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Expression of Syntaxin 2 in Bovine Sperm.

Subir K Nagdas¹, Marissa Baccas¹, Christina Dejean¹

¹Department of Chemistry and Physics, Fayetteville State University, North Carolina, USA.

Journal of Cellular Biology & Molecular Sciences

|April 25, 2017

Summary

Syntaxin 2, a Q-SNARE protein, is found in bovine sperm plasma membranes. Its release during the acrosome reaction suggests a role in sperm exocytosis signaling.

Keywords:

Bovine sperm-syntaxin-acrosomal reaction

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Recording Electrical Currents across the Plasma Membrane of Mammalian Sperm Cells

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Area of Science:

Reproductive biology
Cellular biology
Molecular biology

Background:

Syntaxins are Q-SNARE proteins crucial for exocytosis in somatic cells.
Their role in sperm acrosome reaction remains largely uncharacterized.

Purpose of the Study:

To identify and localize syntaxin 2 in bovine epididymal spermatozoa.
To investigate the behavior of syntaxin 2 during the acrosome reaction.

Main Methods:

Western blotting of sperm lysates and plasma membrane fractions.
Indirect immunofluorescence microscopy.
Lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC)-induced acrosome reaction.

Main Results:

Syntaxin 2, a 31kDa protein, was detected in bovine sperm lysates and plasma membranes.
Immunofluorescence localized syntaxin 2 to the anterior acrosomal region.
Syntaxin 2 was released from sperm following LPC-induced acrosomal exocytosis.

Conclusions:

Syntaxin 2 is an integral component of bovine sperm plasma membranes.
Syntaxin 2 may play a role in triggering the acrosome reaction via signal transduction pathways.