| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
|
|
|
|||||||
|
|||||||||
Articles |
a Department of Cell Biology,
b Department of Urology, and
c The Center for Recombinant Gamete Contraceptive Vaccinogens, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908
A common repertoire of rat sperm antigens have previously been identified by Western blotting of sperm proteins with sera obtained after vasectomy or isoimmunization with sperm. Aside from a determination of their apparent masses, however, the biochemical characteristics of these antigens have remained unknown. In this study, a rat testis cDNA expression library was screened with polyclonal antibodies obtained from rats immunized with isologous spermatozoa to identify and sequence a full-length clone encoding rat sperm mitochondria-associated cysteine-rich protein (SMCP). The open reading frame of SMCP was expressed in the pET22b vector, and recombinant SMCP (rec-SMCP) was purified. Sera from rats that had been vasectomized or hyperimmunized with isologous sperm specifically recognized rec-SMCP whereas preimmune sera from these experimental groups did not react. Rabbit antiserum produced to rec-SMCP recognized rec-SMCP on Western blots and precisely immunolocalized SMCP to the mid-piece of rat sperm. On Western blots against sperm extracts, the rabbit antibody recognized a major protein band of approximately 22–25 kDa that co-migrated with bands of identical mass that were recognized by sera from hyperimmune or vasectomized rats. These findings demonstrate that SMCP is a sperm autoantigen, recognized following vasectomy, and an isoantigen, recognized by antibodies generated through isologous immunization with sperm.
2 Correspondence: John C. Herr, Department of Cell Biology, University of Virginia, Box 439, Health Sciences Center, Charlottesville, VA 22908. FAX: 804 982 3912; jch7k{at}virginia.edu
3 Current address: Vrinda Khole, Institute for Research in Reproduction (ICMR), JM Street, Mumbai, India.
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  S. K. Nagdas, V. P. Winfrey, and G. E. Olson Identification of a Hamster Sperm 26-Kilodalton Dehydrogenase/Reductase That Is Exclusively Localized to the Mitochondria of the Flagellum Biol Reprod, August 1, 2006; 75(2): 197 - 202. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 G. E Olson, V. P Winfrey, K. E Hill, and R. F Burk Sequential development of flagellar defects in spermatids and epididymal spermatozoa of selenium-deficient rats Reproduction, March 1, 2004; 127(3): 335 - 342. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. Rao, J. C. Herr, P. P. Reddi, M. J. Wolkowicz, L. A. Bush, N. E. Sherman, M. Black, and C. J. Flickinger Cloning and Characterization of a Novel Sperm-Associated Isoantigen (E-3) with Defensin- and Lectin-Like Motifs Expressed in Rat Epididymis Biol Reprod, January 1, 2003; 68(1): 290 - 301. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 K. Nayernia, I. M. Adham, E. Burkhardt-Gottges, J. Neesen, M. Rieche, S. Wolf, U. Sancken, K. Kleene, and W. Engel Asthenozoospermia in Mice with Targeted Deletion of the Sperm Mitochondrion-Associated Cysteine-Rich Protein (Smcp) Gene Mol. Cell. Biol., May 1, 2002; 22(9): 3046 - 3052. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
C. J. Flickinger, J. Rao, L. Ann Bush, N. E. Sherman, R. J. Oko, F. C.L. Jayes, and J. C. Herr Outer Dense Fiber Proteins Are Dominant Postobstruction Autoantigens in Adult Lewis Rats Biol Reprod, May 1, 2001; 64(5): 1451 - 1459. [Abstract] [Full Text]
|
|
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
