OBJECTIVE: To determine the location of the corresponding epitope on the tubulin molecule and to find any differences in its exposition in human sperm with normal and pathological spermiograms. The mature spermatozoon exhibits extraordinary structural compartmentalization that is related to the presence of cytoskeletal proteins and has a functional role in connection with fertilization and motility. Previously, we have shown that anti-beta-tubulin antibody TU-12 provided an unexpectedly strong reaction in human and boar sperm head. DESIGN: A retrospective study. SETTING: Academic research laboratories and private IVF center. PATIENT(S): One hundred thirteen men participating in the IVF program. INTERVENTION(S): Sperm were divided into five categories: normozoospermia, oligozoospermia, asthenozoospermia, teratozoospermia, and asthenoteratozoospermia. Well-characterized monoclonal antibodies were applied for monitoring tubulin epitope distributions in pathological spermatozoa. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Qualitative and quantitative detection of tubulin. RESULT(S): TU-12 epitope was located in the beta-tubulin region beta 426-435. Immunoblotting revealed differences in the amount of tubulin among men with normozoospermia and pathological spermiogram. Striking differences were observed in the exposition of TU-12 epitope in heads of normal and pathological spermatozoa. CONCLUSION(S): The results suggest that tubulin epitopes could be useful biomarkers of the pathological sperm state.

Institute of Molecular Genetics Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic Prague Czech Republic

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