Serin proteases inhibitor (SERPIN) involved in rat sperm association: detection on epididymal epithelium

MONCLUS MA; CARMONA MC; VICENTI AE; FORNéS M.W

Mendoza

Congreso; XXVIII Reunión Científica Anual de la Sociedad de Biología de Cuyo; 2010

Soc iedad de Biología de Cuyo

Rat sperm associates each other conforming Rosettes when are stored inside the epididymal cauda.  By an in vitro assay we reproduced the Rosettes assembly incubating motile sperm in the presence of many protein fractions isolated from caudal epididymal fluid to test their participation in this phenomenon. Two serpins (45 KDa identified as á-1Antitrypsin and a novel protein with a MW=47 KDa) were identified in the most re associating fraction. We raised a polyclonal antibody inoculating female rabbits with the 47 KDa Serpin.  Using this antibody we performed   Inmuno Histochemistry (IHC) localization and Indirect Inmunofluorescence (IIF) over sections obtained from several epididymal regions (Caput, Corpus and Cauda).  All the sections analyzed by IHQ (DAB stain) and IIF (FITC-conjugate secondary antibody) shown positive reaction on the epididymal epithelium. The supranuclear region and the stereocilias were stained. These preliminary results allow us to confirm the presence of this Serpin, in the epididymal epithelial cells. It remains to determine the role of this proteases regulator   in the Rosettes sperm association inside the epididymal cauda during their storage.