title: Expression of spermadhesin genes in porcine male and female reproductive tracts.
abstract: Spermadhesins, secretory proteins of the male genital tract, constitute the bulk of seminal plasma proteins in pig. The nucleotide sequences of spermadhesins AWN, AQN-1, and AQN-3 from the cDNAs, derived from seminal vesicles, were determined. The coding sequences of spermadhesins revealed an overall sequence similarity of 40% at nucleotide level. Expression of spermadhesins (AWN, AQN-1, AQN-3, PSP-I, and PSP-II) in porcine male and female reproductive tracts were studied by means of RT-PCR and immunological approaches. All spermadhesins are transcribed and translated in seminal vesicles and prostate. In caudal epididymis mRNA transcripts of all spermadhesins have been detected by RT-PCR. PSP-I showed additional signals in caput epididymis and rete testis. Translation can be detected only for AWN in tissue extracts by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting. Remarkably, AWN is the only spermadhesin that is also expressed in the uterus, the uterotubal junction, and the oviduct of the female genital tract as shown by RT-PCR, cDNA-sequencing, and immunological analysis. In sows at estrus and interestrus, in gilts and gilts 12 hr after insemination no obvious differences were noticed in the pattern of AWN-immunoreactivity in epithelial cells either of the uterotubal junction, isthmus, or ampulla. While strong staining was observed in the superficial uterine glands and in the glands of the uterotubal junction during estrus, in diestrus this declined distinctly. The role of spermadhesins in relation to their expression is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Reproductive Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Mahnaz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ekhlasi-Hundrieser
authors.forename: Fred
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sinowatz
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Greiser De Wilke
authors.forename: Dagmar
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Waberski
authors.forename: Edda
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Töpfer-Petersen
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D005836:Genitalia, Female / Q000378:metabolism*; D005837:Genitalia, Male / Q000378:metabolism*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009928:Organ Specificity; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D029589:Seminal Plasma Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013552:Swine / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D029589:Seminal Plasma Proteins; C425042:spermadhesin