UNIPROT:P56851 - FACTA Search

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Query: UNIPROT:P56851 (epididymal)
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Spermatozoa collected from the caudae epididymides of 16 dogs of various breeds were suspended in an isotonic salt solution (DIMI medium) containing 0.6 M glycerol, frozen in liquid nitrogen, and their "survival" was measured after thawing. In the first experimental series, duplicate samples of spermatozoa from each of 11 dogs were cooled at rates of 0.5, 3, 11, 58, or 209 degrees C/min, stored in liquid nitrogen, and the frozen samples warmed at approximately 830 or at 33 degrees C/min. Sperm "survival" was judged by microscopic assessments of motility and of membrane integrity, the latter as assayed with Fertilight, a double fluorescent stain. Motility of frozen spermatozoa that were thawed rapidly, averaged for 11 dogs, was low at low rates, increased to a maximum at 11 degrees C/min, and then decreased significantly at higher rates (P<0.01). This inverted V-shaped curve was also observed with slow thawing, although the apparent optimum cooling rate ranged from 3 to 11 degrees C/min. The integrity of sperm plasma membranes showed a similar dependence on cooling rate, although the percentages of spermatozoa with intact plasma membranes were higher than the percentages of motile spermatozoa. Motility of spermatozoa, as a function of cooling rate, varied considerably from male to male (P<0.01), whereas membrane integrity was much more consistent among the 11 dogs. In the second experimental series with spermatozoa from 5 dogs, motility of spermatozoa frozen at 0.5 degrees C/min and warmed at 3.6, 33, 140, or 830 degrees C/min also exhibited an inverted V-shaped survival curve, in this case as a function of warming rate. In summary, high survival of frozen-thawed canine epididymal spermatozoa depended on both cooling and warming rates, but spermatozoa from each dog exhibited their own sensitivity to cooling and warming rates.
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PMID:Differences among dogs in response of their spermatozoa to cryopreservation using various cooling and warming rates. 1206 49

The partitioning of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) (E.C. 1.1.1.49) and hexokinase (E.C. 2.7.1.1) in polyethylene glycol (PEG)-hydroxypropyl starch (PES) and PEG-phosphate aqueous two-phase systems was investigated with free triazine dyes, Cibacron Blue F3GA and Procion Red HE3B, as their affinity ligands. It was found that the free reactive triazine dyes, not bound to phase-forming polymers, preferentially partitioned in the top-PEG phase in the PEG-salt and PEG-PES systems. The effect of various parameters such as type and concentration of affinity ligands, pH of the system, molecular mass of PEG and phase composition on partitioning of the enzymes was estimated. Phosphate is a key factor affecting the enzyme partitioning in the PEG-PES system. Cibacron F3GA changed the partition coefficient of G6PDH from 0.73 to 1.59.
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PMID:Affinity partitioning of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and hexokinase in aqueous two-phase systems with free triazine dye ligands. 1238 80

Guanylyl cyclase C (GC-C) is a membrane-associated form of guanylyl cyclase and serves as the receptor for the heat-stable enterotoxin (ST) peptide and endogenous ligands guanylin, uroguanylin, and lymphoguanylin. The major site of expression of GC-C is the intestinal epithelial cell, although GC-C is also expressed in extraintestinal tissue such as the kidney, airway epithelium, perinatal liver, stomach, brain, and adrenal glands. Binding of ligands to GC-C leads to accumulation of intracellular cGMP, the activation of protein kinases G and A, and phosphorylation of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), a chloride channel that regulates salt and water secretion. We examined the expression of GC-C and its ligands in various tissues of the reproductive tract of the rat. Using reverse transcriptase and the polymerase chain reaction, we demonstrated the presence of GC-C, uroguanylin, and guanylin mRNA in both male and female reproductive organs. Western blot analysis using a monoclonal antibody to GC-C revealed the presence of differentially glycosylated forms of GC-C in the caput and cauda epididymis. Exogenous addition of uroguanylin to minced epididymal tissue resulted in cGMP accumulation, suggesting an autocrine or endocrine activation of GC-C in this tissue. Immunohistochemical analyses demonstrated expression of GC-C in the tubular epithelial cells of both the caput epididymis and cauda epididymis. Our results suggest that the GC-C signaling pathway could converge on CFTR in the epididymis and perhaps control fluid and ion balance for optimal sperm maturation and storage in this tissue.
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PMID:Expression of the receptor guanylyl cyclase C and its ligands in reproductive tissues of the rat: a potential role for a novel signaling pathway in the epididymis. 1244 76

