Individual differences in the distribution of sperm acrosome-associated 1 proteins among male patients of infertile couples; their possible impact on outcomes of conventional in vitro fertilization

Abstract

The aims of this study were to show the existence of individual differences in the distribution of sperm acrosome-associated 1 (SPACA1) among male patients of infertile couples and to examine their possible impact on the outcomes of conventional in vitro fertilization (IVF). The spermatozoa were collected from male patients of infertile couples, washed by centrifugation, collected by the swim-up method, and then used for clinical treatments of conventional IVF. The surplus sperm samples were fixed and stained with an anti-SPACA1 polyclonal antibody for the immunocytochemistry. In the clinical IVF treatments, fertilization rates and blastocyst development rates were evaluated. The immunocytochemical observations revealed that SPACA1 were localized definitely in the acrosomal equatorial segment and variedly in the acrosomal principal segment. Specifically, the detection patterns of SPACA1 in the acrosomal principal segment could be classified into three categories: (A) strong, (B) intermediate or faint, and (C) almost no immunofluorescence. The SPACA1 indexes were largely different among male patients with the wide range from 13 to 199 points. The SPACA1 indexes were significantly correlated with developmental rates of embryos to blastocysts (r = 0.829, P = 0.00162), although they were barely associated with fertilization rates at 19 h after insemination (r = 0.289, P = 0.389). These results suggest that the distribution of SPACA1 in sperm affects the outcomes of conventional IVF. In conclusion, this study provides initial data to promote large-scale clinical investigation to demonstrate that the SPACA1 indexes are valid as molecular biomarkers that can predict the effectiveness of conventional IVF of infertile couples.

Human Contraceptives: Current Status, Sperm Antigen Inhibitors and an Insight into PCSK4

“…It has been reported that ASA or other sperm antigen inhibitors could influence fertilisation process through at least one of four ways: (1) blocking gamete fusion, (2) preventing sperm-zona pellucida binding and penetration, (3) inhibiting acrosome reaction or (4) immobilising sperm [31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48].…”

Protein biomarkers for male artificial insemination subfertility in bovine spermatozoa

“…A, Tyrosine‐phosphorylated proteins (green fluorescence) and SPACA 1 proteins (red fluorescence) were detected in the cauda epididymal spermatozoa by double immunostaining (a representative of six replicates). The cauda epididymal spermatozoa were washed with a phosphate‐buffered saline that contained polyvinyl alcohol ( PBS ‐ PVA ) three times, treated with mouse anti‐phosphotyrosine ( pY ) monoclonal antibody or guinea pig anti‐ SPACA 1 polyclonal antibody, and subsequently with fluorescein isothiocyanate‐conjugated or tetramethylrhodamine‐conjugated secondary antibodies, as described previously 25, 56. An arrow indicates the distribution of the acrosomal tyrosine‐phosphorylated proteins in the equatorial subsegment.…”

“…According to investigations of human spermatozoa from infertile patients,56 human SPACA1 proteins might not be tyrosine‐phosphorylated, unlike bovine SPACA1 proteins. However, their distribution patterns in the acrosomal principal segment are varied among human spermatozoa, as with bovine SPACA1 proteins, and could be classified into three grades.…”

“…The cauda epididymal spermatozoa were washed with a phosphate-buffered saline that contained polyvinyl alcohol (PBS-PVA) three times, treated with mouse anti-phosphotyrosine (pY) monoclonal antibody or guinea pig anti-SPACA1 polyclonal antibody, and subsequently with fluorescein isothiocyanate-conjugated or tetramethylrhodamine-conjugated secondary antibodies, as described previously. 25,56 An arrow indicates the distribution of the acrosomal tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins in the equatorial subsegment. B, A tyrosine-phosphorylated form of the SPACA1 proteins in the lysates from the ejaculated spermatozoa was detected by immunoprecipitation (IP)-Western blotting (WB) (a representative of three replicates).…”

Seminal quality and global proteomic analysis of spermatozoa from captive Amazon squirrel monkeys (Saimiri collinsiOsgood, 1916) during the dry and rainy seasons

“…In the acrosome 375 membrane (internal and external membranes), the sperm acrosome membrane-associated family 376 (i.e., SPACA3, SPACA1, and SPACA4) [63,64] are sperm surface membrane proteins that may be 377 involved in the adhesion and fusion of the sperm to the egg prior to fertilization [65]. SPACA1 and 378 SPACA3 are localized in the acrosomal matrix, including the principal segment and equatorial 379 segment, and are proteins characterized as membrane antigens [63,65,66]. SPACA1 may be 380 involved in sperm fusion with the oölemma, since treatment of human sperm with the anti-SPACA1 381 antibody prevented sperm penetration into zona-free hamster eggs [63].…”