GERM CELL-SPECIFIC MOLECULES OF SPERMATOZOA

雄配子的产生涉及到 精子发生过程产生精子， 附睾外在突起的后续修饰 使精子能够受精。 其中一个研究领域是 生精细胞基因表达及鉴定 谱系特异性和阶段特异性生殖细胞蛋白。 的 一个正在被验证的假设是，这些基因产物 因为细菌独特的结构和功能特征 细胞 鞭毛是精子的独特结构， 假设预测它含有生殖细胞特异性蛋白质。 虽然生殖细胞已经被报道缺乏中间 丝（IF）蛋白，我们已经确定了细胞骨架蛋白， 鞭毛似乎是生殖细胞特异性IF蛋白。 单克隆抗体已被用于表征67 kD和 小鼠精子鞭毛纤维鞘中的78 kD蛋白 在精子发生过程中合成， 与IF蛋白质的决定簇。 然而，它们也包含独特的 表位，并具有分子量和其他特征 与已知的IF蛋白不同。 纤维鞘在 决定鞭击的有效性，而男性则具有 这种结构的异常是不育的。 这些基因 蛋白质将被克隆以确定它们的结构和同源性 已知的IF蛋白质。 另一个研究领域是生殖细胞- 体细胞相互作用与体细胞鉴定 精子成熟所需的产品。 产生的因素 支持细胞稳定附睾分泌产物与 精子表面 女性中该因子的稀释 生产区允许地表成分在生产期间脱落， 获能 该因子存在于支持细胞条件化的 培养基和检测方法已经开发出来，以监测其 洁净. 因子的分离和制备 单克隆抗体将允许合成的研究， 因子及其与精子表面相互作用的性质 分子。

Production of the mature gamete in the male involves intrinsic processes of spermatogenesis to produce the sperm and subsequent modifications by extrinsic processes in the epididymis to make the sperm able to fertilize. One area of study is spermatogenic cell gene expression and the identification of lineage-specific and stage-specific germ cell proteins. The hypothesis being tested is that these gene products are responsible for the unique structural and functional characteristics of germ cells. The flagellum is a unique structure of sperm and the hypothesis predicts that it contains germ cell-specific proteins. Although germ cells have been reported to lack intermediate filament (IF) proteins, we have identified cytoskeletal proteins in the flagellum that appear to be germ cell-specific IF proteins. Monoclonal antibodies have been used to characterize 67kD and 78kD proteins in the fibrous sheath of the mouse sperm flagellum that are synthesized during spermatogenesis and share antigenic determinants with IF proteins. However, they also contain unique epitopes and have molecular weights and other characteristics unlike known IF proteins. The fibrous sheath is important in determining effectiveness of the flagellar beat, and men with abnormalities in this structure are infertile. The genes for these proteins will be cloned to determine their structure and homology with known IF proteins. The other area of study is germ cell- somatic cell interaction and the identification of somatic cell products required for sperm maturation. A factor produced by Sertoli cells stabilizes binding of epididymal secretory products to the sperm surface. Dilution of this factor in the female productive tract allows the surface components to be shed during capacitation. The factor is present in Sertoli cell-conditioned medium and an assay has been developed to monitor its purification. Isolation of the factor and preparation of monoclonal antibodies will allow studies of the synthesis of the factor and the nature of its interaction with sperm surface molecules.