In-vitro capacitation of epididymal spermatozoa with heparin and gelatin binding buffalo seminal plasma proteins

Abstract

Capacitation is an important process in bovine sperm maturation and is an obligatory step prior to fertilization. Upon ejaculation, a group ofgelatin binding proteins (GBPs) and heparin binding proteins (HBPs) ofseminal plasma bi1l:ds to the sperm surface with membrane choline phospholipids of epididymal sperm. These proteins potentiate the sperm capacitation with heparin and high density lipoproteins (HDL). This study was undertaken to see the capacitation response with the HBPs and GBPs. Washed buffalo epididymal sperms were incubated with heparin (10 Jlg/ml) in the presence of HBPs and GBPs @ 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 Jlg/ml. The percentage of capacitated sperm was evaluated after the i~duction ofacrosome reaction with lysophosphatidylcholine (100 Jlg/ml) from 0 to 6 h. Both HBPs and GBPs acted in a similar way in the induction of acrosome reaction. The difference between treated group and control group was significant (P