title: Seasonal variation of peptidase activities in the reproductive tract of Crotalus durissus terrificus.
abstract: Seasonal quantitative patterns of acid (APA), basic (APB), puromycin-sensitive (APN-PS) and puromycin-insensitive neutral (APN-PI), cystyl (CAP), dipeptidyl IV (DPPIV), type-1 pyroglutamyl (PAP-I) and prolyl-imino (PIP) aminopeptidases and prolyl oligopeptidase (POP) activities in soluble (SF) and solubilized membrane-bound (MF) fractions from ductus deferens, vagina and uterus were studied to evaluate their relationships with the reproductive cycle and the extensive long-term spermatozoa storage (LTSS) of the Neotropical rattlesnake Crotalus durissus terrificus. APB, PIP and POP were detected only in SF, while other peptidases were detected in SF and MF. APB, APN-PI and APN-PS were predominant in most tissues in all seasons. Peptidase activities had a common pattern of increment during the dry season (winter/autumn), which coincides with the mating period (autumn) and LTSS in the female (winter), as well as the reduction of spermatozoa motility and maintenance of fertilization capacity of spermatozoa. The high CAP activity in the soluble fraction of the vagina during winter, compared to summer (time of parturition) and spring, coincides with the relaxation of this tissue. In the soluble fraction, the low PAP-I activity of the ductus deferens coincided with its high activity in the vagina during the winter; and the inverse occurred in summer, which is consistent with the physiological process of preserving spermatozoon viability. In conclusion, the studied peptidase activities had seasonal and tissue-specific characteristics, which suggest a relevant role in the reproductive physiology of C. d. terrificus.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Pharmacology, Instituto Butantan, Av. Vital Brasil, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Camila Eduardo
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Marinho
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Almeida-Santos
authors.forename: Simone Cristina
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Yamasaki
authors.forename: Paulo Flavio
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Silveira
mesh_terms: D000626:Aminopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D017839:Crotalus; D005260:Female; D005306:Fertilization; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases / Q000378:metabolism*; D000085822:Prolyl Oligopeptidases; D012098:Reproduction / Q000502:physiology*; D012621:Seasons; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism; D013094:Spermatozoa
chemical_list: D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases; D000626:Aminopeptidases; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; D000085822:Prolyl Oligopeptidases