ANTIBODIES TO HUMAN SPERM YLP12 PEPTIDE THAT IS INVOLVED IN EGG BINDING INHIBIT HUMAN SPERM CAPACITATION/ACROSOME REACTION
R. K. NAZ; J. L. R. PACKIANATHAN
11/30/2013
Recently, the authors reported a novel dodecamer peptide sequence, designated as YLP12, on human sperm, that is involved in binding to zona pellucida (ZP) of human oocyte [10]. This nique sequence is present on the acrosomal region of the human sperm cell and is expressed only in human testis/ sperm. The aim of the present study was to examine whether YLP12 sequence is involved in capacitation/ acrosome reaction. Swim-up sperm were capacitated with anti-YLP12 Fab’ antibodies or control Fab’s (40 and 85 μg/mL) and then the acrosome reaction was induced with calcium ionophore. An average of 64–73% sperm underwent acrosome reaction when they were capacitated in the presence of 40–85 μg/mL of bovine serum albumin or control Fab’s. A significant (p < .01 to < .001) reduction (58– 75%) in the percentage of acrosome-reacted sperm was observed when the sperm were capacitated in the presence of YLP12 Fab’s. These data indicate that the YLP12 peptide sequence is involved in sperm capacitation / acrosome reaction, and may find clinical applications in the diagnosis and treatment of male infertility and immunocontraception.