Boar spermadhesin AWN-1 is a sperm surface-associated 14.7-kDa lectin and a major protein of porcine seminal plasma. AWN-1 binds to beta-galactosides and to porcine zona pellucida glycoproteins, suggesting that this protein might play a role in the primary binding of spermatozoa to the egg's external glycoprotein matrix. We have produced a collection of murine monoclonal antibodies against puri...

The cervix is central to the female genital tract immune response to pathogens and foreign male Ags introduced at coitus. Seminal fluid profoundly influences cervical immune function, inducing proinflammatory cytokine synthesis and leukocyte recruitment. In this study, human Ect1 cervical epithelial cells and primary cervical cells were used to investigate agents in human seminal plasma that in...

and inactive fractions, with RF values of 0.15 and 0.34. Sliced gels eluted into NaHPOJ KH2P04 buffer, pH7.0, over 24h at 4°C showed the latter band to be inactive and the former to contain fumarase activity. Addition of the inactive protein to the active enzyme caused complete inhibition of activity. Dialysis of the initial pooled inactive protein over 36h resulted in high fumarase activity in...

Background: Oxidative stress and decreased antioxidant levels have been projected as a potential factors involved in the pathophysiology of diverse male infertility types, including asthenospermia. The generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the male reproductive tract has become an actual concern because of their probable noxious effects, at high levels, on physical properties of sperm ...

Exosomes are membranous nanovesicles of endocytic origin that carry and transfer regulatory bioactive molecules and mediate intercellular communication between cells and tissues. Although seminal exosomes have been identified in human seminal plasma, their exact composition and possible physiologic function remain unknown. The objective of this study was to perform a comprehensive proteomics an...

We studied the seminal vesicle secretion (SVS) of transgenic mice by using one-dimensional gel electrophoresis combined with LTQ-FT ICR MS analysis to explore protein expression profiles. Using unique peptide numbers as a cut-off criterion, 79 proteins were identified with high confidence in the SVS proteome. Label-free quantitative analysis was performed by using the IDEAL_Q software program. ...

BACKGROUND Human kallikrein 4 (hK4) is a proteolytic enzyme belonging to the tissue kallikrein family of serine proteases. Previous tissue expression studies have demonstrated highest KLK4 mRNA expression in prostatic tissue, but there has been only limited evidence for the presence of hK4 protein in prostate and other tissues and in corresponding biological secretions. METHODS To investigate...

Proteins present in the seminal plasma of mammals are known to influence functions associated with ejaculated spermatozoa such as motility, capacitation, acrosome reaction and fertilising ability. The proteins isolated and characterised so far influence only one of the above functions of spermatozoa. Seminalplasmin, a protein isolated from the seminal plasma of bull is exceptional in that it in...