1. The hydrolysis of added 32P-labelled phospholipids by whole ram and bull semen and the separated spermatozoal and plasma components was examined. 2. The ethanolamine phosphoglycerides were rapidly attacked by washed spermatozoa, forming predominantly glycerylphosphorylethanolamine, but with whole semen and seminal plasma a lysophosphatidylethanolamine was also detected. 3. The hydrolysis of lecithin by spermatozoa and plasma was very slow, and glycerylphosphorylcholine was the sole product detected. 4. Ram testicular spermatozoa were comparatively inactive in metabolizing both phospholipids, but ampulla contents showed the same activity as ejaculated semen. 5. Phosphatidylinositol was metabolized by spermatozoa obtained from any portion of the ram reproductive tract and also by seminal plasma. With testicular components, ampulla contents and washed ejaculated spermatozoa, inositol monophosphate, an unidentified phosphate ester and inorganic phosphate were the main products. In contrast, with whole semen and seminal plasma, glycerylphosphorylinositol was the predominant water-soluble phosphate ester. 6. Accessory-gland secretion obtained from vasectomized rams showed a pronounced phospholipase A activity towards ethanolamine phosphoglyceride. 7. On aerobic incubation of whole ram semen there was a decrease in the concentration of all phospholipid classes, although cardiolipin showed the greatest percentage decrease. In the choline phosphoglyceride fraction, this loss was confined to the plasmalogen component. This breakdown of phospholipids was decreased considerably when the spermatozoa were washed, and was not observed when whole bull semen was incubated under similar conditions.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
July 1968
-
Cover Image
Cover Image
- PDF Icon PDF LinkTable of Contents
- PDF Icon PDF LinkEditorial Board
Research Article|
July 01 1968
Metabolism of phospholipids by spermatozoa and seminal plasma
T. W. Scott;
T. W. Scott
1Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation Division of Animal Physiology, Prospect, N.S.W., Australia
Search for other works by this author on:
R. M. C. Dawson
R. M. C. Dawson
1Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation Division of Animal Physiology, Prospect, N.S.W., Australia
Search for other works by this author on:
Publisher: Portland Press Ltd
© 1968 The Biochemical Society
1968
Biochem J (1968) 108 (3): 457–463.
Citation
T. W. Scott, R. M. C. Dawson; Metabolism of phospholipids by spermatozoa and seminal plasma. Biochem J 1 July 1968; 108 (3): 457–463. doi: https://doi.org/10.1042/bj1080457
Download citation file:
Sign in
Don't already have an account? Register
Sign in to your personal account
You could not be signed in. Please check your email address / username and password and try again.
Could not validate captcha. Please try again.