小白鼠儲精囊分泌胰蛋白?抑制因數與精蟲結合之研究

Abstract

由成熟雄鼠儲精囊分泌液中純化出分子量為6.4kDa的類抑鈣素蛋白?抑制因數(caltrin-like protease inhibitor；簡稱TI)，存在於生殖系統中的儲精囊、凝固腺及前列腺。利用雄鼠副睪尾端取出的精子，與生物素(biotin)標示的TI進行免疫組織化學染色，發現TI能專一性結合在精蟲頭部頂體(acrosom)部位。以電腦輔助精蟲活性測定儀(CASA)測定TI與精蟲活動力(motility)的關係，得知精子的活動力與高度活化作用(hyperactivation)會受到TI的抑制而降低，此現象會因加入牛血清白蛋白(BSA)而再度活化。TI與其受體以交又結合試劑(DSS)共價結合後利用西方墨點法分析，測得一15kDa蛋白，為TI結合在精子頂體上的專一性受體。

A caltrin-like protease inhibitor (TI) secreted from the accessory sexual glands of male mice was shown to have the ability in the suppression of motility and hyperactivation of mouse spermatozoa. The activity could be counteracted by bovine serum albumin (BSA). We prepared the biotinylated TI as a probe to characterize the TI receptor on sperm surface. The results of both histochemical study and the ligand-receptor crosslinking characterization suggest the presence of a 15kDa TI-binding protein on the sperm head.