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Updated: Jul 8, 2026
Analysis of Epididymal Protein Synthesis and Secretion
Published on: August 25, 2018
Presence and subcellular localizations of surfactant proteins A and D in human spermatozoa
Orhan Kankavi1, Ayhan Ata, Ciler Celik-Ozenci
1Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Mehmet Akif Ersoy, Burdur, Turkey. okankavi@hotmail.com
Objective:
To investigate the presence of surfactant protein-A (SP-A); molecular weight 34 kDa and surfactant protein-D (SP-D); and molecular weight 43 kDa in human spermatozoa.
Design:
Prospective, research study.
Setting:
Two universities in Turkey.
Patient(S):
Semen specimens (n = 10) were obtained from normozoospermic donors.
Intervention(S):
Human sperm were exposed to an anti-human SP-A polyclonal antibody, and monoclonal antibody, to human SP-D protein.
Main Outcome Measure(S):
Presence of SP-A and SP-D proteins in human beings.
Result(S):
Indirect immunofluorescence assays of human sperm indicated the presence of SP-A in the mid piece, the tail, and sometimes at the equatorial region of spermatozoa. A brilliant green light detected SP-D in the tails and acrosome of some sperm. The anti-SP-A antibody detected a single band corresponding to the molecular weight values of 34 kDa in spermatozoa, whereas no band was observed in the negative control. The anti-SP-D antibody showed the expected band at 43 kDa in spermatozoa.
Conclusion(S):
This is the first report and a novel finding of the presence of surfactant glycoproteins on human spermatozoa.
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