Interactions of retinoids with phospholipid membranes: optical spectroscopy

Recent advances in cryotolerance biomarkers for semen preservation in frozen form-A systematic review

Spermatozoa cryopreservation has been practiced for decades and is a very useful technique for long-term preservation of sperm fertility. The capability for semen cryopreservation varies across species, seasons, latitudes, and even for different ejaculates from the same animal. This article summarizes research results on sperm cryotolerance biomarkers in several species, focusing on three areas: spermatozoa cryotolerance biomarkers, seminal plasma proteins cryotolerance biomarkers, and other cryotolerance biomarkers. We discovered that sperm cryoresistance biomarkers are primarily related to sperm plasma membrane stability, the presence of antioxidant substances in sperm or seminal plasma, sperm cell energy metabolism, water and small molecule transport channels in the sperm plasma membrane, and antistress substances in sperm or seminal plasma. The research conducted using diverse livestock models can be employed to enhance the basic and applied reproduction of other mammals through the study of sperm cryotolerance biomarkers, as well as the substantial similarities between livestock and other organisms, including endangered species.

Proteome Profiling of Canine Epididymal Fluid: In Search of Protein Markers of Epididymal Sperm Motility

Sperm maturation in the epididymis is based on interactions with proteins from epididymal fluid (EF). The aim of the study was to profile canine EF proteome and investigate correlations between EF protein content and epididymal spermatozoa (ES) motion parameters. Twenty-three male dogs were divided into two groups: good sperm motility (GSM) and poor sperm motility (PSM). The total motility and progressive motility differed significantly (p = 0.031; p < 0.001, respectively) between the GSM group and the PSM group. The semen samples were centrifuged to separate the EF apart from the ES. The canine EF proteins were analyzed using nano-liquid chromatography, which was coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (NanoUPLC-Q-TOF/MS) and bioinformatic tools for the first time. A total of 915 proteins were identified (GSM-506; PSM-409, respectively). UniProt identification resulted in six unique proteins (UPs) in the GSM group of dogs and four UPs in the PSM group. A semi-quantitative analysis showed a higher abundance (p < 0.05) of four differentially expressed proteins in the GSM group (ALB, CRISP2, LCNL1, PTGDS). Motility-dependent variations were detected in the EF proteome and were related to important metabolic pathways, which might suggest that several proteins could be potential ES motility biomarkers.

Relationship between HSP90a, NPC2 and L-PGDS proteins to boar semen freezability

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this study was to determine the association of three proteins involved in sperm function on the freezability of porcine semen: the heat shock protein 90 alpha (HSP90a), the Niemann-Pick disease type C2 protein (NPC2), and lipocalin-type prostaglandin D synthase (L-PGDS). Six adult boars (each boar was ejaculated three times, 18 in total) were classified by freezability based on the percentage of functionally competent sperm. The male semen with highest freezability (MHF) and the male semen with lowest freezability (MLF) were centrifuged immediately after collection to separate seminal plasma and spermatozoa to make four possible combinations of these two components and to incubate them for 3 h, adjusting the temperature to 17 °C, to freeze them afterwards. The quantification of proteins was performed in two stages: at zero and at 3 h after incubation of the four combinations.

RESULTS

The spermatozoa × incubation time (IT) interaction only had effect (P < 0.01) on HSP90a levels; this protein increased in seminal plasma, after 3 h of incubation, in larger quantity (P < 0.05) in combinations with MLF spermatozoa. In relation with the NPC2 protein, two isoforms of 16 and 19 kDa were identified. The 19 kDa isoform was affected (P < 0.01) only by the seminal plasma × IT interaction, with superior values (P < 0.01) both at zero and three hours of incubation, in the combinations with MHF seminal plasma; and 16 kDa isoform was affected (P < 0.01) only by the IT with reduction after 3 h of incubation. The levels of L-PGDS was affected (P < 0.01) only by the spermatozoa × IT interaction, which reduced (P < 0.01) in combinations with MLF spermatozoa after 3 h of incubation.

