Abstract
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) secreted by the epididymal epithelium transfer to spermatozoa key proteins that are essential in promoting motility and subsequent fertilization success. Using the domestic cat model, the objectives were to (1) characterize and compare protein content of EVs between segments of the epididymis, and (2) compare EV protein compositions between normo- and teratospermic individuals (producing >60% of abnormal spermatozoa). Epididymal EVs from adult cats were isolated and assessed via liquid chromatography tandem MS. Both male types shared 3008 proteins in total, with 98 and 20 EV proteins unique to normospermic and teratospermic males, respectively. Expression levels of several proteins changed between epididymal segments in both male types. Several proteins in both groups were related to sperm motility (e.g. hexokinase 1, adenylate kinase isoenzyme) and zona pellucida or oolemma binding (e.g. disintegrin and metalloproteinase domain proteins, zona binding proteins 1 and 2). Interestingly, seven cauda-derived EV proteins trended downward in teratospermic compared with normospermic males, which may relate to poor sperm quality. Collective results revealed, for the first time, EV proteins related to sequential sperm maturation with differences observed between normospermic and teratospermic individuals.
Highlights
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) secreted by the epididymal epithelium transfer to spermatozoa key proteins that are essential in promoting motility and subsequent fertilization success
Seven cauda-derived EV proteins trended downward in teratospermic compared with normospermic males, which may relate to poor sperm quality
We demonstrated that exposing immature sperm cells in vitro to these EVs improved motility and allowed the acquisition of key peptides; thereby contributing to the maturation of the centrosome [25, 26]
Summary
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) secreted by the epididymal epithelium transfer to spermatozoa key proteins that are essential in promoting motility and subsequent fertilization success. Discerning key proteins contained within EVs is critical to developing interventions for fertilization failure and early embryo loss This is especially vital for individuals that exhibit teratospermia; a condition in which more than 60% of sperm cells exhibit morphological abnormalities [27, 28]. Research suggests this condition may result from detrimental membrane modifications during the sperm maturation process, which subsequently hinders spermatozoa structural integrity [30, 31] Supporting evidence for this hypothesis are in examples of these modifications observed in humans including acrosome and nuclear abnormalities [32], resulting in diminished ability of the sperm cell to penetrate the zona pellucida [33]. The objectives of the study were to [1] characterize and compare protein content of EVs between segments of the cat epididymis, and [2] compare EV protein compositions between normo- and teratospermic adults
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