Cloning and characterization of boar epididymal secretory proteins by homology to the human

Molecular Biomarkers of Canine Reproductive Functions

The aim of the current study is to review potential molecular biomarker substances selected so far as useful for assessing the quality of dog semen. Proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, and ions can serve as molecular biomarkers of reproductive functions (BRFs) for evaluating male reproductive health and identifying potential risk factors for infertility or reproductive disorders. Evaluation of BRF levels in semen samples or reproductive tissues may provide insights into the underlying causes of infertility, such as impaired sperm function, abnormal sperm-egg interaction, or dysfunction of the male reproductive tract. Molecular biomarker proteins may be divided into two groups: proteins that are well-studied, such as A-kinase anchoring proteins (AKAPs), albumins (ALBs), alkaline phosphatase (ALPL), clusterin (CLU), canine prostate-specific esterase (CPSE), cysteine-rich secretory protein 2 (CRISP2), lactotransferrin (LTF), metalloproteinases (MMPs), and osteopontin (OPN) and proteins that are not well-studied. Non-protein markers include lipid-based substances (fatty acids, phosphatidylcholine), carbohydrates (glycosaminoglycans), and ions (zinc, calcium). Assessing the levels of BRFs in semen samples may provide valuable information for breeding management and reproductive assessments in dogs. This review systematizes current knowledge that could serve as a starting point for developing practical tests with the use of biomarkers of canine reproductive functions and their predictive value for assisted reproductive technique outcomes and semen preservation.

Age-Dependent Variations in Functional Quality and Proteomic Characteristics of Canine (Canis lupus familiaris) Epididymal Spermatozoa

Increased male age is associated with a significant reduction in semen quality. Little is known about the sperm proteome changes resulting from the aging process. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the functional quality and proteome of epididymal spermatozoa of dogs that were differing in age. The study was conducted on 30 male dogs that were divided into three age groups. G1—12 to 41 months old, G2—42 to 77 months old, and G3—78 to 132 months old. The sperm samples were assessed using a computer-assisted semen analysis (CASA). The epididymal sperm proteins were analyzed using gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), nano-liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry (NanoUPLC-Q-TOF/MS) and bioinformatic tools. The sperm quality parameters were significantly lower in older dogs. NanoUPLC-Q-TOF/MS identification resulted in 865 proteins that were found in the G1, 472 in G2, and 435 in G3. There were seven proteins that were present in all three age groups, and four of them (ACTB, CE10, NPC2, CRISP2) showed significant changes among the studied groups. Age-dependent variations were detected in the sperm proteome composition and were related to important metabolite pathways, which might suggest that several proteins are implicated in sperm maturation and could be potential aging biomarkers.

Immunocontraceptive target repertoire defined by systematic identification of sperm membrane alloantigens in a single species

Sperm competence in animal fertilization requires the collective activities of numerous sperm-specific proteins that are typically alloimmunogenic in females. Consequently, sperm membrane alloantigens are potential targets for contraceptives that act by blocking the proteins' functions in gamete interactions. Here we used a targeted proteomics approach to identify the major alloantigens in swine sperm membranes and lipid rafts, and thereby systematically defined the repertoire of these sperm-specific proteins in a single species. Gilts with high alloantibody reactivity to proteins in sperm membranes or lipid rafts produced fewer offspring (73% decrease) than adjuvant-only or nonimmune control animals. Alloantisera recognized more than 20 potentially unique sperm membrane proteins and five sperm lipid raft proteins resolved on two-dimensional immunoblots with or without prior enrichment by anion exchange chromatography. Dominant sperm membrane alloantigens identified by mass spectrometry included the ADAMs fertilin α, fertilin ß, and cyritestin. Less abundant alloantigens included ATP synthase F1 β subunit, myo-inositol monophosphatase-1, and zymogen granule membrane glycoprotein-2. Immunodominant sperm lipid raft alloantigens included SAMP14, lymphocyte antigen 6K, and the epididymal sperm protein E12. Of the fifteen unique membrane alloantigens identified, eleven were known sperm-specific proteins with uncertain functions in fertilization, and four were not previously suspected to exist as sperm-specific isoforms. De novo sequences of tryptic peptides from sperm membrane alloantigen "M6" displayed no evident homology to known proteins, so is a newly discovered sperm-specific gene product in swine. We conclude that alloimmunizing gilts with sperm membranes or lipid rafts evokes formation of antibodies to a relatively small number of dominant alloantigens that include known and novel sperm-specific proteins with possible functions in fertilization and potential utility as targets for immunocontraception.