CONCLUSIONS

It is possible to consider that the three proteins evaluated were associated with freezability of boar semen due, especially, to the fact that mixtures with MLF spermatozoa showed greater increase levels of the HSP90a protein and reduction of L-PGDS in plasma. In addition, the seminal plasma of MHF had higher concentration of the NPC2 of 19 kDa protein, which was reduced by incubating with MHF spermatozoa.

Differential effect of plant lipids on membrane organization: specificities of phytosphingolipids and phytosterols

The high diversity of the plant lipid mixture raises the question of their respective involvement in the definition of membrane organization. This is particularly the case for plant plasma membrane, which is enriched in specific lipids, such as free and conjugated forms of phytosterols and typical phytosphingolipids, such as glycosylinositolphosphoceramides. This question was here addressed extensively by characterizing the order level of membrane from vesicles prepared using various plant lipid mixtures and labeled with an environment-sensitive probe. Fluorescence spectroscopy experiments showed that among major phytosterols, campesterol exhibits a stronger ability than β-sitosterol and stigmasterol to order model membranes. Multispectral confocal microscopy, allowing spatial analysis of membrane organization, demonstrated accordingly the strong ability of campesterol to promote ordered domain formation and to organize their spatial distribution at the membrane surface. Conjugated sterol forms, alone and in synergy with free sterols, exhibit a striking ability to order membrane. Plant sphingolipids, particularly glycosylinositolphosphoceramides, enhanced the sterol-induced ordering effect, emphasizing the formation and increasing the size of sterol-dependent ordered domains. Altogether, our results support a differential involvement of free and conjugated phytosterols in the formation of ordered domains and suggest that the diversity of plant lipids, allowing various local combinations of lipid species, could be a major contributor to membrane organization in particular through the formation of sphingolipid-sterol interacting domains.

Biophysical characterization of gold nanoparticles-loaded liposomes

Gold nanoparticles were prepared and loaded into the bilayer of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) liposomes, named as gold-loaded liposomes. Biophysical characterization of gold-loaded liposomes was studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy as well as turbidity and rheological measurements. FTIR measurements showed that gold nanoparticles made significant changes in the frequency of the CH(2) stretching bands, revealing that gold nanoparticles increased the number of gauche conformers and create a conformational change within the acyl chains of phospholipids. The transmission electron micrographs (TEM) revealed that gold nanoparticles were loaded in the liposomal bilayer. The zeta potential of DPPC liposomes had a more negative value after incorporating of Au NPs into liposomal membranes. Turbidity studies revealed that the loading of gold nanoparticles into DPPC liposomes results in shifting the temperature of the main phase transition to a lower value. The membrane fluidity of DPPC bilayer was increased by loading the gold nanoparticles as shown from rheological measurements. Knowledge gained in this study may open the door to pursuing liposomes as a viable strategy for Au NPs delivery in many diagnostic and therapeutic applications.

Concentration Dependent Different Action of Tamoxifen on Membrane Fluidity

Tamoxifen (TAM) is a non-steroidal antiestrogen drug, which is widely used to prevent and treat breast, liver, pancreas and brain cancers. The present work investigates, in detail, the concentration dependent behavior of TAM (varying from 1 mol% to 45 mol%) on membrane fluidity. The differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) studies showed that tamoxifen eliminates the pre-transition and decreases the main phase transition to lower temperatures. Using visible spectroscopy at 440 nm and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy it was found that membrane dynamics decreases for 1 and 3 mol% tamoxifen in both the gel and liquid crystalline phases. Above these concentrations up to 18–24 mol%, it increases and reaches its maximum values. As tamoxifen concentration was further increased, the membrane dynamics is found to be gradually decreased, although TAM still has fluidifying effect in comparison to pure phospholipid membrane. These findings are important for the effective use of tamoxifen in the cancer therapy to eliminate its dose dependent side effects reported in the literature.

