Effect of antibodies against seminal vesicle secretion on fertility in the rat

Abstract

Fertile female Wistar rats were immunised against rat and mouse seminal vesicle secretion (SVS) to test the production of allo-antibodies and the effect of the antibodies elicited on fertility. Twenty-six per cent of the rat and mouse SVS-immunised females were infertile after the treatment. The sera were titrated by ELISA and used in Western blots to detect the proteins recognised. Although neither the antibody titres nor the proteins recognised by the sera showed a close relation with the degree of fertility, in all females the highest antibody titre in the fluids from the genital tract was found in the oviductal fluid and during the night of oestrus. This fact suggested that the site of action of the antibody could be the oviduct. Similar results were obtained using mouse SVS as immunogen – a fact that can be related to the antigenic similarity between the SVS of the two species. The antibodies react with the spermatozoa but not with eggs or embryos. Analyses performed on embryos collected from sterile females showed that there was a delay in fertilisation and normal embryogenesis. Our results suggest that SVS proteins are antigenic and that these antigens are bound to the spermatozoa and could take part in early pre-fertilisation events such as capacitation or sperm transport.

Faster Fertilization Rate in Conspecific Versus Heterospecific Matings in House Mice

“…Second, male seminal fluid was excluded from in vitro experiments because sperm were isolated directly from the epididymis. In mammals, seminal fluid has several important impacts on reproductive success, including increased pregnancy rate (Pang et al 1979; Queen et al 1981; Peitz and Olds‐Clarke 1986; Carballada and Esponda 1999), litter size (Pang et al 1979), developmental rate (Peitz and Olds‐Clarke 1986; O et al 1988), and rate of oocyte penetration (Henault et al 1995; Henault and Killian 1996). Some seminal proteins bind to sperm or comigrate with sperm through the uterus (Irwin et al 1983; Robinson et al 1987; Carballada and Esponda 1997, 1998) and affect sperm motility (Peitz and Olds‐Clarke 1986; Agrawal and Vanha‐Perttula 1987; Peitz 1988) and capacitation (Huang et al 2000; Kawano and Yoshida 2007).…”

The molecular basis and reproductive function(s) of copulatory plugs

“…Although transglutaminase‐mediated copulatory plugs appear to have relatively simple genetic origins, “copulatory plug proteins” probably have additional functions. SVS2, for example, also binds to sperm and prevents precocious capacitation in the uterus (Carballada and Esponda, , ; Kawano and Yoshida, ), and protects sperm from cytotoxic challenges in the uterine environment (Metafora et al, ; Kawano et al, ).…”

Identification of ejaculated proteins in the house mouse (Mus domesticus) via isotopic labeling

“…In internally fertilizing species, sperm are accompanied by a non-sperm component of seminal fluid that functions in a variety of contexts. In mammals, this seminal fluid derives from several compartments of the male reproductive tract, the experimental removal of which leads to reductions in fertility success [1,2], smaller litter sizes [3] and delays in oocyte penetration and embryonic development [4-6]. Seminal fluid also influences sperm motility and physiological status [7-11], suppresses the female immune system [12-14], protects sperm from neutrophil attack in the female reproductive tract [15,16], prepares the uterus for implantation [17], and alters female mating behavior [18,19].…”