Folia Biologica
Journal of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Charles University 

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Fol. Biol. 2002, 48, 232-236

https://doi.org/10.14712/fb2002048060232

Role of a Capacitation-Related Protein on Some Sperm Functional Parameters

Margarita Mollova1, R. Nedkova1, M. Ivanova1, T. Djarkova1, J. Pěknicová2, S. Kyurkchiev1

1Institute of Biology and Immunology of Reproduction, Sofia, Bulgaria
2Institute of Molecular Genetics, Prague, Czech Republic

Received June 2002
Accepted September 2002

In previous studies a series of Mabs against boar capacitated sperm have been produced. One of these Mabs - 4B12 - was found to recognize a surface membrane-associated protein located in the acrosome portion of the spermatozoa that became accessible to antibody after capacitation. In biological experiments it was shown that Mab 4B12 significantly inhibited boar sperm-porcine ZP binding. In attempts to investigate the mechanisms by which Mab 4B12 affected sperm-ZP binding, the role of the cognate protein on some functional parameters such as sperm motility and ability of the capacitated spermatozoa to undergo AR was studied. Experimental models of premature AR and AR physiologically induced with ZP were applied to study the effect of Mab 4B12 on boar sperm AR using PSA staining to estimate the acrosome-reacted state of spermatozoa. Sperm motility characteristics were determined by the time-exposure photokinesigraphic method. The results obtained in the present study, together with previously established inhibition of sperm-ZP binding by Mab 4B12, documented the participation of the 4B12 protein in primary sperm-ZP binding. The protein is not connected with sperm motility and secondary sperm-ZP binding.

Funding

This study was supported by the grants No. K 904/4/96 from the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and No. 204/02/1377 from the Grant Agency of the Czech Republic.

References

20 live references