Purification and Characterization of a Boar Sperm Protein Interacting with Immunoglobulins from an Infertile Woman

Abstract

Immunoglobulin G (IgG) fraction was prepared from a serum obtained from an infertile woman (IS) that induced sperm agglutination of human and boar sperm. The antisperm antibodies interacted with a 50-kD boar sperm protein, determined by immunoblot. The 50-kD protein was extracted with deoxy-cholate (DOC) and purified by affinity chromatography on concanavalin A column, ion exchange chromatography on CM52 column, affinity chromatography on IS IgG-protein G-agarose, and by preparative electrophoresis with electroelution. The purified 50-kD protein migrated as a single homogeneous band when analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and by Western blot. The production of antibodies against specific sperm proteins may be a cause of immuno-logical infertility.

Key Words:

• Immunoglobulins
• Fc receptor
• Immunoiogical infertility
• Epitope selection
• Antisperm antibodies