Characterization of two antigenically related integral membrane proteins of the guinea pig sperm periacrosomal plasma membrane

ILA 147 immunoreactivity of the bull spermatozoa membrane during epididymal maturation

A cytochemical quantitative study was carried out to detect immunostaining of bull spermatozoa during epididymal maturation using an ILA 147 monoclonal antibody and a standard immunoperoxidase method. This antibody recognizes a bovine panleukocyte determinant. Microdensitometric measurements were made on spermatozoa collected from different sites of the male genital tract (caput, corpus and cauda epididymidis and ductus deferens). On the basis of ILA 147 staining, at least 5 subpopulations of sperm cells from each site of the genital tract were found. These subpopulations showed: 1) immunostaining in the acrosome domain and in the cytoplasmic droplet in a proximal position; 2) immunostaining in the acrosome domain and in the distal cytoplasmic droplet; 3) immunostaining in the acrosomal region and lack of a cytoplasmic droplet; 4) immunostaining only in the cytoplasmic droplet; 5) lack of a cytoplasmic droplet and absence of staining of the head. The possible relationship between the presence of ILA 147 on the sperm head and the maturation process was evaluated, and we suggest that the most significant changes in ILA 147 expression occur in the corpus epididymidis. The absence of immunocytochemical staining in some spermatozoa may be related to plasma membrane damage due to spontaneous peroxidative damage of lipids.

Identification of the 48-kDa G11 protein from guinea pig testes as sperad

A protein found specifically in the membrane of spermatozoa called G11 has been implicated in sperm-egg binding and fusion. This study describes purification and identification of the G11 antigen. The G11 protein was purified using anion exchange chromatography, immunoaffinity chromatography and preparative SDS-PAGE and was subjected to amino acid microsequencing by tandem mass spectrometry. Internal amino acid sequence data derived from the 48-kDa G11 protein revealed that G11 is the recently discovered guinea pig sperm protein, sperad. Sperad is a transmembrane protein present in the periacrosomal plasma membrane of guinea pig sperm. The cytoplasmic domain of sperad was amplified from a guinea pig testes cDNA expression library by polymerase chain reaction and cloned into a prokaryotic gene expression vector, pGEX-2T. The recombinant glutathione S-transferase fusion protein was immunoblotted with monoclonal antibody G11. The results obtained from this study confirmed the monoclonal antibody G11 epitope location on the cytoplasmic domain of sperad.

Differential extraction and enrichment of human sperm surface proteins in a proteome: identification of immunocontraceptive candidates

The objective of this study was to discover previously unknown human sperm surface proteins that may be candidate contraceptive vaccinogens. To this end, methods of concentrating human sperm proteins for microsequencing by mass spectrometry were used, which increased the likelihood of identifying surface proteins. Vectorial labeling, differential extraction and two-dimensional (2-D) gel electrophoresis were employed to identify and isolate proteins accessible at the cell surface. Percoll harvested or swim-up sperm were either solubilized directly or solubilized after surface labeling with sulfo-succinimidyl-6-(biotinamido)hexanoate (sulfo-NHS-LC-biotin). Comparisons were made of proteins extracted with four lysis buffers: (i) Celis buffer containing 9.8 M urea and 2% Igepal CA-630; (ii) 1% Triton X (TX)-100; (iii) 1.7% TX-114 followed by phase partitioning; or (iv) 1 M NaCl. Blots of proteins separated by high-resolution 2-D electrophoresis were probed with avidin and antibodies to known proteins specific for three domains: the sperm surface (SAGA-1), the acrosome (SP-10), and the cytoskeleton (alpha-tubulin). Celis buffer (45 min) extracted proteins from all three major compartments. However, a 20-s extraction in Celis buffer enriched for several proteins and enabled the identification of several novel peptides by mass spectrometry. Mild extraction with TX-100 or 1 M NaCl solubilized mainly membrane and acrosomal proteins, but not cytoskeletal proteins. Comparison of biotinylated proteins extracted by each method showed that the major vectorially labeled proteins solubilized by Celis buffer were also solubilized by TX-100, TX-114, and 1 M NaCl. Extraction with TX-114 followed by phase-partitioning significantly enriched hydrophobic surface proteins and aided resolution and isolation. Eight protein spots microsequenced following all these extraction methods proved to be novel sperm molecules.

