Characterization of New Stingray Sperm Motility Proteins

小行星9420328 精子的活力是决定家畜、狩猎动物和人类成功受精的一个极其重要的因素。许多药物已被用于增加精子活力，但每种药物都有一个主要的缺点，包括对遗传物质的损伤，在胚胎中产生缺陷，以及药物的不稳定性。 莱西博士的实验室在一种软骨鱼（黄貂鱼）中发现了一种生殖腺（碱性腺），它产生一种液体，这种液体不仅能加速黄貂鱼的精子活动，而且也能加速其他鱼类（鲈鱼）、公牛和人的精子活动。莱西博士实验室的实验进一步表明，这种液体中刺激精子活动的物质似乎是蛋白质。 针对一种特殊蛋白质（松弛素）的抗体表明，这种蛋白质可能存在于这种液体中，并且可能是增加精子活力的致病分子。 目前的拨款申请的目的是确定碱性腺液蛋白的作用方式和生理意义，并关注松弛素。 研究将集中在三个具体目标：1）分离和纯化精子刺激蛋白; 2）分离和鉴定精子表面上特异性结合碱性腺液蛋白的分子; 3）确定黄貂鱼松弛素是否具有其他作用，如收缩雌性子宫平滑肌，这也有助于受精。 这项研究结果的意义将是阐明这些鱼类成功受精的一些机制。 ***

9420328 Lacy The motility of sperm is an extremely important factor in determining successful fertilization in livestock, game animals, and man. Numerous drugs have been used to increase sperm motility but each has a major drawback which includes damage to genetic material, producing defects in the embryo, and instability of the drugs. Dr. Lacy's laboratory has discovered a reproductive gland (alkaline gland) in a cartilagenous fish (the stingray) which produces a fluid that accelerates sperm motility not only in stingrays but also in other fish (bass), bull, and man. Experiments in Dr. Lacy's laboratory further showed that the substance in this fluid which stimulates sperm motility appears to be protein in nature. Antibodies to one particular protein, the hormone relaxin, showed that it is likely to be present in this fluid and may be the causative molecule for increased sperm motility. The objective of the current grant application is to determine the mode of action and physiological significance of alkaline gland fluid protein with attention paid to relaxin. Studies will focus on three specific aims: 1) to isolate and purify the sperm stimulating protein(s); 2) to isolate and identify the molecules on the sperm surface which specifically bind the alkaline gland fluid protein(s); and 3) to determine if stingray relaxin has other effects such as contraction of female uterine smooth muscle which would also aid fertilization. The significance of this study's results will be to elucidate some of the mechanisms for successful fertilization in these fish. ***