Epididymosomes transfer epididymal sperm binding protein 1 (ELSPBP1) to dead spermatozoa during epididymal transit in bovine

Previously, we showed that epididymal sperm binding protein 1 (ELSPBP1) characterizes spermatozoa already dead before ejaculation in bovine. In this study, we investigated the presence of ELSPBP1 in bull genital tract as well as its acquisition by spermatozoa during epididymal transit. As assessed by real-time RT-PCR, ELSPBP1 was highly expressed in the caput and the corpus epididymis but was present in lower expression levels in the testis and the cauda epididymis. Immunohistochemistry revealed the same expression pattern. However, Western blot on tissue homogenates showed some discrepancies, as ELSPBP1 was found in a comparable concentration all along the epididymis. This difference was due to the presence of ELSPBP1 in the epididymal fluid. In both caput and cauda epididymal fluid, ELSPBP1 was associated with the epididymosomes, small membranous vesicles secreted by epithelial cells of the epididymis and implicated in the transfer of proteins to spermatozoa. As assessed by immunocytometry, ELSPBP1 was found on a subset of dead spermatozoa in caput epididymis but was found on all dead spermatozoa in cauda epididymis. To assess ELSPBP1 acquisition by spermatozoa, caput epididymal spermatozoa were incubated with cauda epididymosomes under various conditions. ELSPBP1 detection by immunocytometry assay revealed that only spermatozoa already dead before incubation were receptive to ELSPBP1 transfer by epididymosomes. This receptivity was enhanced by the presence of zinc in the incubation medium. This specificity for a sperm subpopulation suggests that an underlying mechanism is involved and that ELSPBP1 could be a tag for the recognition of dead spermatozoa during epididymal transit.

Biochemical and binding characteristics of boar epididymal fluid proteins

During the passage through the epididymis, testicular spermatozoa are directly exposed to epididymal fluid and undergo maturation. Proteins and glycoproteins of epididymal fluid may be adsorbed on the sperm surface and participate in the sperm maturation process, potentially in sperm capacitation, gamete recognition, binding and fusion. In present study, we separated proteins from boar epididymal fluid and tested their binding abilities. Boar epididymal fluid proteins were separated by size exclusion chromatography and by high-performance liquid chromatography with reverse phase (RP HPLC). The protein fractions were characterized by SDS-electrophoresis and the electrophoretic separated proteins after transfer to nitrocellulose membranes were tested for the interaction with biotin-labeled ligands: glycoproteins of zona pellucida (ZP), hyaluronic acid and heparin. Simultaneously, changes in the interaction of epididymal spermatozoa with biotin-labeled ligands after pre-incubation with epididymal fluid fractions were studied on microtiter plates by the ELBA (enzyme-linked binding assay) test. The affinity of some low-molecular-mass epididymal proteins (12-17 kDa and 23 kDa) to heparin and hyaluronic acid suggests their binding ability to oviductal proteoglycans of the porcine oviduct and a possible role during sperm capacitation. Epididymal proteins of 12-18 kDa interacted with ZP glycoproteins. One of them was identified as Crisp3-like protein. The method using microtiter plates showed the ability of epididymal fluid fractions to change the interaction of the epididymal sperm surface with biotin-labeled ligands (ZP glycoproteins, hyaluronic acid and heparin). These findings indicate that some epididymal fluid proteins are bound to the sperm surface during epididymal maturation and might play a role in the sperm capacitation or the sperm-zona pellucida binding.

