Screening for inhibitors which regulate the sperm serin proteases

CLEMENTI, MARISA; BOARELLI, PAOLA; MONCLUS, M. A.; FORNÉS MW; CESARI, A

5-8 de diciembre, 2008. Mendoza, Argentina. Sesión 5 Nº 137.

Congreso; Reunión Científica Anual de la Sociedad de Biología de Cuyo; 2008

Sociedad de Biologia de Cuyo

The regulation of serin protease activity in spermatozoa was attributed to inhibitors found in seminal plasma, synthesized in accessory glands that play an important role on sperm capacitation. In the present work, we sought for serine protease inhibitors in bovine seminal plasma (BSP) and murine accessory glands. We obtained protein extracts from BSP and accessory glands from CF-1 mice. Small molecules were selected by filtration membranes (30kDa). The inhibitors were detected by reverse zymography and quantified by their ability to reduce trypsin activity over azocasein, considering as 100% the inhibitory activity of SBTI. BSP showed the highest inhibitory activity (85%). Seminal vesicle (VS) and prostate (P) had the highest inhibitory activity (98-96% respectively), whereas epididymis (E) and testis (T) had a significantly lower activity compared to the control (SBTI): 14,5 and 7% (p