[molecular structure: see text] p-tert-Butylcatechol is used as an antioxidant, stabilizer, and polymerization inhibitor for styrene, butadiene, neoprene, and other olefins and reactive monomers. p-tert-Butylcatechol was nominated by the National Cancer Institute and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for testing based on reports of its increasing levels of production and use and to compare the toxicity of p-tert-butylcatechol with that of similar antioxidants, butylated hydroxyanisole and butylated hydroxytoluene, which are added to food. Male and female F344/N rats and B6C3F1 mice were exposed to p-tert-butylcatechol (greater than 99% pure) in feed for 15 days or 14 weeks. Genetic toxicology studies were conducted in Salmonella typhimurium, rat bone marrow cells, and mouse peripheral blood erythrocytes. In the 15-day studies, groups of five male and five female rats and mice were fed diets containing 0, 3,125, 6,250, 12,500, 25,000, or 50,000 ppm p-tert-butylcatechol (equivalent to average daily doses of approximately 290 to 2,470 mg p-tert-butylcatechol/kg body weight to rats and 590 to 8,200 mg/kg to mice). All animals in the 50,000 ppm groups were killed moribund on day 8 (rats) or by day 7 (mice). Mean body weights of all groups of rats exposed to 6,250 ppm or greater were significantly less than those of the controls. Mean body weights of male mice exposed to 12,500 or 25,000 ppm and of 25,000 ppm female mice were significantly less than those of the controls. Female rats, male and female mice in the 25,000 ppm groups, and 12,500 ppm male mice lost weight during the studies. Feed consumption by exposed rats generally decreased with increasing exposure concentration; feed consumption by exposed mice was similar to that by the controls. Thymus weights of 25,000 ppm rats and mice were significantly less than those of the controls. Gross findings noted at necropsy included thin carcasses for three male and all female rats in the 12,500 ppm groups and all male and female rats and mice in the 25,000 and 50,000 ppm groups. No exposure-related lesions were observed microscopically. In the 14-week studies, groups of 10 male and 10 female rats and mice were fed diets containing 0, 781, 1,562, 3,125, 6,250, or 12,500 ppm p-tert-butylcatechol (equivalent to average daily doses of approximately 70 to 1,030 mg/kg to rats and 135 to 2,815 mg/kg to mice). All animals survived to the end of the studies. Mean body weights of male rats exposed to 1,562 ppm or greater, female rats exposed to 3,125 ppm or greater, male mice exposed to 12,500 ppm, and female mice exposed to 6,250 or 12,500 ppm were significantly less than those of the controls. Feed consumption by male and female rats in the 6,250 and 12,500 ppm groups at week 1 and the 12,500 ppm groups at week 14 was less than that by the controls; feed consumption by exposed and control mice was similar. An erythrocytosis, indicated by increased hematocrit values, hemoglobin concentrations, and erythrocyte counts, was observed in 6,250 and 12,500 ppm rats on day 4 and in 12,500 ppm rats on day 22. At these time points, a transient hepatic effect was demonstrated by increases in alanine aminotransferase activities and bile salt concentrations in exposed rats. In 12,500 ppm male rats, absolute left cauda epididymis, epididymis, and testis weights were decreased by 15%, 10%, and 9%, respectively, compared to the controls. The number of spermatid heads per testis and epididymal sperm motility of male rats in the 12,500 ppm group were significantly less than those of the controls. The numbers of cycling female rats and females with regular estrous cycles were decreased in the 6,250 and 12,500 ppm groups. Exposed groups of females had significantly fewer estrous cycles than did the controls. Estrous cycle length increased with increasing exposure concentration; female rats in the 6,250 and 12,500 ppm groups had significantly longer cycles and spent more time in diestrus and less time in proestrus, estrus, and metestrus than did the controls. Female mice in the 12,500 ppm group had a significantly longer estrous cycle than did the controls. The incidences of hyperkeratosis of the forestomach epithelium were significantly increased in male and female rats in all exposed groups and in 12,500 ppm female mice. The incidences of hyperplasia of the forestomach epithelium were significantly increased in male and female rats exposed to 3,125 ppm or greater, male mice exposed to 12,500 ppm, and female mice exposed to 6,250 or 12,500 ppm. The severities of the forestomach lesions were minimal to moderate in male rats and minimal to mild in female rats and in mice. All male rats exposed to 6,250 or 12,500 ppm had minimal cytoplasmic alteration in the liver. The absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of p-tert-butylcatechol following intravenous injection, gavage dosing, or dermal application were determined in male F344/N rats and B6C3F1 mice. The absorption of [(14)C]-p-tert-butylcatechol following gavage dosing or dermal application was high. The percent absorption following dermal application increased with increasing dose. Peak concentrations of [(14)C]-p-tert-butylcatechol equivalents in plasma were reached 1 hour after gavage dosing (200 mg/kg) and 2 hours after dermal application (60 mg/kg); no parent compound was detected in the plasma extracts. Regardless of route of administration, p-tert-butylcatechol derived radioactivity was readily excreted in the urine and was markedly nonpersistent in the tissues. p-tert- Butylcatechol was excreted as p-tert-butylcatechol sulfate and other polar metabolites that included predominately sulfate conjugates; it was not excreted as the parent compound. One metabolite was determined to be an O-methyl- ON-sulfate of p-tert-butylcatechol. p-tert-Butylcatechol (10 to 1,000 microg/plate) was not mutagenic in any of several strains of S. typhimurium with or without rat or hamster liver S9. Bone marrow micronucleus tests in which 125 to 500 mg/kg p-tert-butylcatechol was administered three times by intraperitoneal injection to male rats gave negative results. No increases in the frequencies of micronucleated normochromatic erythrocytes were observed in the peripheral blood of male or female mice administered p-tert-butylcatechol in feed for 14 weeks. No significant alteration in the percentage of polychromatic erythrocytes in mouse bone marrow was observed. In summary, the primary toxicity of p-tert-butylcatechol was to the forestomach of rats and mice. In the 14-week study in rats, forestomach toxicity was observed at all exposure concentrations, and the no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) was not reached for this effect. In the 14-week study in mice, the NOAEL for forestomach toxicity was 1,562 ppm.
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PMID:NTP technical report on the toxicity studies of p-tert-butylcatechol (CAS No. 98-29-3) administered in feed to F344/N rats and B6C3F1 mice. 1259 14