Spermatid-specific expression of the novel X-linked gene product SPAN-X localized to the nucleus of human spermatozoa

Formation of mature spermatozoa involves a series of dramatic molecular and morphological changes in the male germ cell lineage. These changes result from the temporally regulated transcription and translation of several testis-specific gene products. Here, we describe a novel, testis-specific protein designated SPAN-X for sperm protein associated with the nucleus on the X chromosome. SPAN-X sequences showed no significant similarity with known cDNA or peptide sequences. The SPAN-X peptide sequences contained three overlapping consensus nuclear localization signals, a high percentage (33%-37%) of charged amino acid residues, and a relatively acidic isoelectric point (pI; 4.88-6.05). Northern analysis of mRNA from multiple human tissues identified a SPAN-X transcript exclusively in the testis. In situ hybridization of human testes sections showed SPAN-X mRNA expression in haploid, round, and elongating spermatids. The SPANX gene was mapped to chromosome Xq27. 1 by fluorescence in situ hybridization and by Southern blot analysis of human/mouse somatic cell hybrids. On Western blots of human sperm proteins, antirecombinant SPAN-X antibodies reacted with broad bands migrating between 15-20 kDa. Immunofluorescent labeling of human spermatozoa demonstrated SPAN-X localization to nuclear craters and cytoplasmic droplets. Expression of SPAN-X, an X-linked gene product, exclusively in haploid spermatids leads to interesting questions regarding the transcription of sex-linked genes during spermiogenesis.

Maintenance of motility in mouse sperm permeabilized with streptolysin O

One approach to studying the mechanisms governing sperm motility is to permeabilize sperm and examine the regulation of motility by manipulating the intracellular milieu of the cell. The most common method of sperm permeabilization, detergent treatment, has the disadvantage that the membranes and many proteins are extracted from the cell. To avoid this problem, we have developed a method that uses streptolysin O to create stable pores within the plasma membrane while leaving internal membranes intact. Sperm were permeabilized, preincubated, and then treated with 0.6 U/ml of streptolysin O. Permeabilization was assessed by fluorescent dye technologies and endogenous protein phosphorylation using exogenously added [gamma-32P]ATP. Streptolysin O-induced permeabilization rendered the sperm immotile, and the effect was Ca2+-dependent. When the cells were treated simultaneously with a medium containing ATP, streptolysin O-treated sperm maintained flagellar movement. These results demonstrate that the streptolysin O permeabilization model system is a useful experimental method for studying the mechanisms that regulate sperm motility since it allows the flagellar apparatus to be exposed to various exogenously added molecules.

Targeting of the domain-specific integral membrane protein PM52 to the periacrosomal plasma membrane during guinea pig spermiogenesis

The sperm plasma membrane is segregated into functionally, biochemically, and structurally distinct domains yet the protein sorting pathways and assembly mechanisms that assemble these domains during spermiogenesis are incompletely understood. We previously characterized two structurally related size-variant, integral membrane proteins of 52 kDa (PM52) and 35 kDa localized to the periacrosomal plasma membrane of guinea pig cauda epididymal spermatozoa (Westbrook-Case et al., 1994). In this study we used light and electron microscopic immunocytochemistry to define the expression pattern and sorting pathway that establishes the domain-specific distribution of PM52 during spermiogenesis. The PM52 is first expressed in acrosome-phase spermatids and it localizes exclusively to the cytoplasmic lobe. Immunoelectron microscopy revealed that both cytoplasmic vesicles and the plasma membrane of the cytoplasmic lobe labeled with anti-PM52. During early stages of expression, PM52 appeared to be absent from the head region, but significant PM52 accumulation over the spermatid head was noted in late acrosomal phase spermatids. Throughout spermiogenesis PM52 extended posteriorly to the annulus, which represents a barrier preventing PM52 diffusion into the posterior tail. Following the migration of the annulus to the midpiece-principal piece junction, PM52 began to disappear from the flagellar region and at the completion of spermiogenesis most of the PM52 was restricted to the acrosomal segment. Spermatids and epididymal sperm PM52 exhibited identical sizes by SDS-PAGE and immunoblotting, indicating that they are not proteolytically modified during epididymal maturation. The PM52 antibodies were also used to screen a guinea pig testis cDNA library, and sequence determination of full-length PM52 clones demonstrated identity of a sperm membrane protein recently termed "sperad" (Quill and Garbers, 1996). Membrane barriers and potential mechanisms establishing the domain-specific residence of PM52 are discussed.

