Mitochondria from ejaculated human spermatozoa do not synthesize proteins.
Sperm motility is dependent on mitochondrial ATP production that relies on the coordinated expression of the mitochondrial and nuclear genomes. It is generally accepted that mammalian ejaculated spermatozoa retain the ability to synthesize mtDNA-encoded proteins but not most of the nuclear ones. This implies an asynchronous regulation of the oxidative phosphorylation-related genes encoded by each genome. Trying to investigate this issue, we unexpectedly found that ejaculated human spermatozoa do not synthesize mtDNA-encoded proteins. Moreover, we estimated that the discrepancy between our observations and those published elsewhere was due to a chloramphenicol-sensitive protein synthesis attributed to mitochondria that instead corresponds to contaminating bacteria.
Díez-Sánchez
Carmen
C
Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular y Celular, Universidad de Zaragoza, Spain.
Ruiz-Pesini
Eduardo
E
Montoya
Julio
J
Pérez-Martos
Acisclo
A
Enríquez
José Antonio
JA
López-Pérez
Manuel J
MJ
D002460:Cell Line; D004542:Ejaculation / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008715:Methionine / Q000378:metabolism; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D010400:Penicillin G / Q000494:pharmacology; D013081:Sperm Motility; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects
D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins; D008715:Methionine; D010400:Penicillin G