The perinuclear theca is a non-ionic detergent-resistant, electron-dense layer surrounding the condensed nucleus of mammalian sperm. The known proteins originating from the perinuclear theca have implicated the structure in a variety of important cellular processes during spermiogenesis and fertilization. Nonetheless, the composition of the perinuclear theca remains largely unexplored. We have isolated a group of low molecular mass (14-19 kDa) perinuclear theca-derived proteins from acrosome-depleted bovine sperm heads by salt (1 M KCl) extraction and have identified them as core somatic histones. N-terminal sequencing and immunoblotting with anti-histone antibodies confirmed the presence of both intact and proteolytically cleaved somatic histones H3, H2B, H2A, and H4. Identical proteins were isolated using 2% SDS or 1 N HCl extractions. Subsequent acid and SDS extractions of intact bovine sperm revealed the presence of all four intact histone subtypes, with minimal proteolysis. Two-dimensional acid/urea/Triton-SDS-PAGE, coupled with immunoblotting analysis, confirmed the somatic nature of these perinuclear theca-derived histones. Estimates of the abundance of perinuclear theca-derived histones showed that up to 0.2 pg per sperm of each histone subtype was present. Immunogold labeling at the ultrastructural level localized all four core somatic histones to the post-acrosomal sheath region of bovine epididymal sperm, when probed with affinity-purified anti-histone antibodies. Little immunoreactivity was detected in residual perinuclear theca structures following the extractions. Taken together, these findings indicate the unprecedented and stable localization of non-nuclear somatic histones in bovine sperm perinuclear theca.
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PMID:Somatic histones are components of the perinuclear theca in bovine spermatozoa. 1277 96

