The sperm cell has a characteristic polarized morphology and its surface is also highly differentiated into different membrane domains. Junctional protein ring structures seal the surface of the mid-piece from the head and the tail respectively and probably prevent random diffusion of membrane molecules over the protein rings. Despite the absence of such lateral diffusion-preventing structures,...

1. O’Rand MG, Widgren EE, Fisher SJ. Characterization of the rabbit sperm membrane autoantigen, RSA, as a lectin-like zona binding protein. Dev Biol. 1988;129:231-240. 2. Lim SH, Wang Z, Chiriva-Internati M, Xue Y. Sperm protein 17 is a novel cancer-testis antigen in multiple myeloma. Blood. 2001;97:1508-1510. 3. Chiriva-Internati M, Wang Z, Salati E, Timmins P, Lim SH. Tumor vaccine for ovaria...

Background: Spermatozoa are able to sense an attractant molecule gradient and as a consequence, orient their movement towards the source of the attractant. This mechanism is known as sperm chemotaxis. In recent years, our laboratory contributed to the knowledge of several features of mammalian sperm chemotaxis. These include the size and physiological state of the chemotactic sperm population, ...

Interaction between gametes during fertilization is at least in part regulated by carbohydrate moieties of the zona pellucida (ZP) and carbohydrate binding proteins of the sperm surface. This review focuses on the protein-carbohydrate interactions during the primary binding of the sperm to the ZP in different species. Synthesis, structure and composition of the ZP are summarized. The functional...

BACKGROUND Sperm-oocyte fusion is a critical step in fertilization, which requires a series of proteins from both spermatozoa and oocyte to mediate membrane adhesion and subsequent fusion. A rat spermatozoa membrane protein is endoplasmic reticulum protein 29 (ERp29), which significantly increases on the sperm surface as well as in the cytoplasm of epididymal epithelia from caput to cauda as th...

Lesions in the normal expression of sperm motility are associated with certain types of male infertility. Therefore, an understanding of the signal transduction pathways regulating sperm motility will be an important part of our understanding of the mechanisms underlying these types of male infertility. In this connection, the regulation of sperm fiagellar motility by second messengers is a rap...

The purpose of this study was to characterize highly enriched human spermatozoa membrane proteins by two-dimensional electrophoresis and computer image analysis. Sperm membrane proteins were extracted by detergent solubilization from three different preparations: 1) washed semen cells following centrifugation and three wash steps in Ham's F-10 medium (the standard sperm preparation, which is co...