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Cryopreservation increases coating of bull sperm by seminal plasma binder of sperm proteins BSP1, BSP3, and BSP5

Authors :
Susan S. Suarez
Florencia Ardon
Source :
REPRODUCTION. 146:111-117
Publication Year :
2013
Publisher :
Bioscientifica, 2013.

Abstract

Artificial insemination with frozen semen allows affordable, worldwide dissemination of gametes with superior genetics. Nevertheless, sperm are damaged by the cryopreservation process. Elucidating the molecular effects of cryopreservation on sperm could suggest methods for improving fertility of frozen/thawed semen. This study was undertaken to examine the effect of cryopreservation on the coating of sperm by binder of sperm (BSP) proteins in seminal plasma. BSP proteins are secreted by the seminal vesicles and coat the surface of sperm by partially intercalating into the outer leaflet of the sperm plasma membrane. The BSP proteins are known to play roles in the formation of the oviductal sperm storage reservoir and in sperm capacitation. We investigated the effects of cryopreservation on the sperm BSP protein coat using Bovipure to separate live sperm from extended semen and then assaying the amounts of BSP proteins on sperm using quantitative western blotting with custom-made antibodies against unique sequences of each BSP protein. Greater amounts of all three BSP proteins (BSP1, BSP3, and BSP5) were detected on frozen/thawed sperm than on fresh sperm. Furthermore, the reduction of BSP3 from 15 to 13 kDa in mass, which occurs during incubation of sperm under mild capacitating conditions, was enhanced by cryopreservation. We concluded that freezing alters the BSP protein coating on sperm, which could account in part for reduced fertility of cryopreserved semen samples.

Details

ISSN :
17417899 and 14701626
Volume :
146
Database :
OpenAIRE
Journal :
REPRODUCTION
Accession number :
edsair.doi.dedup.....25e843a0da9da044abefa3cb3d2cc272
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1530/rep-12-0468