Journal of Proteomics & Bioinformatics
Open Access
ISSN: 0974-276X
ISSN: 0974-276X
Priscilla Nascimento Guasti, Fabiana Ferreira de Souza, Caroline Scott, PatrÃ?Âcia de Mello Papa and Frederico Ozanam Papa
Sao Paulo State University, Brazil
Posters-Accepted Abstracts: J Proteomics Bioinform
Seminal plasma (SP) plays several roles on sperm metabolism and fertilization, as modulation of sperm motility, oviductal reservoir formation and interaction between the gametes. In addition, SP mediates the sperm capacitation and post-coital inflammatory response in the uterus of mares. During ejaculation, SP proteins are associated with the plasma membrane (PM) and affect sperm function and the sperm-egg binding, thus, these proteins may be potential biomarkers of fertility. Three ejaculates from 10 fertile stallions were collected. PS samples were obtained by semen centrifugation. For PM protein extraction, a nonionic detergent and sonication on ice at a 20% amplitude (10 x 30 s; 60s intervals) was used. The determination of total protein was performed by BCA assay. Proteins were separated bytwo-dimensional electrophoresisin pH range 3-10. Approximately 91 and 245 spots were detected in the Colloidal Comassie G-stained gels in SP and PM, respectively.Proteins detected in the pI 3-9 2D gels had a molecular mass range between 10 and 92 kDa for SP; and 10 and 120 kDa for PM with most of the spots with high intensity predominantly located below 35 kDa, in both samples. Five well-demarcated constellations were found in all stallions on SP samples. On PM, 3 constellations (<35 kDa) were similar to those found on SP. The results demonstrate the distribution and variation of SP and PM proteins and suggest that smaller polypeptides from SP may attach to sperm membrane during ejaculation. Identification of these proteins could lead to a better understanding of stallion�s fertility.
Priscilla Nascimento Guasti has a DVM from Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro. She obtained her Master’s degree and PhD in Animal Reproduction from Sao Paulo State University (UNESP/Botucatu). She is currently Post-doctoral Researcher at the Sao Paulo State University. Her research interest focuses on the proteomics of equine seminal plasma, sperm membrane and epididymal fluid and its relations with the fertility.
Email: priguasti@gmail.com