Description

Abstract
Sperm membrane-, epididymal tissue- and –fluid proteins were characterized by SDS-PAGE in mongrel dog. Sperm membrane extracts, epididymal tissue extracts and partially purified proteins of epididymal fluid were characterized by SDS-PAGE under reducing conditions. The proteins with mol wt of 173, 135, 94, 72, 65, 46, 36, 23, 17 kDa; 55, 46, 36, 28, 23 kDa; 173, 116, 86, 72, 60, 55, 46, 42, 36, 32, 28, 23, 20, 17 kDa and 173, 116, 86, 72, 62, 55, 46, 42, 36, 32, 28, 23, 20, 17 kDa were detected by SDS-PAGE in Triton X-100, DOC, SDS and LDIS extracts of dog spermatozoa respectively. There was strong correlation between quantity of 17 kDa; 23/ 32 kDa; 36 kDa; 46 kDa proteins and % motility; % HOS positive; % live/ % motile and % live spermatozoa respectively. About 7-9 proteins in the range of 17-207 kDa were separated by SDS-PAGE from the tissue extracts as well as luminal fluid of dog. The presence of 46, 42, 38, 28, 23, 17 kDa proteins in tissue as well as luminal fluid indicated their secretory/ structural nature. The detection of 55 and 36 kDa only in the luminal fluid indicated their secretory/functional nature. The detection of 173, 135, 94, 80 and 20 kDa proteins only in the sperm membrane extracts indicated these as acquired or modified proteins during epididymal maturation or ejaculation. The presence of 55, 46, 42, 36, 28, 23 and 17 kDa proteins in the sperm extracts, luminal fluid and tissue extracts depicted these as surface proteins, associated in the maturation of spermatozoa during epididymal transit.

Keywords: Dog; Sperm; Epididymal- tissue; -fluid; Proteins; SDS-PAGE