title: The use of lectins to characterize and separate living canine spermatozoa: A preliminary study.
abstract: This study was designed as a preliminary attempt to develop a methodology for relating the glucidic structure of the sperm membrane to sperm morphology. Differences in plasma membrane glycoconjugates between motile and nonmotile spermatozoa were studied by using 7 lectins. Fresh spermatozoa from 3 dogs were analyzed by fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) labeled lectins. The binding of lectins to the sperm membrane and the capability of the lectins to agglutinate spermatozoa were estimated semi-quantitatively by observation with either an epifluorescence or a phase contrast microscope, respectively. All the lectins tested bound to non motile spermatozoa, with Helix pomatia , Pisum sativum and Arachis hypogaea showing intense fluorescence, Triticum vulgare and Glycine maxima showing moderate fluorescence, and Phaseolus vulgaris and Phytolacca americana showing low fluorescence. However, Helix pomatia . and Triticum vulgare also bound to rapid and slow moving spermatozoa, and were the only 2 lectins that induced sperm agglutination. These results suggest that lectins could be a possible tool for characterizing and separating spermatozoa with different rates of motility.
authors.affiliation: Dep. Producción Animal, Fac. de Veterinaria, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: González-Chábarri
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Aguado
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Navarro
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: López-Rodas
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Costas