Immunocytochemical localization of lipocalin-type prostaglandin D synthase in the bull testis and epididymis and on ejaculated sperm

Previously, we identified a 26-kDa fertility-associated protein in bull seminal plasma as lipocalin-type prostaglandin D synthase. The objective of the present study was to immunohistochemically localize this enzyme to the various cell types within the bull testis and seven subsegments of the epididymis, and on ejaculated sperm in order to gain further insight into its potential function in male reproduction. In the testis, immunoperoxidase staining was localized within the elongating spermatids and Sertoli cells of the seminiferous tubules, varying with the stage of the spermatogenic cycle. The highest level of staining occurred during stages III-VII. The cuboidal epithelial cells of the rete testis and efferent ducts were also immunoreactive. Expression of lipocalin-type prostaglandin D synthase was not uniform in the seven epididymal subsegments, suggesting a possible role in sperm maturation. In all epididymal regions, expression was limited to the epithelial principal cells; no immunoreactivity was apparent in other cell types. Lipocalin-type prostaglandin D synthase was strikingly localized in the caput epididymidis, while moderate to weak staining was observed in the remainder of the epididymis. Droplets of reaction product observed within the lumen increased progressively from the caput to cauda. Using fluorescence microscopy, we also localized lipocalin-type prostaglandin D synthase to the apical ridge of the acrosome on ejaculated sperm.

Retinoic acid regulates gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) release and gene expression in the rat hypothalamic fragments and GT1-1 neuronal cells in vitro

The present study attempts to examine the possible involvement of retinoic acid (RA) in the regulation of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) release and gene expression in the rat hypothalamic fragments and GT1-1 neuronal cells in vitro. During a short-term period (2h), RA (0.01-1 microM) increased GnRH release in a dose-related manner. Time-course experiments showed that RA rapidly increased GnRH release by 30 min in both cells. RA-induced GnRH release was slowly attenuated in the next incubation period in hypothalamic fragments, but rapidly returned to control levels in GT-1 cells. In hypothalamic fragments, GnRH mRNA levels decreased, but in GT1-1 cells, no change in GnRH mRNA levels was observed. We then extended the incubation time to see any changes in GnRH mRNA levels by RA in GT1-1 cells. In a long term (up to 48 h), RA increased GnRH mRNA levels in a dose- and time-related manner. Significant increase in GnRH mRNA levels by RA (at higher than 10 nM) was observed within 12h. Transient transfection experiments with a luciferase reporter vector containing more than 3 kb of the rat GnRH 5'-flanking region (-3002 to +88) revealed that RA also increased the rat GnRH promoter activity in a similar dose-and time-dependent manner, suggesting that increases in GnRH mRNA levels are attributable, at least in part, to the enhanced gene transcription. The promoter analysis with the 5'-deletional constructs demonstrated that cis-elements responsible for the RA action may reside within -1640/-1438 of the rat GnRH promoter, where multiple direct or palindromic arrangements of the AGGTCA-related sequences exist. We also showed that GT1-1 cells as well as the hypothalamic tissues express mRNA for multiple subtypes of retinoid receptors, and that reporter plasmids with three copies of the strong retinoic acid response element (RARE) were activated by 80 folds upon treatment with RA in GT1-1 cells, suggesting that retinoid receptors in GT1-1 cells are functional. Taken together, the present study strongly suggests that RA is an important regulator of the GnRH neurons.

The ionization behavior of retinoic acid in aqueous environments and bound to serum albumin

The ionization behavior of retinoic acid (RA) in an aqueous phase and when bound to bovine serum albumin was studied. Titrations of RA in the various phases were followed by monitoring the red shift in the absorption maximum of RA that occurred upon deprotonation. The apparent pK of RA was dependent on the concentration of this compound. At the concentration range 6-20 microM, the pK of RA in water had a value of approximately 8.0. As the concentration was decreased in the range 1-6 microM, the value of the pK decreased continuously. The lowest pK observed was approximately 6.0. It was concluded that RA in an aqueous phase at concentrations in the microM range, forms micelles, and that the values of the pK of RA monomers and micelles in water are less than 6.0 and 8.0, respectively. The presence of 0.15 M NaCl caused a decrease in the pK of RA micelles and lowered the value of the CMC. Titration of RA in the presence of bovine serum albumin revealed the presence of a heterogeneous population comprised of three distinct microenvironments for RA associated with this protein. Two populations of RA were found to undergo complete titration in the pH range 4-8. A third population became apparent at pH greater than 9.5.