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Identification of RS as a flagellar and head sperm protein
Author(s) -
Whyard Terry C.,
Cheung Wellman,
Sheynkin Yefim,
Waltzer Wayne C.,
Hod Yaacov
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
molecular reproduction and development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.745
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1098-2795
pISSN - 1040-452X
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1098-2795(200002)55:2<189::aid-mrd8>3.0.co;2-o
Subject(s) - axoneme , biology , flagellum , sperm , immunofluorescence , andrology , microbiology and biotechnology , immunoprecipitation , sperm motility , antibody , genetics , gene , medicine
RS is 20‐kDa microtubule‐associated protein found in several human tissues. Sequence analysis showed that the polypeptide is highly related to a rat protein whose level has been previously reported to be correlated with sperm fertility. The present study examines the intracellular distribution of RS in spermatozoa from both humans and rats employing a specific antibody to the polypeptide and immunofluorescence microscopy. We demonstrate that in humans, RS is mainly a flagellum protein, but in rats, it is also abundant in the sperm head. In the sperm tail, RS was found to be co‐localized with β‐tubulin, a major component of the axoneme, suggesting that RS is also associated with the flagellum axoneme. Contrary to a previous report, incubation of isolated spermatozoa from both humans and rats in the presence of ornidazole, a reported male contraceptive drug in rats, did not result in modulation in the level of RS, suggesting that the drug does not act directly on sperm RS . Mol. Reprod. Dev. 55:189–196, 2000 . © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.