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Abstract
Accessory sex glands play an important role in male reproduction; however, the function of their secretions has not been completely elucidated. This study investigated the function of the accessory sex glands of the crustacean, Eriocheir sinensis, by identifying proteins secreted during early and peak developmental periods using two-dimensional electrophoresis and mass spectrometry. Most of the proteins had a low molecular weight and were concentrated in the region of pI 4–7 on the gel. After digestion, 13 differentially expressed proteins were analyzed by mass spectrometry. Among these 13, nine were preliminarily identified and could be categorized into four functional groups: spermatozoa capacitation, anti-oxidant, metabolism, and transcription and post-transcriptional regulation. The characteristics of these proteins confirmed that accessory sex gland secretions play an important role in the physiological status of sperm. This proteomics analysis of accessory sex gland can form the foundation for further studies of the function of accessory sex gland secretions.