Zinc-binding proteins in stallion seminal plasma as potential sperm function regulators

Abstract Sperm functions may be influenced by seminal plasma (SP) proteins with affinity to zinc ions. The aim of the study was isolate and characterise zinc-binding (ZnBPs) from stallion SP using proteomic tools. Zinc-binding were isolated eight stallions zinc-affinity chromatography. They analysed in SDS-PAGE system, peptide extracts prepared. Samples ZnBPs injected onto nLC-1000 nanoflow HPLC system coupled via a nano-electrospray ion source Orbitrap Elite FTMS mass spectrometer (Thermo Fisher Scientific). Raw MS data MaxQuant software label-free quantification (LFQ). Protein sequences obtained UniProt database. Forty-seven annotated gene ontology (GO) analysis. LFQ intensity analysis individual revealed that comprised mainly clusterin (CLU, 27%), serin protease inhibitor F1 (SERPINF1, 13%), actin, cytoplasmic 1 (ACTB, 9%), nucleobindin 2 (NUCB2, 8%) polymeric immunoglobulin receptor (PIGR, 6%). This is first analyse SP. present findings show could play an important role regulation sperm function.