Regionalized expression of CD52 in rat epididymis is related to mRNA poly(A) tail length

Male-specific Modification of Human CD52

“…13) very little is known about the glycocalyx of spermatozoa, although a vital component during the fertilization process as well. Surface carbohydrate labeling experiments on intact rat spermatozoa from the cauda epididymidis (14 -16) show a very high selectivity: the only accessible molecule is the rat counterpart of CD52 (7,16,17). Since it appears on the sperm surface coinciding with the acquisition of fertilizing capacity, it was also called the "major maturation-associated antigen" (18,19).…”

“…Since it appears on the sperm surface coinciding with the acquisition of fertilizing capacity, it was also called the "major maturation-associated antigen" (18,19). Thus, acquisition of the CD52 antigen seems to be one of the major events forming the glycocalyx of mammalian spermatozoa (7,10,17).…”

Synthesis and glycosylation of CD52, the major 'maturation-associated' antigen of rat spermatozoa, in the cauda epididymidis

“…Although 'short' CD52 mRNA was present in all parts of the epididymis, only the cauda epididymidis contained 'long' CD52 mRNA carrying an extended poly(A) tail. This finding indicated that regulation of the expression of CD52 in rats occurs on a post-transcriptional level; however, this contention was difficult to prove in the absence of a suitable antibody (Pera et al, 1997). Moreover, carbohydrate modification of rat CD52 during epididymal transit could not be excluded (Pera et al, 1997).…”

“…Rat CD52 was originally identified as the principal molecule labelled by surface carbohydrate-labelling experiments using intact mature spermatozoa from the cauda epididymidis (Olson and Hamilton, 1978;Jones et al, 1981;Brown et al, 1983;Zeheb and Orr, 1984;Hamilton et al, 1986;Olson et al, 1987;Moore et al, 1989;Eccleston et al, 1994). Furthermore, carbohydrate labelling of rat sperm glycoproteins on western blots in vitro (Pera et al, 1997) showed an unexpectedly high selectivity: the only molecule accessible to the periodate oxidation reaction was the counterpart of CD52. Biochemical studies revealed that > 60% of this molecule consisted of carbohydrate (Eccleston et al, 1994).…”

“…Another important feature of the expression of epididymal CD52 is its regional specificity: maximum mRNA content is found in the distal part of the epididymis in various mammalian species Pera et al, 1994). Furthermore, in the rat epididymis there is a region-specific variation in the length of the CD52 mRNA poly(A) tail (Pera et al, 1997). Although 'short' CD52 mRNA was present in all parts of the epididymis, only the cauda epididymidis contained 'long' CD52 mRNA carrying an extended poly(A) tail.…”