STUDY OF THE ROLE OF N-ACETYLGLUCOSAMINE (GlcNAc) IN REGULATING SPERM-OVIDUCT INTERACTION IN BOVINE

ALVAREZ P ; CANTÚ DF ; BUTTAZZONI AC ; SOSA MA; CARVELLI F; AGUILERA AC

San Juan

Congreso; XLI Reunion anual de la sociedad de biologia de cuyo; 2023

The interaction between sperm and oviductal cells is a complex process that involves various molecular mechanisms. This interaction leads to the formation of a functional sperm reservoir that serves to ensure successful fertilization. Spermatozoa can remain in the oviduct for several days by binding to epithelial cells, thus sustaining fertility by delaying capacitation. One of the key players in this process is N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc), a monosaccharide that is present in the oviductal epithelium and on the surface of sperm cells. In this study, we cultured primary cell lines from bovine oviductal cells (BOECs) to investigate the involvement of GlcNAc in the sperm-oviduct interaction in bovine. By fluorescence microscopy, we found that pre-incubation of sperm with GlcNAc before addition to BOECs resulted in a significant decrease in the number of sperm bound to the cells. Conversely, pre-incubation of BOECs with GlcNAc before addition of sperm resulted in a significant increase in the number of sperm bound to the cells. Furthermore, pre-incubation of sperm with the lectin wheat germ agglutinin (WGA), which specifically binds to GlcNAc, resulted in a significant increase in the number of sperm bound to BOECs. In contrast, pre-incubation of oviductal cells with WGA before addition of sperm resulted in a decrease in the number of sperm bound to the cells. These findings suggest that GlcNAc plays a critical role in the sperm-oviduct interaction in bovine, and that lectins such as WGA may be useful tools for studying this interaction and may have potential applications in reproductive technologies. Further research is needed to elucidate the specific mechanisms by which GlcNAc and lectins such as WGA regulate this interaction.