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- Title
The presence of a high-<f>K<sub>m</sub></f> hexokinase activity in dog, but not in boar, sperm
- Authors
Fernández-Novell, Josep M.; Ballester, Joan; Medrano, Antonio; Otaegui, Pedro J.; Rigau, Teresa; Guinovart, Joan J.; Rodríguez-Gil, Joan E.
- Abstract
The presence of a high-<f>Km</f> hexokinase activity was tested in both dog and boar spermatozoa. Hexokinase kinetics from dog extracts showed the presence of a specific activity (dog-sperm glucokinase-like protein, DSGLP), in the range of glucose concentrations of 4–10 mM, whereas boar sperm did not show any DSGLP activity. Furthermore, dog-sperm cells, but not those of boar, showed the presence of a protein which specifically reacted against a rat-liver anti-glucokinase antibody. This protein also had a molecular weight equal to that observed in rat-liver extracts, suggesting a close similarity between both the proteins. This glucokinase-like protein was distributed in the peri- and post-acrosomal zones of the head, and the midpiece and principal piece of tail of dog spermatozoa. These results indicate that dog spermatozoa have functional high-<f>Km</f> hexokinase activity, which could contribute to a very fine regulation of their hexose metabolism. This strict regulation could ultimately be very important in optimizing dog-sperm function along its life-time.
- Subjects
PROTEINS; GLUCOKINASE; PHOSPHOTRANSFERASES; SPERMATOZOA
- Publication
FEBS Letters, 2004, Vol 570, Issue 1-3, p211
- ISSN
0014-5793
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1016/j.febslet.2004.06.015