Surface changes during the maturation of rat spermatozoa detected by aqueous two‐phase partition

Abstract

We report here the use of the technique of aqueous two-phase partition to analyse changes in the surface properties of rat sperm from the caudal and caput epididymis and the vas deferens. The technique is extremely sensitive and allows detection of subtle changes in cell surface composition (proteins, carbohydrates and lipids) by the partition of intact viable cells between two aqueous phases. The technique is based on the fact that mixtures of certain different solutions of aqueous polymers above critical concentrations form two imissible phases.