Characterization of sperm surface and seminal plasma glycoproteins of the chimpanzee

Washed ejaculated chimpanzee spermatozoa and a 100 000 g supernatant of seminal plasma were subjected to radiolabelling by sequential treatment with galactose oxidase and sodium boro[3H]hydride or with sodium metaperiodate and NaB3H4. Sperm surface glycoproteins and seminal plasma glycoproteins radiolabelled by these procedures were compared by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Spermatozoa labelled by galactose oxidase treatment showed a single labelled macromolecular component of 37 000 whereas spermatozoa labelled by sodium metaperiodate-NaB3H4 treatment showed incorporation into macromolecular components of 37 000 and 25 000 mol. wt. Seminal plasma radiolabelled by galactose oxidase-NaB3H4 treatment contained labelled components of 47 000, 37 000, 19 000 and 12 000 mol. wt, whereas seminal plasma radiolabelled with sodium metaperiodate-NaB3H4 contained macromolecular components of 47 000, 37 000, and 19 000 mol. wt.