Expression and localization of protamines and transition proteins in bovine sperm

• Grant number: 10/09145-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: September 01, 2010
• End date: January 31, 2011
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Animal Reproduction
• Principal Investigator: Mayra Elena Ortiz D' Avila Assumpcao
• Grantee: Renata Simões
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The protamines are basic proteins found in the nucleus of the spermatozoon. They are synthesized and deposited in the DNA of the cell at the end of spermatogenesis (TYROU et al., 1998). According to Erenpreiss et al. (2006), protamine has the function of compressing, stabilize and protect the genetic material in the nucleus of the sperm, so the male gamete after penetrating the oocyte is able to begin embryonic development and express genetic information correctly. Since the end of the 80's decade there were reports that protamine exerts great influence on human fertility (Balhorn et al., 1988), currently, the amount of information on these nucleoproteins is vast with reports about the function and structure of these (OLIVA, 2006) as well as details about the process of protamination during spermatogenesis (ZHAO et al., 2004). Several studies have demonstrated the positive relationship between unregulated production of human protamines and infertility (KATAYOSE et al., 2003; AOKI et al., 2005; ESFAHAN-NASR et al., 2006). In bovine, the expression of these proteins is not yet fully elucidated. Thus, this study will test the hypothesis that bovine shows alteration in expression and synthesis of protamine transition 2 (PT2) leading to a decrease in protamine 2. Therefore, this study aims to determine the expression of protamines 1 and 2 (P1 and P2) and the transition proteins 1 and 2 (PT1 and PT2) in bovine testis and and evaluate the interaction of protamines with plasmid DNA, using as a model for comparison the murine specie. It is intended, therefore, provide greater benefits to understanding the biology of different protamines in cattle by the study of gene expression and protein synthesis of protamines (P1 and P2) and the protein transition (PT1 and PT2), and try to answer about the importance of this protein to maintain quality of the male gamete in bovine.

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)

DOS SANTOS HAMILTON, THAIS ROSE; SIMOES, RENATA; ORTIZ D'AVILA ASSUMPCAO, MAYRA ELENA. An improved acetic acid-urea polyacrylamide electrophoresis method to evaluate bovine sperm protamines. REPRODUCTION IN DOMESTIC ANIMALS, v. 56, n. 7, p. 1050-1056, JUL 2021. (11/11231-8, 10/09145-3)