This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Jones, R. Articles by Brown, C. R. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Jones, R. Articles by Brown, C. R.

Changes in the protein composition of rat spermatozoa during maturation in the epididymis

Summary. Spermatozoa from the testis and cauda epididymidis were solubilized by detergent treatment and electrophoresis on SDS polyacrylamide gels revealed that the relative amounts of 13 detergent-extractable proteins decreased during passage of spermatozoa through the epididymis, 6 increased, whilst the remainder showed little or no change. Lactoperoxidase-catalysed iodination of plasma membrane proteins showed that the components carrying most of the label in testicular spermatozoa had M_r values of 110 000, 94 000, 84 000, 55 000 and 42 000 whereas on cauda epididymal spermatozoa the M_r values were 47 000, 24 000, 17 000, 14 500 and 13 500. Substantial differences were also noted in the protein composition of rete testis fluid and cauda epididymal plasma. The results support the concept that there is a considerable reorganization of the molecular architecture of the plasma membrane of spermatozoa during maturation in the epididymis.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. D. Dean, J. M. Good, and M. W. Nachman Adaptive Evolution of Proteins Secreted during Sperm Maturation: An Analysis of the Mouse Epididymal Transcriptome Mol. Biol. Evol., February 1, 2008; 25(2): 383 - 392. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. S. Moffit, K. Boekelheide, J. M. Sedivy, and J. Klysik Mice Lacking Raf Kinase Inhibitor Protein-1 (RKIP-1) Have Altered Sperm Capacitation and Reduced Reproduction Rates With a Normal Response to Testicular Injury J Androl, November 1, 2007; 28(6): 883 - 890. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. Nixon, R. C. Jones, H. G. Clarke, and M. K. Holland Rabbit Epididymal Secretory Proteins. II. Immunolocalization and Sperm Association of REP38 Biol Reprod, July 1, 2002; 67(1): 140 - 146. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E Sonnenberg-Riethmacher, B Walter, D Riethmacher, S Godecke, and C Birchmeier The c-ros tyrosine kinase receptor controls regionalization and differentiation of epithelial cells in the epididymis. Genes & Dev., May 15, 1996; 10(10): 1184 - 1193. [Abstract] [PDF]