• The Korean Journal of Zoology
• /
• v.38 no.4
• /
• pp.514-522
• /
• 1995

In order to examine the interaction of albumin with the sperm during capacitation in mouse, proteins of cauda epididymal sperm were extracted under various conditions and analyzed with SDS-PAGE. Sperm surface labeling patterms were also examined using fluorochroin~conjugated wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) and bovine serum albumin (BSA). Albumin was detached from the sperm surface during the incubation and seemed to be constituted the major protein components of the conditioned media in which sperm incubated for 90 mm. Detachment of albumin from the sperm was not affected by the Ca2+ in the medium. WGA-FITC labeling confirmed that Triton X-100 permeabilired plasma membrane overlaying the apical segment of sperm head and detached plasma membrane associated proteins having negatively charged glycoconjugates. BSA-FITC labeling of epididymal sperm occurred on the apical segment of periacrosoinal region and postacrosomal region of the head. BSA-FITC labeling was not observed in periacrosoinal region of the sperm treated with Ca2+-ionophore ~3187 (10 MM)~ whereas the postacrosome region of acrosome-reacted sperm was still labeled after the AR. These results suggest that albumin bound to the surface of epididymal sperm is detached during the capacitation process, and it might be involved In physiological change of sperm plasma membrane accompanying the capacitation.