Isolation and characterization of a protein with homology to angiotensin converting enzyme from the periacrosomal plasma membrane of equine spermatozoa

The periacrosomal plasma membrane of spermatozoa is involved in sperm binding to oviductal epithelial cells and to the zona pellucida. A protein of 68-70 kD molecular mass was purified biochemically from the isolated periacrosomal plasma membrane of equine spermatozoa as a possible receptor for adhesion of spermatozoa to oviductal epithelial cells. A polyclonal antibody raised in rabbits against the purified equine sperm membrane protein recognized the 70 kD and an antigenically related to 32 kD protein in preparations of isolated periacrosomal sperm plasma membrane and in detergent extracted ejaculated and epididymal spermatozoa. A larger protein (approximately 110 kD) was detected in equine testis. Two antigenically related proteins (64 and 45 kD) were recognized on the plasma membrane of cynomolgus macaque spermatozoa. In vitro sperm-binding assays were performed in the presence of antigen-binding fragments or IgG purified from the polyclonal antiserum to investigate a possible function to the isolated protein in binding of equine spermatozoa to homologous oviductal epithelial cells or zona pellucida. Incubation with antigen-binding fragments or IgG purified from the antiserum did not inhibit binding of equine spermatozoa either to oviductal epithelial cells or the zona pellucida. On ultrastructural examination, the antibody bound exclusively to the cytoplasmic side of the periacrosomal plasma membrane of equine and macaque spermatozoa. Microsequence analysis of 13 residues of sequence showed strong homology with a number of angiotensin converting enzymes: An 84% identity was identified with testis specific and somatic forms of human and mouse angiotensin-converting enzyme. Immunocytochemistry and immunoblot analysis established that the protein is specific for the periacrosomal membrane of ejaculated, epididymal, and testicular stallion spermatozoa.

Sperad is a novel sperm-specific plasma membrane protein homologous to a family of cell adhesion proteins

A hallmark of fertilization is a high degree of species specificity, implying gamete-specific recognition signals. To identify sperm-specific plasma membrane proteins, an antiserum to sperm plasma membranes was produced in female guinea pigs. The screening of a testis cDNA expression library with this antiserum resulted in the isolation of two clones encoding a predicted protein containing two extracellular immunoglobulin-like domains, a transmembrane segment, and an intracellular proline-rich domain. The predicted protein (named sperad) is closely related to a large family (biliary glycoproteins) of putative cell adhesion molecules. Sperad is first expressed by the haploid spermatid and is localized to the plasma membrane overlying the acrosome, supportive of a role in cell adhesion/signaling. However, sperad expression in Sf9 cells does not result in Sf9 cell aggregation or in sperm adhesion to the infected insect cells, suggesting that sperad is involved in heterotypic interactions. The open reading frame of the two cDNA clones predicts proteins of either 32.2 or 33.3 kDa. Antibody produced to sperad recognizes three sperm plasma membrane proteins on immunoblots (Mr 55,000, 36,000, and 28,000), but the lower molecular weight proteins are degradation products; deglycosylation confirmed that the Mr 55, 000 sperm plasma membrane represents the full-length protein encoded by the clone. Induction of the acrosome reaction does not appear to alter the molecular weight of sperad but does result in its loss from the sperm cells. Thus, sperad is likely involved in heterotypic interactions prior to interaction of spermatozoa with the egg plasma membrane.