Fertility-Associated Proteins in Holstein Bull Seminal Plasma1

Abstract

This study was undertaken to determine whether bovine seminal plasma contained protein markers associated with bull fertility, and whether these markers were of value in predicting bull fertility. Seminal plasma was obtained from 35 Holstein bulls of known fertility. Two-dimensional PAGE of seminal plasma samples indicated that two proteins (26 kDa, pI 6.2; 55 kDa, pI 4.5) predominated in higher-fertility bulls, and two proteins (16 kDa, pI 4.1; 16 kDa, pI 6.7) predominated in lower-fertility bulls. Densitometry data for these proteins in individual samples were combined for bulls grouped by fertility level. Average density of the 26-kDa protein was significantly greater in seminal plasma of high-fertility bulls, and high-fertility seminal plasma also contained more of the 55-kDa protein than that of average- and below average-fertility bulls. Below average- and low-fertility bull seminal plasma had significantly more of both 16-kDa proteins than that of average- and high-fertility bulls. A regression model was developed to predict bull fertility using the four fertility-associated protein densities. A plot of actual bull fertility versus that calculated by this model was linear and positively correlated (r = 0.89). These findings indicate that bull seminal plasma contains fertility-associated proteins that are predictive of bull fertility.

Characterisation of endometrial gene expression and metabolic parameters in beef heifers yielding viable or non-viable embryos on Day 7 after insemination

“…Seminal plasma has an important role in maintaining sperm motility during storage in the oviduct and contains multiple proteins that are associated with bull fertility (Gwathmey et al 2006;Killian et al 1993). SVS8 was up regulated in R heifers compared with V heifers but the role of SVS8 in the endometrium at this stage of embryonic development is, as yet, unknown.…”

Associação entre proteínas do plasma seminal, motilidade e viabilidade espermática em coelhos submetidos a doping genético

“…Yue et al (2009) também identificaram proteínas de 72, 37 e 18kDa associadas à alta viabilidade espermática, enquanto um fator de 15kDa foi associado à baixa viabilidade espermática em ovinos. Além disso, Killian et al (1993) correlacionaram o fator proteico de 26kDa à alta fertilidade em touros. Alvarez e Storey (1995) demonstraram que a Albumina presente no plasma seminal está envolvida tanto com a proteção da membrana plasmática quanto com a manutenção da motilidade, uma vez que essa proteína absorve o peróxido de lipídio, protegendo as células.…”

Characterization of proteins in cryopreserved and non-cryopreserved seminal plasma of dairy bulls of dif-fering fertility

“…It is unclear whether the effect of processing that decreased the abundance of these BSP proteins by more than half would render them ineffective in preventing premature capacitation and acrosome reaction of sperm from normal fertility bulls in the female tract. Spot volume data indicated that removal of the major seminal plasma proteins exposed less abundant low molecular weight proteins like spermadhesins, especially spermadhesin Z 13 which has been identified as an antifertility factor [2,14] in bovine semi-nal plasma.…”