Molecular Human Reproduction, Vol. 7, No. 10, 913-921,
October 2001
© 2001 European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology
Testis and spermatogenesis |
Tyrosine nitration in human spermatozoa: a physiological function of peroxynitrite, the reaction product of nitric oxide and superoxide
1 Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos (CEFYBO-CONICET), Serrano 669, 1414, Buenos Aires, Argentina and 2 Urology Research Laboratory, Royal Victoria Hospital, McGill University, 687 Pine Avenue West, H3A 1A1 Montréal, Canada
Abstract
Tyrosine nitration is a widely used marker of peroxynitrite (ONOO–) produced from the reaction of nitric oxide (NO.) with superoxide (O2.–). Since human spermatozoa are able to produce both NO. and O2.– during capacitation in vitro, we investigated whether spontaneous tyrosine nitration of proteins occurs in human spermatozoa and evaluated the physiological effects of peroxynitrite on sperm function. We report here that human spermatozoa, incubated for 8 h under conditions conducive to capacitation, display a reproducible pattern of protein tyrosine nitration. Several proteins with mol. wt of 105–14 kDa become increasingly tyrosine-nitrated after 15 min incubation and then minimal changes are observed. Treatment of capacitated spermatozoa with human follicular fluid or calcium ionophore causes an increase of the nitrotyrosine content of proteins at the mol. wt of 85 kDa. Moreover, exposure of spermatozoa to ONOO– (2.5–50 µmol/l) increases motility and primes spermatozoa to respond earlier to human follicular fluid. ONOO– also increases protein tyrosine nitration and phosphorylation in a concentration-dependent manner. Taken together, these results demonstrate that tyrosine nitration of sperm proteins occurs in capacitated human spermatozoa, and that low concentrations of ONOO– modulate sperm functions, emphasizing the concept that capacitation is part of an oxidative process.
capacitation/human spermatozoa/nitric oxide/peroxynitrite/protein nitration
Notes
3 Present address: Cell Biology Department, University of Virginia, 1300 Jefferson Park Avenue, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA
4 To whom correspondence should be addressed at: Urology Research Laboratory (H6.44), Royal Victoria Hospital, McGill University, 687 Pine Avenue West, H3A 1A1 Montréal, Canada. E-mail: claude.gagnon{at}muhc.mcgill.ca
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