Seminal vesicle protein SVS2 is required for sperm survival in the uterus.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
; 111(11): 4145-50, 2014 Mar 18.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-24591616
ABSTRACT
In mammals, sperm migrate through the female reproductive tract to reach the egg; however, our understanding of this journey is highly limited. To shed light on this process, we focused on defining the functions of seminal vesicle secretion 2 (SVS2). SVS2(-/-) male mice produced sperm but were severely subfertile, and formation of a copulatory plug to cover the female genital opening did not occur. Surprisingly, even when artificial insemination was performed with silicon as a substitute for the plug, sperm fertility in the absence of SVS2 remained severely reduced because the sperm were already dead in the uterus. Thus, our results provide evidence that the uterus induces sperm cell death and that SVS2 protects sperm from uterine attack.
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Texto completo:
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Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Glândulas Seminais
/
Espermatozoides
/
Útero
/
Proteínas Secretadas pela Vesícula Seminal
Limite:
Animals
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
Ano de publicação:
2014
Tipo de documento:
Article