhibitor (AI) from caput to cauda epididymis. Mass spectroscopy examination of the immunoprecipitated acrosin inhibitor (12 kDa) unequivocally identified sperm-associated acrosin inhibitor (SAAI) in the epididymal tissue. Lectin staining showed N-glycosylation in AI from boar epididymis. Protein detection of AI was supported by the results of semi-quantitative RT-PCR showing the presence of mRNA specifically coding for SAAI and similarly increasing throughout the epididymal duct, from its proximal to distal part. Additionally, the immunofluorescence technique showed the AI localization in the secretory tissue of caput, corpus and cauda epididymis, and in the acrosome region and midpiece of the sperm.