Search results for "sperm"
showing 10 items of 658 documents
Extracellular Vesicles in Human Reproduction in Health and Disease.
2017
Extensive evidence suggests that the release of membrane-enclosed compartments, more commonly known as extracellular vesicles (EVs), is a potent newly identified mechanism of cell-to-cell communication both in normal physiology and in pathological conditions. This review presents evidence about the formation and release of different EVs, their definitive markers and cargo content in reproductive physiological processes, and their capacity to convey information between cells through the transfer of functional protein and genetic information to alter phenotype and function of recipient cells associated with reproductive biology. In the male reproductive tract, epididymosomes and prostasomes p…
High Throughput Sequencing Identifies Misregulated Genes in the Drosophila Polypyrimidine Tract-Binding Protein (hephaestus) Mutant Defective in Sper…
2015
The Drosophila polypyrimidine tract-binding protein (dmPTB or hephaestus) plays an important role during spermatogenesis. The heph2 mutation in this gene results in a specific defect in spermatogenesis, causing aberrant spermatid individualization and male sterility. However, the array of molecular defects in the mutant remains uncharacterized. Using an unbiased high throughput sequencing approach, we have identified transcripts that are misregulated in this mutant. Aberrant transcripts show altered expression levels, exon skipping, and alternative 5' ends. We independently verified these findings by reverse-transcription and polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis. Our analysis shows m…
Molecular Alterations in Spermatozoa of a Family Case Living in the Land of Fires. A First Look at Possible Transgenerational Effects of Pollutants.
2020
In our previous work, we reported alterations in protamines/histones ratio, in DNA binding of these proteins and their involvement in DNA oxidative damage in 84% of the young men living in the Land of Fires. In the present work, we extended our findings, evaluating any alterations in spermatozoa of a family case, a father and son, living in this area, to also give a first look at the possibility of transgenerational inherited effects of environmental contaminants on the molecular alterations of sperm nuclear basic proteins (SNBP), DNA and semen parameters. In the father and son, we found a diverse excess of copper and chromium in the semen, different alterations in SNBP content and low DNA …
Detection of Missing Proteins Using the PRIDE Database as a Source of Mass Spectrometry Evidence
2016
The current catalogue of the human proteome is not yet complete, as experimental proteomics evidence is still elusive for a group of proteins known as the missing proteins. The Human Proteome Project (HPP) has been successfully using technology and bioinformatic resources to improve the characterization of such challenging proteins. In this manuscript, we propose a pipeline starting with the mining of the PRIDE database to select a group of data sets potentially enriched in missing proteins that are subsequently analyzed for protein identification with a method based on the statistical analysis of proteotypic peptides. Spermatozoa and the HEK293 cell line were found to be a promising source…
Characterization of the porcine seminal plasma proteome comparing ejaculate portions.
2016
Full identification of boar seminal plasma (SP) proteins remains challenging. This study aims to provide an extensive proteomic analysis of boar SP and to generate an accessible database of boar SP-proteome. A SP-pool (33 entire ejaculates/11 boars; 3 ejaculates/boar) was analyzed to characterize the boar SP-proteome. Twenty ejaculates (5 boars, 4 ejaculates/boar) collected in portions (P1: first 10 mL of sperm rich ejaculate fraction (SRF), P2: rest of SRF and P3: post-SRF) were analyzed to evaluate differentially expressed SP-proteins among portions. SP-samples were analyzed using a combination of SEC, 1-D SDS PAGE and NanoLC-ESI-MS/MS followed by functional bioinformatics. The identified…
Effect of counting chamber depth on the accuracy of lensless microscopy for the assessment of boar sperm motility.
2017
Sperm motility is one of the most significant parameters in the prediction of male fertility. Until now, both motility analysis using an optical microscope and computer-aided sperm analysis (CASA-Mot) entailed the use of counting chambers with a depth to 20 µm. Chamber depth significantly affects the intrinsic sperm movement, leading to an artificial motility pattern. For the first time, laser microscopy offers the possibility of avoiding this interference with sperm movement. The aims of the present study were to determine the different motility patterns observed in chambers with depths of 10, 20 and 100 µm using a new holographic approach and to compare the results obtained in the 20-µm c…
Effect of different oxidative stress degrees generated by hydrogen peroxide on motility and DNA fragmentation of zebrafish (Danio rerio) spermatozoa.
2018
An increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) or decrease in antioxidant barriers can provoke lipid peroxidation of the membranes or DNA damage of the spermatozoa. The aim of this work is to study the effect of the different degrees of oxidative stress generated by H2 O2 incubation on total motility, kinetics, and DNA fragmentation of zebrafish (Danio rerio) spermatozoa. For this process, experimental groups were incubated in 50 µM (Low; L) and 200 µM (High; H) H2 O2 , respectively, for 20 min at 4oC. Sperm motility parameters were obtained with a computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA) system. Sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF) was assessed using the sperm chromatin dispersion test. Both low and…
Limited proteolysis by acrosin affects sperm-binding and mechanical resilience of the mouse zona pellucida.
2021
Abstract The encounter of oocyte and sperm is the key event initiating embryonic development in mammals. Crucial functions of this existential interaction are determined by proteolytic enzymes, such as acrosin, carried in the sperm head acrosome, and ovastacin, stored in the oocyte cortical granules. Ovastacin is released upon fertilisation to cleave the zona pellucida, a glycoprotein matrix surrounding the oocyte. This limited proteolysis hardens the oocyte envelope, and thereby provides a definitive block against polyspermy and protects the developing embryo. On the other hand, acrosin, the renowned and most abundant acrosomal protease, has been thought to enable sperm to penetrate the oo…
Bovine piRNA-like RNAs are associated with both transposable elements and mRNAs.
2017
PIWI proteins and their associated piRNAs have been the focus of intensive research in the past decade; therefore, their participation in the maintenance of genomic integrity during spermatogenesis has been well established. Recent studies have suggested important roles for the PIWI/piRNA system outside of gametogenesis, based on the presence of piRNAs and PIWI proteins in several somatic tissues, cancers, and the early embryo. Here, we investigated the small RNA complement present in bovine gonads, gametes, and embryos through next-generation sequencing. A distinct piRNA population was present in the testis as expected. However, we also found a large population of slightly shorter, 24–27 n…
Fish Sperm Assessment Using Software and Cooling Devices
2018
For gamete quality evaluation, there are innovative, rapid, and quantitative techniques that can provide useful data for aquaculture. Computerized systems for sperm analysis were developed to measure several parameters and one of the most commonly measured is the sperm motility. Initially, this computer technology was designed for mammalian species, although it can also be used for fish sperm analysis. Fish have specific features that can affect sperm assessment such as a short motility time after activation and, in some cases, adaptation to lower temperatures. Thus, it is necessary to modify both software and hardware components to make motility analysis more efficient for fish sperm analy…