Detection of antibody-coated sperm by 'panning' procedures

The use of 'panning' procedures to detect immunoglobulin on the sperm surface are described. Wells on plastic plates are coated with anti-immunoglobulin molecules by either 1-step or 2-step procedures and the sperm under test are then incubated in these wells for up to 1 h and the wells washed. Antibody-coated sperm remain attached in large numbers while control sperm are washed out. These procedures have the advantages that they are cheap, simple, do not involve sperm fixation and may be used with relatively dilute cell suspensions and with sperm of low motility. The potential applications of the procedures are discussed.