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PMID: 6950375 Published · ppublish English Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Localization of cholesteryl sulfate in human spermatozoa in support of a hypothesis for the mechanism of capacitation.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America ·Vol. 78 ·No. 12 ·1981-12-00 ·Pages 7266-70

Langlais J, Zollinger M, Plante L, Chapdelaine A, Bleau G, Roberts KD

Abstract

Cholesteryl sulfate is a normal constituent of human spermatozoa. The in vitro uptake of tritiated cholesteryl sulfate resulted in the labeling of all spermatozoa as demonstrated by light-microscope radioautography. The binding of the sterol sulfate was localized mainly in the head and midpiece. Radioautography at the level of the electron microscope revealed that the sterol sulfate is localized on the plasma membrane, mostly in the region of the acrosome. Further proof of this localization was obtained by selective dissolution of the plasma membrane and acrosome of the spermatozoa with low concentrations of Triton X-100. This treatment resulted in the simultaneous removal of tritiated cholesteryl sulfate bound to the spermatozoa. A hypothesis is presented concerning the role of cholesteryl sulfate as a membrane stabilizer and enzyme inhibitor during the maturation of spermatozoa in the epididymis. According to this hypothesis, the cleavage of the sulfate moiety within the female reproductive tract triggers a cascade of events leading to sperm capacitation and fertilization.

MeSH Terms
Autoradiography Cholesterol Esters/physiology Humans Male Membrane Lipids/physiology Sperm Capacitation Sperm Head/metabolism Spermatozoa/physiology,ultrastructure Steryl-Sulfatase Sulfatases/metabolism
Chemicals
Cholesterol Esters Membrane Lipids Sulfatases Steryl-Sulfatase cholesteryl sulfate
Authors & Affiliations
6 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Langlais J
Zollinger M
Plante L
Chapdelaine A
Bleau G
Roberts K D
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43 references, click to expand
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Article Info
Journal
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Abbr.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
ISSN
0027-8424
DOI
10.1073/pnas.78.12.7266
Published
1981-12-00
Pages
7266-70
Language
English
Region
United States
NLM ID
7505876
PMCID
PMC349246
Subset
IM
External Links
PubMed source DOI: 10.1073/pnas.78.12.7266 PMC Full Text View journal details
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