Androgenic Regulation of Epididymal Sperm Binding Proteins: Role of RNA-binding Proteins

9511822霍尔在所有雄性哺乳动物物种中，包括人类，离开睾丸的精子是不育的和不能活动的。精子获得受精能力和运动能力的过程发生在一个称为附睾体的器官中，整个过程通常被称为“精子成熟”。精子成熟是由称为生育抗原的蛋白质和糖蛋白介导的，这一点在生殖生物学和生物化学中已被广泛接受。这些生育抗原是在男性荷尔蒙--睾丸素的控制下由附睾分泌的。以大鼠为实验模型，霍尔博士已经确定了一种关键的生育抗原，该抗原由附睾分泌，并与精子质膜结合。这种精子质膜抗原是由附睾合成的，在哺乳动物受精能力和运动能力发育过程中精子表面质膜的变化中起着关键的生理作用。要阐明男性不育的基本原因或开发化合物作为潜在的男性避孕药，第一步是了解这些生育抗原在哺乳动物附睾中是如何调节的。因此，这项研究的广泛、长期目标是提供对生育抗原如何调节的基本了解。在这项研究中，提出了一种雄激素依赖的生育抗原合成的工作模型。该模型的一个独特特点是，这种生育抗原的合成可能在其自身的信使RNA(MRNA)水平上进行调节。他进一步假设，这种生育抗原在附睾细胞中合成的速度是由与其mRNA结合的蛋白质控制的。如果这一假设被证明是正确的，那么在不久的将来，有可能开发出一种化合物，它可以选择性地阻止(避孕)或增强(受孕)生育抗原的合成。***

9511822 Hall In all male mammalian species, including man, spermatozoa that leave the testis are infertile and immobile. The acquisition of fertilizing capacity and motility by spermatozoa occurs in an organ called the epididymis and the overall process is often referred to as "sperm maturation". It is now well accepted in reproductive biology and biochemistry that spermatozoan maturation is mediated by proteins and glycoproteins called fertility antigens. These fertility antigens are secreted by the epididymis under the control of the male hormone, testosterone. Using the rat as an experimental model, Dr. Hall has identified a key fertility antigen that is secreted by the epididymis and binds to the sperm plasma membrane. This sperm plasma membrane antigen which is synthesized by the epididymis plays a key physiological role in plasma membrane changes on the surface spermatozoa that accompany the development of fertilizing capacity and motility in mammals. An initial step toward elucidating the basic causes of male infertility or developing compounds as potential male contraceptives is to understand how these fertility antigens are regulated in the mammalian epididymis. Thus, the broad, long-term objective of the present study is to provide a basic understanding of how fertility antigens are regulated. A working model for the androgen-dependent synthesis of this fertility antigen is proposed in this study. A unique feature of the model is that the synthesis of this fertility antigen may be regulated at the level of its own messenger RNA (mRNA). He further hypothesizes that the rate at which this fertility antigen is synthesized in cells of the epididymis is controlled by proteins that bind to its mRNA. If this hypothesis proves correct, it may be possible in the near future to develop a compound that can selectively block (contraceptive) or enhance (conception) the synthesis of the fertility antigen. ***