title: Magainins affect respiratory control, membrane potential and motility of hamster spermatozoa.
abstract: The hypothesis was tested that the magainin peptides, known to compromise bacterial and mitochondrial energetics, are highly active against spermatozoa. A mixture of magainin A and PGLa (1:1) caused a 50% reduction in motility of hamster spermatozoa at 4 micrograms/ml total peptide concentration. All motility was lost at 8 micrograms/ml. At this concentration, respiratory control was released and respiration in the presence of uncoupler was inhibited. Uptake of the lipophilic cation tetraphenyl phosphonium was largely abolished by addition of magainin A and PGLa showed synergism with respect to release of respiratory control.
authors.affiliation: Section of Molecular Biology, Netherlands Cancer Insitute, Amsterdam.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: de Waal
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vaz Gomes
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mensink
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Grootegoed
authors.forename: H V
authors.initials: HV
authors.lastname: Westerhoff
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D006224:Cricetinae; D008297:Male; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects*; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000187:drug effects; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010085:Oxidative Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects*; D010455:Peptides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013081:Sperm Motility / Q000187:drug effects*; D013087:Spermatids / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D013089:Spermatocidal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D010455:Peptides; D013089:Spermatocidal Agents; C067773:magainin A