Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UNIPROT:P56851 (epididymal)
 11,273 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The objective of this study was to characterize a 26-kDa seminal plasma protein previously shown to be prevalent in bulls of high fertility. Spots of this protein, excised and electroeluted from two-dimensional SDS-PAGE gels, were used for N-terminal amino acid sequencing and for preparation of antiserum in rabbits. The N-terminal amino acid sequence (ALQPNFEEDKFLGRWFTSGL) was 75% identical and 100% homologous to lipocalin-type prostaglandin (PG) D synthase isolated from human cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Western blots of purified 26-kDa protein cross-reacted with polyclonal antibodies against lipocalin-type PGD synthase isolated from rat brain and human CSF. Immunoreactive bands at 26 kDa appeared in Western blots of seminal plasma and cauda epididymal fluid (CEF). A 29-kDa band appeared in blots of rete testis fluid (RTF). PGD synthase activity was detected in seminal plasma, CEF, and RTF. The cDNA for bovine lipocalin-type PGD synthase, isolated by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, contained a coding region of 573 base pairs corresponding to 191 amino acids. The amino acid sequence was 63-80% identical to that of the enzyme of other mammals. These results establish that the 26-kDa fertility-associated protein in bull seminal plasma is lipocalin-type PGD synthase. Although we do not yet know the role of lipocalin-type PGD synthase in the male genital tract, we speculate that this protein may play an important role in both the development and the maturation of sperm.
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PMID:Identification of a fertility-associated protein in bull seminal plasma as lipocalin-type prostaglandin D synthase. 951 Sep 73

The changes in glutathione-independent prostaglandin D2 synthetase (PGD-S) during maturation in the rat were determined in selected organs by an RIA using PGD-S purified from rat cerebrospinal fluid and a monospecific anti-rat PGD-S polyclonal antibody. In a survey of its tissue distribution in various organ extracts and biological fluids, it was found that the concentration of PGD-S was highest in the epididymis-about 6- and 80-fold greater than that in the brain and testis, respectively. During maturation, PGD-S concentration increased steadily in the testis and epididymis; this is in contrast to the pattern of changes in the brain and liver, which showed a general trend of decline. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and Southern blotting were used to demonstrate the presence of PGD-S mRNA transcript in the testis and in Sertoli and germ cells. In the epididymis, the steady-state PGD-S mRNA level was highest in the caput, followed by the cauda and corpus. Orchiectomy induced a drastic reduction of PGD-S concentration in all three epididymal compartments. Administration of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) failed to restore the reduced epididymal PGD-S level except in the caput epididymis, where 4 days after DHT treatment the level of PGD-S was restored to about 50% of the pre-orchiectomized level; this suggests that the epididymal PGD-S level is not entirely regulated by androgen and that another yet to be identified testicular factor(s) is likely to be involved in its regulation. Germ cell-conditioned medium was also shown to stimulate PGD-S expression in the Sertoli cell. These results illustrate that PGD-S is an important molecule in testicular and epididymal function and that it is likely involved in spermatogenesis and sperm maturation.
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PMID:Rat prostaglandin D2 synthetase: its tissue distribution, changes during maturation, and regulation in the testis and epididymis. 974 34

To determine whether resistance to insulin or to thyroid hormones rather than an inherent defect in enzyme activity expression account for the age-related changes in lipogenic enzymes, the activities of malic enzymes (ME), fatty acid synthase (FAS), glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6PD) and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (6-PGD) were assayed in hepatic, retroperitoneal fat and epididymal fat cytosol of male Fischer 344 rats at 3.5, 12 and 25 months of age. The rats were maintained on either regular rat chow with 62% of calories as complex carbohydrates or were given either high glucose or fructose diet with 65.7% of calories provided by glucose or fructose respectively. Additional groups of young and aged rats were treated with L-triiodothyronine (T3) (15 microg/100 g body weight) for 10 days. Treatment with T3 resulted in higher levels of hepatic ME activity regardless of the diet consumed or the age of the rats. T3 had no consistent effect on FAS, G-6PD or 6-PGD activities. ME response to T3 in young rats was significantly greater than that found in aged rats regardless of diet. The age-related decrease in basal hepatic ME activity was not apparent in rats maintained on the high glucose or the high fructose diets, yet the T3 responsiveness of ME in rats maintained on these diets was not normalized. In adipose tissue, with the exception of the age-related changes in basal activity of the lipogenic enzymes, neither T3 nor the feeding of the test diets had any consistent effects. Since insulin resistance induced by high fructose feeding did not reduce hepatic lipogenic enzymes, it is unlikely that the age-related increase in insulin resistance explains the reduced lipogenic enzyme activity in aged rats. However, resistance to thyroid hormone action found in aged rats may partly account for the reduced hepatic lipogenic enzyme activity.
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PMID:The age-related changes in lipogenic enzymes: the role of dietary factors and thyroid hormone responsiveness. 1040 Mar 7

This review summarizes the introduction of ICSI in the early 1990s as an assisted fertilization procedure in couples with severe male factor infertility, who could not be helped by conventional IVF. As for current practice, the indications for ICSI using fresh or frozen-thawed ejaculated, epididymal or testicular sperm are reviewed as well as some reports on the use of ICSI in non-male infertility. The main steps in an ICSI cycle are well standardized by now; it is rare that ICSI cannot be carried out and the results in terms of fertilization, embryo transfer and clinical pregnancy rate have been consistent for many years, indicating that a substantial number of couples can now have their own genetic child instead of having to use artificial insemination with donor sperm. This review also emphasizes the importance of assessing the risk of ICSI for the children: there is a slight increase in de novo chromosomal abnormalities, the major congenital malformation rate is similar for IVF and ICSI (between 3 and 4%), and at approximately 2 years of age the developmental outcome as assessed by the Bayley scale is similar for IVF and ICSI. Recent publications mention that a few children are affected by diseases caused by imprinting disorders. Future studies are needed to assess the association between assisted reproductive technologies and imprinting disorders. ICSI is frequently used in couples undergoing preimplantation genetic diagnosis. PGD stricto sensu as well as PGD for aneuploidy screening and for Klinefelter patients are reviewed using the ESHRE PGD Consortium data.
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PMID:A review of ten years experience of ICSI. 1500 61