STRUCTURE & FUNCTION OF THE EPIDIDYMIS AND VAS DEFERENS

本申请中描述的实验解决了总体上 蛋白质和糖蛋白如何附着在精子表面的问题 当精子穿过附睾体时。对健康的重要性 其中一个问题是，当精子进入附睾时 它们无法使卵子受精，但在通过 他们是附睾症患者。因此，理解“成熟”事件 (例如附睾液中的分子如何附着在精子上) 有助于对这两种机制的一般性理解 生育和不孕。 我们发现大鼠精子上的一个大约24 kDa的抗原 质膜，它被添加到附睾中的精子中，是 通过磷脂酰肌醇与精子质膜相连 (PI)，一种新的连锁，已在许多重要的 细胞表面分子。在本申请中建议执行以下操作 详细研究了约24 kDa与精子的联系， 提纯约24 kDa，并做氨基酸组成和 序列研究。还建议确定 约24 kDa的前驱体S的合成及其作用机理 调节其(它们)的合成(使用cDNA和cRNA探针，如 以及前体掺入)和分泌。这笔赠款将 还阐述了结合序列的机制 精子大小约为24 kDa。最后，提出了搜索的建议 对于大约24 kDa的生理作用，特别是 与运动性和能量底物运输有关。

The experiments described in this application address the overall question of how proteins and glycoproteins attach to sperm surfaces as sperm proceed through the epididymis. The importance to health of the questions being asked is that as sperm enter the epididymis they are unable to fertilize eggs, but after moving through the epididymis they are. Thus, understanding "maturational" events (such as how molecules from epididymal fluid attach to sperm) will help in the genera understanding of the mechanisms both of fertility and infertility. We have discovered that a approximately 24 kDa antigen on rat sperm plasma membrane, which is added to sperm in the epididymis, is linked to the sperm plasma membrane by way of phosphotidylinositol (PI), a new linkage that has been found in a number of important cell surface molecules. It is proposed in this application to study in detail the linkage approximately 24 kDa has with sperm, to purify approximately 24 kDa and to do amino acid composition and sequence studies. It is also proposed to identify the site of synthesis of precursor(s) approximately 24 kDa and the mechanisms regulating its (their) synthesis (using cDNA and cRNA probes, as well as precursor incorporation) and secretion. The grant will also address the mechanisms of the sequence of binding of approximately 24 kDa to sperm. Finally, it is proposed to search for a physiological role for approximately 24 kDa, particularly related to motility and energy substrate transport.