Resumen de A molecular approach on sperm changes during epididymal maturation, ejaculation and in vitro capacitation of boar spermatozoa

Anna Fabrega Coll

• Mammalian spermatozoa acquire functionality during epididymal maturation and ability to penetrate and fertilize the oocyte during capacitation. Sperm quality results indicated that both epididymal maturation and ejaculation are key events for further capacitation, because only ejaculated spermatozoa are capable to undergo the set of changes leading to capacitation. Epididymal maturation is associated with a progressive loss of phosphotyrosine residues followed by a subtle increase after in vitro capacitation. Sperm glycocalix galactose, glucose/mannose and N-acetyl-D-glucosamine content increased distally in the epididymis. Fertilin analysis highlight that proteolytic processing occurrs mainly in testis for ADAM-1, and throughout epididymis for ADAM-2. Fertilin migrates from acrosomal region to acrosomal ridge during sperm transit from the distal corpus to the proximal cauda. All together we establish a basis for sperm assessment about the maturative status of the ejaculated sperm and, open new perspectives in the characterization of proteins markers of the sperm maturation and/or fertility.