Spermatozoa bind a variety of proteins as they pass through the proximal regions of the epididymis, where they acquire forward motility and fertilizing ability. Recent evidence indicates that certain epididymis-specific secretory proteins that bind sperm have antibacterial activity and may function as part of the innate immune system. We reported earlier that ESC42, now designated human beta-defensin 118 (DEFB118), is a sperm-binding protein. In this study, we demonstrate that DEFB118 has potent antibacterial activity that is dose, time, and structure dependent. Incubation of Escherichia coli for 60 min with 10 microg/ml DEFB118 reduced bacterial survival to 20% of the control, and 25 microg/ml reduced survival to 5% of the control. DEFB118 concentrations of 50 and 100 microg/ml further reduced survival to less than 2 and 1%, respectively. A biphasic effect of salt concentration on the antibacterial activity of DEFB118 was observed. Reduction of disulfide bonds and alkylation of cysteines resulted in the complete loss of antibacterial activity. DEFB118 caused rapid permeabilization of both outer and inner membranes of E. coli and striking morphological alterations in the bacterial surfaces visible by scanning electron microscopy consistent with a membrane-disruptive mechanism of bacterial killing. In contrast, eukaryotic cell membranes were not permeabilized by DEFB118, as indicated by the rat erythrocyte hemolytic assay. Studies on DEFB118 inhibition of macromolecular synthesis and membrane permeability in E. coli were consistent with a primary effect at the cell membrane level. DEFB118 may contribute to epididymal innate immunity and protect the sperm against attack by microorganisms in the male and female reproductive tracts.
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PMID:The androgen-regulated epididymal sperm-binding protein, human beta-defensin 118 (DEFB118) (formerly ESC42), is an antimicrobial beta-defensin. 1503 15

The role of epididymal sperm-binding proteins in reproductive tract immunity is now well recognized in addition to their role in sperm maturation. Spermatozoa acquire forward motility and fertilizing ability during their passage through the epididymis, where they acquire a wide variety of proteins belonging to different classes. Previously, we demonstrated that EPPIN (epididymal protease inhibitor), an androgen-regulated, sperm-binding protein containing protease-inhibitory motifs, is expressed specifically in the testis and epididymis. In the present study, we investigated the antibacterial activity of EPPIN against Escherichia coli and the mechanism of antimicrobial action. EPPIN exhibited dose- and time-dependent antibacterial activity that was relatively insensitive to salt. However, EPPIN lost its antibacterial activity completely on reduction and alkylation of its cysteines, indicating the importance of disulfide bonds for its activity. EPPIN permeabilized the outer and inner membranes of E. coli, which is consistent with its ability to induce striking morphological alterations of E. coli membranes as shown by scanning electron microscopy. EPPIN did not cause disruption of eukaryotic membranes in the rat erythrocyte hemolytic assay. The present results indicate that EPPIN has a role in the innate immune system of human epididymis.
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PMID:Antimicrobial activity of human EPPIN, an androgen-regulated, sperm-bound protein with a whey acidic protein motif. 1522 36

