Study of epididymal fluid, sperm membrane and seminal plasma proteome and its influence on post-testicular sperm maturation in stallions

• Grant number: 14/22550-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Effective date (Start): June 01, 2015
• Effective date (End): May 31, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Animal Reproduction
• Acordo de Cooperação: Coordination of Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES)
• Principal Investigator: Frederico Ozanam Papa
• Grantee: Priscilla Nascimento Guasti
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil

Abstract

After spermatogenesis, the sperm is unable to fertilize the oocyte. Significant changes occur on membrane domains and on functionality of the sperm cell during epididymal maturation, offering these cells fertilizing capacity, and such steps occur in complete absence of gene expression. Thus, sperm kinetic parameters, apoptosis index, production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and lipid peroxidation of the sperm membrane will be compared in 10 segments of the equine epididymis. Moreover, protein identification and quantification of the epididymal fluid, seminal plasma and sperm membrane of epididymal sperm and ejaculated will be performed in the same 10 segments, through modern proteomic approach (shotgun analysis - two dimension liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry with electrospray ionization and quadropole and time of flight analyzer- ESI QTOF). Such analyzes will enable to verify in detail the morphological and functional changes that occur in sperm cells during epididymal maturation and ejaculation and verify possible associations of epididymal proteins with the functionality of sperm and consequently with fertilization. The knowledge of these changes will be an initial step towards a better understanding of male reproductive physiology and fertilization process. And likewise, serve as a basis for future research and facilitate obtaining biomarkers that may establish the fertilizing potential of the stallion, and after its validation, can be used in clinical distinction between fertility and subfertility. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

GUASTI, P. N.; SOUZA, F. F.; SCOTT, C.; PAPA, P. M.; CAMARGO, L. S.; SCHMITH, R. A.; MONTEIRO, G. A.; HARTWIG, F. P.; PAPA, F. O.. Equine seminal plasma and sperm membrane: Functional proteomic assessment. Theriogenology, v. 156, p. 70-81, OCT 15 2020. (14/22550-5, 11/09949-8, 11/17625-8)