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Chen Y, Wang K, Zhang D, Zhao Z, Huang J, Zhou L, Feng M, Shi J, Wei H, Li L, Wu Z, Zhang S. GPx6 is involved in the in vitro induced capacitation and acrosome reaction in porcine sperm. Theriogenology 2020; 156:107-115. [PMID: 32698036 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2020.06.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2019] [Revised: 06/19/2020] [Accepted: 06/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Glutathione peroxidases (GPxs) are regarded as important protectors against oxidative stress. Some members of this protein family were reported to play key roles in protecting sperm against oxidative stress. Whether GPx6 a member of the GPx family also plays a role in protection against oxidative stress is not known to date. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the localization and function of glutathione peroxidase 6 (GPx6) in boar accessory sex glands, seminal plasma, and sperm, as well as the effect of GPx6 on vitality and capacitation in boar sperm. qPCR and Western blot analysis demonstrated the presence of GPx6 in testis, epididymis, bulbourethral glands, prostate, seminal vesicle, sperm and seminal plasma. Incubation of sperm with an GPx6 antibody had no significant effect on the viability of boar sperm prior to capacitation. Surprisingly, when capacitated sperm was incubated with the GPx6 antibody for 240 min, sperm vitality was significantly improved. Western blotting showed that in capacitated sperm without prior pretreatment, GPx6 protein content was reduced compared to sperm before capacitation. To further confirm a role for GPx6 in sperm capacitation, we tested sperm acrosome reaction by ACR.2 and FITC-PSA. The results showed that treatment of sperm with the GPx6 antibody significantly increased sperm capacitation and acrosome reaction. Furthermore, we examined the concentration of cAMP in sperm after capacitation. ELISA demonstrated that the cAMP concentration in the sperm exposed to the GPx6 antibody was significantly higher than that of the control group. In addition, the exposure of sperm to the GPx6 antibody significantly increased the concentration of H2O2, while the expression of SOD3 and CAT were decreased. Based on these observations we would like to postulate that in the boar reproductive tract the GPx6 protein becomes attached to the sperm head preventing the sperm to undergo premature capacitation by affecting components of the antioxidant pathway. How GPx6 expression following ejaculation becomes suppressed to allow sperm capacitation to take place needs further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Chen
- National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China; Henry Fok College of Biology and Agriculture, Shaoguan University.
| | - Kai Wang
- National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
| | - Delong Zhang
- College of Animal Science, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi City, 830052, China.
| | - Zhihong Zhao
- National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
| | - Jianhao Huang
- National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
| | - Lele Zhou
- National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
| | - Meiying Feng
- National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China; College of Life Sciences, Zhaoqing University, Zhaoqing, Guangdong, 526061, China.
| | - Junsong Shi
- Guangdong Wen's Breeding Swine Company, Yunfu, Guangdong, 527400, China.
| | - Hengxi Wei
- National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
| | - Li Li
- National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
| | - Zhenfang Wu
- National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
| | - Shouquan Zhang
- National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
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