title: Mitochondria from ejaculated human spermatozoa do not synthesize proteins.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular y Celular, Universidad de Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Díez-Sánchez
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ruiz-Pesini
authors.forename: Julio
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Montoya
authors.forename: Acisclo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pérez-Martos
authors.forename: José Antonio
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Enríquez
authors.forename: Manuel J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: López-Pérez
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins; D008715:Methionine; D010400:Penicillin G