Secretory proteins of human seminal vesicles and their relationship to lipids and sugars.
Proteins secreted by human seminal vesicles are strongly positively charged. Cellulose acetate electrophoresis show how the presence of two protein bands of vesicular origin (N3 and N4). When studied on SDS-PAGE there are three main bands of molecular weight 67, 45 and 40 kDa, respectively. These proteins may be separated by a chromatographic process using gel filtration on Sephadex G 25 M and ion exchange chromatography on CM and SP Sephadex C 50. Fructose, secreted by seminal vesicles, is excreted with specific proteins and these complexes take part to coagulum formation. During liquefaction glucose appears progressively and fructose is released from complexes with proteins. Interconversion processes that transform fructose into glucose, originate from prostatic secretion. In man, the liquefaction process seems to be not due to proteolysis, but by the way of other mechanisms that transform vesicular proteins of very high molecular weight into sub-units with lower molecular weights in the first minutes after ejaculation. In species other than man, i.e. lemurian, fructose takes part in the coagulation process with other components (albumin, ions, -SH groups). Cholesterol appears to be in relation with proteins which have high molecular weights. Half of phospholipid content of seminal plasma is probably free. Incubation of seminal plasma with spermatozoa show that these cells use triglycerides for their metabolism. The ratio between cholesterol and phospholipids is an important marker for the capacitation-decapacitation process.
Montagnon
D
D
Centre d'Etude et de Conservation des Qeufs et du Sperme Humains, Faculté de Médecine, Université Louis Pasteur, Strasbourg/France.
Valtat
B
B
Vignon
F
F
Koll-Back
M H
MH
D002241:Carbohydrates / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D012669:Seminal Vesicles / Q000378:metabolism*; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000502:physiology
D002241:Carbohydrates; D008055:Lipids; D011506:Proteins