| Full text | |
| Author(s): |
Balbin Villaverde, Ana Izabel S.
[1]
;
Fioratti, Eduardo G.
[1]
;
Fissore, Rafael A.
[2]
;
He, Changli
[2]
;
Lee, Hoi Chang
[2]
;
Souza, Fabiana F.
[3]
;
Landim-Alvarenga, Fernanda C.
[1]
;
Lopes, Maria Denise
[1]
Total Authors: 8
|
| Affiliation: | [1] Sao Paulo State Univ, Dept Anim Reprod & Vet Radiol, Coll Vet Med & Anim Sci, UNESP, Sao Paulo - Brazil
[2] Univ Massachusetts, Dept Vet & Anim Sci, Amherst, MA 01003 - USA
[3] Univ Franca, Sao Paulo - Brazil
Total Affiliations: 3
|
| Document type: | Journal article |
| Source: | Theriogenology; v. 80, n. 7, p. 722-729, OCT 15 2013. |
| Web of Science Citations: | 2 |
| Abstract | |
In mammalian species, oocyte activation is initiated by oscillations in the intracellular concentration of free calcium ({[}Ca2+](i)), which are also essential to allow embryonic development. To date, evidence supporting the hypothesis that a sperm factor is responsible for initiating oocyte activation has been presented in various mammalian species. Among the possible candidates to be the active sperm factor is the novel sperm-specific phospholipase C zeta (PLC zeta), which besides its testis-specific expression is capable of initiating {[}Ca2+](i) oscillations. In this study, we investigated the presence of PLC zeta in the sperm of the domestic cat and whether normospermic and teratospermic cats differ in their PLC zeta expression. Immunoblotting with anti-PLC zeta antibodies confirmed the presence of an immunoreactive band of similar to 70 kDa in whole sperm lysates of domestic cat as well as in both soluble and ``insoluble{''} fractions from this sperm. Additional immunoreactive bands, probably C- and N-terminal truncated versions of PLC zeta, were also visualized in the soluble sperm fractions. Interestingly, immunoreactivity of PLC zeta was detectable in teratospermic sperm, although with slightly less intensity than in normospermic sperm. In conclusion, domestic cat sperm express PLC zeta in both cytosolic and high-pH fractions, which is consistent with data in other mammals. Sperm from teratospermic cats also express PLC zeta albeit at reduced concentrations, which may affect the fertility of these males. (C) 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. (AU) | |