title: Proteomic characterization and cross species comparison of mammalian seminal plasma.
abstract: Seminal plasma contains a large protein component which has been implicated in the function, transit and survival of spermatozoa within the female reproductive tract. However, the identity of the majority of these proteins remains unknown and a direct comparison between the major domestic mammalian species has yet to be made. As such, the present study characterized and compared the seminal plasma proteomes of cattle, horse, sheep, pig, goat, camel and alpaca. GeLC-MS/MS and shotgun proteomic analysis by 2D-LC-MS/MS identified a total of 302 proteins in the seminal plasma of the chosen mammalian species. Nucleobindin 1 and RSVP14, a member of the BSP (binder of sperm protein) family, were identified in all species. Beta nerve growth factor (bNGF), previously identified as an ovulation inducing factor in alpacas and llamas, was identified in this study in alpaca and camel (induced ovulators), cattle, sheep and horse (spontaneous ovulators) seminal plasma. These findings indicate that while the mammalian species studied have common ancestry as ungulates, their seminal plasma is divergent in protein composition, which may explain variation in reproductive capacity and function. The identification of major specific proteins within seminal plasma facilitates future investigation of the role of each protein in mammalian reproduction.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This proteomic study is the first study to compare the protein composition of seminal plasma from seven mammalian species including two camelid species. Beta nerve growth factor, previously described as the ovulation inducing factor in camelids is shown to be the major protein in alpaca and camel seminal plasma and also present in small amounts in bull, ram, and horse seminal plasma.
authors.affiliation: INRA, UMR 85 Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, F-37380 Nouzilly, France; CNRS, UMR7247, F-37380 Nouzilly, France; Université François Rabelais de Tours, F-37000 Tours, France; IFCE, F-37380 Nouzilly, France. Electronic address: Xavier.Druart@tours.inra.fr.
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Druart
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Rickard
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mactier
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Kohnke
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Kershaw-Young
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bathgate
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Gibb
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Crossett
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tsikis
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Labas
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Harichaux
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Grupen
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: de Graaf
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D002161:Camelids, New World; D002162:Camelus; D002417:Cattle; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006041:Goats; D006736:Horses; D008297:Male; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D000080866:Nucleobindins; D010802:Phylogeny; D040901:Proteomics; D012661:Semen / Q000378:metabolism*; D029589:Seminal Plasma Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D012756:Sheep; D013045:Species Specificity; D013552:Swine
chemical_list: D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D006023:Glycoproteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D000080866:Nucleobindins; D029589:Seminal Plasma Proteins; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor
keywords: Camelids; Male fertility; Nerve growth factor; Ovulation; Seminal plasma; Zinc alpha glycoprotein