The adult boar testicular and epididymal transcriptomes

Background

Mammalians gamete production takes place in the testis but when they exit this organ, although spermatozoa have acquired a specialized and distinct morphology, they are immotile and infertile. It is only after their travel in the epididymis that sperm gain their motility and fertility. Epididymis is a crescent shaped organ adjacent to the testis that can be divided in three gross morphological regions, head (caput), body (corpus) and tail (cauda). It contains a long and unique convoluted tubule connected to the testis via the efferent ducts and finished by joining the vas deferens in its caudal part.

Results

In this study, the testis, the efferent ducts (vas efferens, VE), nine distinct successive epididymal segments and the deferent duct (vas deferens, VD) of four adult boars of known fertility were isolated and their mRNA extracted. The gene expression of each of these samples was analyzed using a pig generic 9 K nylon microarray (AGENAE program; GEO accession number: GPL3729) spotted with 8931 clones derived from normalized cDNA banks from different pig tissues including testis and epididymis. Differentially expressed transcripts were obtained with moderated t-tests and F-tests and two data clustering algorithms based either on partitioning around medoid (top down PAM) or hierarchical clustering (bottom up HCL) were combined for class discovery and gene expression analysis. Tissue clustering defined seven transcriptomic units: testis, vas efferens and five epididymal transcriptomic units. Meanwhile transcripts formed only four clusters related to the tissues. We have then used a specific statistical method to sort out genes specifically over-expressed (markers) in testis, VE or in each of the five transcriptomic units of the epididymis (including VD). The specific regional expression of some of these genes was further validated by PCR and Q-PCR. We also searched for specific pathways and functions using available gene ontology information.

Conclusion

This study described for the first time the complete transcriptomes of the testis, the epididymis, the vas efferens and the vas deferens on the same species. It described new genes or genes not yet reported over-expressed in these boar tissues, as well as new control mechanisms. It emphasizes and fulfilled the gap between studies done in rodents and human, and provides tools that will be useful for further studies on the biochemical processes responsible for the formation and maintain of the epididymal regionalization and the development of a fertile spermatozoa.

Fibronectin type II-module proteins in the bovine genital tract and their putative role in cell volume control during sperm maturation

The male reproductive tract of ungulates contains two protein families bearing tandemly arranged fibronectin II (Fn2) modules; one (small Fn2 proteins) bears two modules (e.g. BSP–A1/2), the other (long Fn2 proteins) bears four (e.g. epididymal sperm-binding protein 1 (ELSPBP1)). While it is well known that small Fn2 proteins are present in bull semen, nothing is known about long Fn2 proteins. In the present study, the presence of ELSPBP1 proteins in the bull epididymis and their association with maturing spermatozoa were investigated using a specific antibody against canine ELSPBP1. Analysis of western blots showed ELSPBP1 to be present in the caput, corpus and cauda regions of the epididymis. The protein, which bound phosphorylcholine (PC) strongly, appeared to associate with the spermatozoa during maturation because it was absent from caput spermatozoa but present on cauda spermatozoa. Immunocytochemistry of cauda spermatozoa showed the protein to be bound to the post-acrosomal and midpiece regions. ELSPBP1 could not be detected on freshly ejaculated spermatozoa but was revealed after a capacitating treatment. Our previous studies have shown differences between bovine caput and cauda spermatozoa in terms of their ability to control cell volume. Because of the close homology of BSP–A1/2 PC binding regions with Fn2 regions in ELSPBP1, BSP–A1/2 was used as a model to investigate the effect of a PC-binding Fn2 protein on cell volume control. While the protein had no effect on cauda spermatozoa, it caused caput spermatozoa to swell more in response to hypotonic stress, similarly to untreated cauda spermatozoa.

