Binding of free and protein-associated zinc to rat spermatozoa.
1. The zinc content of rat spermatozoa increases, upon ejaculation, from 0.035 to 1.055 micrograms/10(6) cells. 2. The rat seminal plasma holds zinc both as free ion and as protein-bound forms. 3. Zinc-free ions bind in vitro to rat epididymal spermatozoa. 4. Zinc-protein complexes can be isolated, by a chromatographic procedure, from the dorsolateral lobe of rat prostate. 5. The isolated zinc-protein complexes bind in vitro to rat epididymal spermatozoa.
Department of General and Environmental Physiology, University of Naples, Italy.
G
G
Sansone
M
M
Martino
P
P
Abrescia
D000818:Animals; D002850:Chromatography, Gel; D004822:Epididymis / Q000166:cytology; D008297:Male; D011467:Prostate / Q000378:metabolism; D011485:Protein Binding; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012661:Semen / Q000378:metabolism; D012669:Seminal Vesicles / Q000378:metabolism; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000378:metabolism*; D015032:Zinc / Q000378:metabolism*
D011506:Proteins; D015032:Zinc