Analysis of protamines isolated from alcohol preserved epididymides

Protamines 1 and 2 have been isolated from the sperm of frozen and isopropanol preserved Syrian hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) epididymides and analyzed by gel electrophoresis, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and amino acid analysis and sequencing. The results show that alcohol preservation does not alter the primary structure of the two sperm nuclear proteins and that the preservation of mammalian reproductive organs in alcohol is a viable alternative to freezing tissues collected in the field. Sperm were isolated from tissues fixed in isopropanol for as long as 7 months without detectable adverse effects on either the isolation of sperm or the primary structure of the protamines.