Impairment by sperm agglutinating factor isolated from Escherichia coli: receptor specific interactions

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 31, 2026

Assessment of Intestinal Transcytosis of Neonatal Escherichia coli Bacteremia Isolates
08:32

Assessment of Intestinal Transcytosis of Neonatal Escherichia coli Bacteremia Isolates

Published on: February 17, 2023

1.7K

Kiranjeet Kaur1, Vijay Prabha

  • 1Department of Microbiology, Panjab University, Chandigarh 160014, India.

Biomed Research International
|August 20, 2013
PubMed

Insights

A bacterial factor from Escherichia coli causes sperm agglutination and infertility by interacting with a specific sperm receptor. This interaction impairs sperm function, but blocking the receptor prevents these effects.

Area of Science:

  • Reproductive immunology
  • Microbiology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • A sperm agglutinating factor (SAF) from Escherichia coli was previously isolated from infertile patient semen.
  • The specific mechanism of SAF-induced sperm dysfunction and infertility was not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the mechanism of sperm agglutination and dysfunction induced by SAF.
  • To identify and characterize the sperm receptor for SAF.
  • To evaluate the potential of the SAF receptor as a target for preventing SAF-induced infertility.

Main Methods:

  • Isolation and purification of SAF and its human sperm receptor.
  • Biochemical characterization using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry.
  • In vitro coincubation of SAF with human spermatozoa.
  • Assessment of sperm parameters (agglutination, ATPase activity, apoptosis).
  • In vivo infertility studies in Balb/c mice.
  • Inhibition studies using purified sperm receptor.

Main Results:

  • SAF showed homology to glutamate decarboxylase, and its receptor showed homology to MHC class I molecule.
  • SAF induced sperm agglutination, decreased Mg(2+) dependent ATPase activity, and increased apoptosis.
  • Intravaginal administration of SAF caused infertility in mice.
  • The purified sperm receptor completely blocked SAF-induced sperm dysfunction and infertility.

Conclusions:

  • The interaction between SAF and spermatozoa is receptor-mediated.
  • SAF binding to its specific sperm receptor is the cause of impaired sperm parameters and infertility.
  • The sperm surface receptor is a critical target for mitigating the effects of SAF.

More Related Videos

Scalable Isolation and Purification of Extracellular Vesicles from Escherichia coli and Other Bacteria09:56

Scalable Isolation and Purification of Extracellular Vesicles from Escherichia coli and Other Bacteria

Published on: October 13, 2021

4.7K
Particle Agglutination Method for Poliovirus Identification07:06

Particle Agglutination Method for Poliovirus Identification

Published on: April 20, 2011

15.9K

Related Concept Videos

Factors Affecting Renal Clearance: Renal Impairment01:17

Factors Affecting Renal Clearance: Renal Impairment

Renal dysfunction significantly impairs the renal clearance of drugs, leading to potential complications in drug therapy. Renal failure, which can be caused by various factors, poses a significant challenge in the elimination of drugs from the body.
One condition associated with renal failure is uremia. Uremia is characterized by impaired glomerular filtration and fluid accumulation in the body. This condition hinders the renal clearance of drugs, resulting in drug accumulation and potential...
460
Drug-Receptor Interactions01:29

Drug-Receptor Interactions

Drug-receptor interaction describes the binding of receptors by drugs, but not all drug-receptor interactions result in activation and tissue response. For instance, the binding of agonists activates the receptor to generate a cellular reaction, while antagonists bind to receptors without causing their activation.
Several parameters, such as the drug's affinity for its receptor and its efficacy, which is its ability to activate the receptor, determine the drug's effect on the tissue....
7.5K
Blood Transfusion and Agglutination02:45

Blood Transfusion and Agglutination

Blood transfusion is a therapeutic measure to restore the blood volume after extensive blood loss due to an accident or a medical procedure. Blood transfusion involves drawing a certain amount of blood from a suitable donor and infusing it into the recipient.
History
The history of blood transfusion dates back to the 17th century, when early attempts were made in animals. In 1818 James Blundell, a British doctor, performed the first successful human blood transfusion. Later in 1900, Karl...
14.7K
Drug-Receptor Interaction: Antagonist01:28

Drug-Receptor Interaction: Antagonist

An antagonist is a drug that binds strongly to a receptor without activating it. An antagonist prevents other molecules, such as neurotransmitters or hormones, from binding to the receptor and triggering a cellular response. Such interaction effectively hinders the normal physiological processes mediated by the receptor, resulting in various pharmacological effects depending on the specific receptor targeted.
Antagonists can be classified as competitive or noncompetitive based on their...
5.0K
Drug-Receptor Interaction: Agonist01:25

Drug-Receptor Interaction: Agonist

Agonists are drugs that interact with specific receptors in the body to produce a biological response. When an agonist binds to a receptor, it activates or enhances the receptor's function, leading to physiological effects. The interaction between agonist drugs and receptors is crucial for their therapeutic action in various medical treatments.
Agonists can bind to receptors in different ways. Some agonists bind directly to the receptor's active site, mimicking the endogenous...
4.0K
Quantitative Aspects of Drug-Receptor Interaction01:30

Quantitative Aspects of Drug-Receptor Interaction

The receptor occupancy theory connects a drug's response to the number of occupied receptors. With higher drug concentrations, more receptors are occupied, leading to increased responses. The formation of drug-receptor complexes involves association and dissociation rates, which reach equilibrium when the forward and backward reactions are equal. The equilibrium association constant (Ka) and its inverse, the equilibrium dissociation constant (Kd), indicate drug affinity. Higher Ka and lower...
1.8K