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Mol. Hum. Reprod. Advance Access originally published online on January 18, 2008
Molecular Human Reproduction 2008 14(3):151-156; doi:10.1093/molehr/gan003
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© The Author 2008. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

Physiological roles of semenogelin I and zinc in sperm motility and semen coagulation on ejaculation in humans

Kaoru Yoshida1,6, Natsuko Kawano2, Miki Yoshiike3, Manabu Yoshida2, Teruaki Iwamoto4 and Masaaki Morisawa5

1Biomedical Engineering Center, Toin University of Yokohama, 1614 Kurogane-cho, Aoba-ku, Yokohama 225-8502, Japan 2Misaki Marine Biological Station, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 1024 Misaki-Koajiro, Miura, Kanagawa 238-0225, Japan 3Department of Urology, St Marianna University School of Medicine, 2-16-1 Sugao, Miyamae-ku, Kawasaki, Kanagawa 216-8511, Japan 4Division of Male Infertility, Center for Infertility and IVF, International University of Health and Welfare Hospital, 537-3 Iguchi, Nasushiobara, Tochigi 329-2763, Japan 5Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Yamagata University, 1-4-12 Kojirakawa-machi, Yamagata 990-8560, Japan

6 Correspondence address. E-mail: yoshidak{at}cc.toin.ac.jp

At ejaculation, human sperm are considered to be mechanically trapped and become immotile in the semen coagulum by binding to semenogelins (Sgs) from the seminal vesicle and zinc ions from the prostate. However, the physiological combined roles of the protein and heavy metal on sperm motility are unknown. Here, we have first demonstrated that Sg I alone, which does not form the semen coagulum without zinc, is an inhibitor of the motility of intact human sperm at physiological concentration. On the other hand, zinc ions alone had no effect on sperm motility, but confer recovery of sperm motility that has been inhibited by Sg I at a concentration equal to or less than 1 mg/ml. These observations suggest that the roles played by Sg I and zinc on sperm motility are not mechanical but physiological. Quartz crystal microbalance analysis suggests that the sperm extract first bind to Sg I and then zinc ions which subsequently increase the protein accumulation, suggesting that Sgs inhibit sperm motility by directly binding to the sperm surface. Further accumulation of Sg I mediated by zinc ions may entrap the quiescent sperm at semen ejaculation.

Key words: semenogelin I/human sperm/motility/zinc

Submitted on July 25, 2007; resubmitted on January 8, 2008; accepted on January 11, 2008.


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