The final maturation of spermatozoa produced in the testis takes place during their passage through the epididymis. In this process, the proteins secreted into the epididymal lumen along with changes in the pH and salt composition of the epididymal fluid cause several biochemical changes and remodeling of the sperm plasma membrane. The Crisp family is a group of cysteine-rich secretory proteins that previously consisted of three members, one of which-CRISP1-is an epididymal protein shown to attach to the sperm surface in the epididymal lumen and to inhibit gamete membrane fusion. In the present paper, we introduce a new member of the Crisp protein family, CRISP4. The new gene was discovered through in silico analysis of the epididymal expressed sequence tag library deposited in the UniGene database. The peptide sequence of CRISP4 has a signal sequence suggesting that it is secreted into the epididymal lumen and might thus interact with sperm. Unlike the other members of the family, Crisp4 is located on chromosome 1 in a cluster of genes encoding for cysteine-rich proteins. Crisp4 is expressed in the mouse exclusively in epithelial cells of the epididymis in an androgen-dependent manner, and the expression of the gene starts at puberty along with the onset of sperm maturation. The identified murine CRISP4 peptide has high homology with human CRISP1, and the homology is higher than that between murine and human CRISP1, suggesting that CRISP4 represents the mouse counterpart of human CRISP1 and could have similar effects on sperm membrane as mouse and human CRISP1.
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PMID:Mouse cysteine-rich secretory protein 4 (CRISP4): a member of the Crisp family exclusively expressed in the epididymis in an androgen-dependent manner. 1567 6

We have isolated and characterized omwaprin, a 50-amino-acid cationic protein from the venom of inland taipan (Oxyuranus microlepidotus). It is a new member of the waprin family of snake venom proteins. A synthetic gene was designed and constructed for expressing the recombinant protein in Escherichia coli. Recombinant omwaprin was used for carrying out functional analyses. The protein is non-toxic to Swiss albino mice at doses of up to 10 mg/kg when administered intraperitoneally. However, it shows selective and dose-dependant antibacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria. The minimum inhibitory doses were in the range 2-10 microg for selected species of bacteria in radial diffusion assays. The antibacterial activity is salt-tolerant up to 350 mM NaCl. However, omwaprin lost its antibacterial activity upon reduction and alkylation of its cysteine residues, or upon deletion of six N-terminal amino acid residues, four of which are positively charged. These observations indicate that the three-dimensional structure constrained by four disulfide bonds and the N-terminal residues are essential for its activity. The mechanism of action is via membrane disruption, as shown by scanning electron microscopy. Importantly, omwaprin lacks haemolytic activity on human erythrocytes. This demonstrates the specificity of omwaprin for bacterial membranes. Unlike other reported WAP (whey acidic protein) domain-containing antibacterial proteins, including elafin, EPPIN (epididymal proteinase inhibitor), SWAM1 and SWAM2 [single WAP (whey acidic protein) motif proteins 1 and 2] and SLPI (secretory leucocyte proteinase inhibitor), omwaprin shows species-specific activity on the Gram-positive bacteria tested.
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PMID:Antimicrobial activity of omwaprin, a new member of the waprin family of snake venom proteins. 1704 15

The present study investigates the testicular and adrenocortical activities under different doses and durations of chromium (Cr) exposure and their interactions. Mature male Sprague Dawley rats were injected daily with three different doses (0.2, 0.4, and 0.6 mg/kg bw) of Cr salt (K(2)Cr(2)O(7)) intraperitonealy for 13 and 26 days, respectively. The medium (0.4 mg/kg bw/day) and higher dose (0.6 mg/kg bw/day) of Cr significantly (p<0.05) decrease accessory sex organs weight, testicular Delta(5)3beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (HSD) and 17beta-HSD activities, epididymal sperm count, effective spermatid degeneration, serum testosterone, LH level, testicular catalase and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities while testicular lipid peroxidation, serum FSH, corticosterone level, adrenal weight and adrenal Delta(5)3beta-HSD activity increased significantly than that of control and lower dose (0.2 mg/kg bw/day) Cr exposed animals. Testicular histoarchitechture shows deterioration after critical dose (0.4 mg/kg bw/day) and duration (26 days) of Cr exposure. Cr induced alterations on testicular and adrenocortical activities are dose and duration dependent. Adrecortical hyperactivity accompanied by testicular oxidative stress might have a crucial role for Cr induced male reproductive impairment.
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PMID:Chromium induced testicular impairment in relation to adrenocortical activities in adult albino rats. 1782 70

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