Sperm-binding fibronectin type II-module proteins are genetically linked and functionally related

Fibronectin type II (Fn2) module-containing proteins in the male genital tract are characterized by different numbers of Fn2 modules. Predominantly two classes exist which are distinct by having either two or four Fn2 modules. Minor variants with three Fn2 modules were also found in the human and the porcine epididymis. To reveal their relationship, mRNAs and proteins of representatives of these classes were studied in human, in Sus scrofa, and in rodents. Adult boars expressed members of both classes, i.e. ELSPBP1 and pB1, in subsequent regions of the epididymis, and both were under androgenic control. Human and rodent epididymides, on the other hand, alternatively contained only representatives of one of these two classes, i.e. ELSPBP1 in the human and two different pB1-related counterparts in rodents. ELSPBP1 and pB1-related genomic sequences were closely linked in chromosomal regions HSA 19q and SSC 6 q11-q21; conserved synteny between these regions is well established. On the other hand, in a syntenic region on mouse chromosome 7, ELSPBP1-related sequences were lacking. Tight binding to the sperm membrane via a choline-mediated mechanism was a common feature of the two classes of Fn2-module proteins, suggesting related function(s). However, differences in their regionalized expression patterns along the male genital tract as well as in association sites on the sperm surface suggested a species-specific sequential order in sperm binding.

The role of stallion seminal proteins in fertilisation

Seminal plasma proteins are secretory proteins originating mainly from the epididymis and the accessory sex glands. They are involved in the remodelling of the sperm surface which occurs during sperm transit through the male genital tract and continues later at ejaculation. During this process, collectively called post-testicular sperm maturation, the spermatozoa acquire the ability to fertilise an egg. Seminal plasma proteins have been shown to contribute to early and central steps of the fertilisation sequence, e.g. the establishment of the oviductal sperm reservoir, modulation of capacitation and gamete interaction. The major equine seminal plasma proteins belong to three protein classes, which contain widely occurring protein modules. Fn-2 type proteins are characterised by two or four tandemly arranged Fn-2 modules and have been implicated in the modulation of sperm capacitation. Multiple members of the cysteine-rich secretory proteins (CRISP) have been identified in the male genital tract of a number of species. CRISP proteins have been shown to be involved in various functions related to sperm-oocyte fusion, innate host defense function and ion channel blockage. Spermadhesins occur only in ungulate species. Their carbohydrate- and zona pellucida-binding properties would suggest a role of these proteins in gamete recognition. The major proteins of equine seminal plasma have been isolated and characterised regarding their expression along the male genital tract, protein structure and their functions.

Structural and molecular characterization of equine sperm-binding fibronectin-II module proteins

Phospholipid-binding proteins in the male genital tract are characterized by differing numbers Fn-2 modules (B-domain) carrying N-terminal extensions (A-domain) of variable length. In the stallion, three different proteins were identified, SP-1, SP-2, and EQ-12. SP-1 and SP-2 of the AA'BB'- and ABB'-type, respectively, are major proteins of the seminal plasma. Here we report the cDNA sequences of SP-1, and of a new member of the SP-2 family (SPnew) and the partial characterization of their iso- and glycoforms. The phosphorylcholine (PC)-binding ability of the long Fn-2 protein, EQ-12, with four tandemly arranged Fn-2 modules was determined by PC-affinity chromatography. Expression patterns of EQ-12, and the SP-proteins were studied by means of RT-PCR, Northern blot analysis and immunological approaches indicating differential expression along the male reproductive tract. The vast majority of the short SP-1 and SP-2 proteins are produced by the ampulla whereas EQ-12 originates from the epididymis. Indirect immunofluorescence microscopy of sperm isolated from different regions of the epididymis and Western blot analysis indicate that both, the long and the short Fn-2 proteins associate to the sperm surface during post-testicular maturation. Sperm binding of Fn-2 proteins at the post-acrosome and midpiece was at first detected in the corpus epididymis. Enhanced fluorescence intensity after ejaculation point to an increased number of molecules bound to the sperm surface. The function of these proteins is discussed in regard to their structure-function relationships.