Human spermatid-specific thioredoxin-1 (Sptrx-1) is a two-domain protein with oxidizing activity

Spermatid-specific thioredoxin-1 (Sptrx-1) is the first member of the thioredoxin family of proteins with a tissue-specific expression pattern, found exclusively in the tail of elongating spermatids and spermatozoa. We describe here further biochemical characterization of human Sptrx-1 protein structure and enzymatic activity. In gel filtration chromatography human Sptrx-1 eluates as a 400 kDa protein consistent with either an oligomeric form, not maintained by intermolecular disulfide bonding, and/or a highly asymmetrical structure. Analysis of circular dichroism spectra of fragments 1-360 and 361-469 and comparison to spectra of full-length Sptrx-1 supports a two-domain organization with a largely unstructured N-terminal domain and a folded thioredoxin-like C-terminal domain. Functionally, Sptrx-1 behaves as an oxidant in vitro when using selenite, but not oxidized glutathione, as electron acceptor. This oxidizing enzymatic activity suggests that Sptrx-1 might govern the stabilization (by disulfide cross-linking) of the different structures in the developing tail of spermatids and spermatozoa.