Dataset Information

The nerve of ovulation-inducing factor in semen.

ABSTRACT: A component in seminal fluid elicits an ovulatory response and has been discovered in every species examined thus far. The existence of an ovulation-inducing factor (OIF) in seminal plasma has broad implications and evokes questions about identity, tissue sources, mechanism of action, role among species, and clinical relevance in infertility. Most of these questions remain unanswered. The goal of this study was to determine the identity of OIF in support of the hypothesis that it is a single distinct and widely conserved entity. Seminal plasma from llamas and bulls was used as representative of induced and spontaneous ovulators, respectively. A fraction isolated from llama seminal plasma by column chromatography was identified as OIF by eliciting luteinizing hormone (LH) release and ovulation in llamas. MALDI-TOF revealed a molecular mass of 13,221 Da, and 12-23 aa sequences of OIF had homology with human, porcine, bovine, and murine sequences of ? nerve growth factor (?-NGF). X-ray diffraction data were used to solve the full sequence and structure of OIF as ?-NGF. Neurite development and up-regulation of trkA in phaeochromocytoma (PC(12)) cells in vitro confirmed NGF-like properties of OIF. Western blot analysis of llama and bull seminal plasma confirmed immunorecognition of OIF using polyclonal mouse anti-NGF, and administration of ?-NGF from mouse submandibular glands induced ovulation in llamas. We conclude that OIF in seminal plasma is ?-NGF and that it is highly conserved. An endocrine route of action of NGF elucidates a previously unknown pathway for the direct influence of the male on the hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal axis of the inseminated female.

SUBMITTER: Ratto MH

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3443178 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

The nerve of ovulation-inducing factor in semen.

Ratto Marcelo H MH Leduc Yvonne A YA Valderrama Ximena P XP van Straaten Karin E KE Delbaere Louis T J LT Pierson Roger A RA Adams Gregg P GP

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 20120820 37

A component in seminal fluid elicits an ovulatory response and has been discovered in every species examined thus far. The existence of an ovulation-inducing factor (OIF) in seminal plasma has broad implications and evokes questions about identity, tissue sources, mechanism of action, role among species, and clinical relevance in infertility. Most of these questions remain unanswered. The goal of this study was to determine the identity of OIF in support of the hypothesis that it is a single dis ...[more]

PMID: 22908303

Similar Datasets

Project description:In some induced-ovulating species, beta nerve growth factor (?-NGF) has important roles in ovulation, though data for rabbits are still inconclusive. In this study we first synthesized functional recombinant ?-NGF from rabbit tissue (rr?-NGF) to address the following objectives: 1) to compare rabbit ?-NGF amino acid sequence with those of other induced- or spontaneous-ovulating species; 2) to assess the effects of rr?-NGF on rabbit sperm viability and motility, and 3) to examine the in vivo ovulation inducing effect of rr?-NGF added to the seminal dose in rabbit does. The NGF gene in rabbit prostate tissue was sequenced by Rapid Amplification of cDNA Ends and annotated in GenBank (KX528686). Recombinant r?-NGF was produced in CHO cells and purified by affinity chromatography. Once confirmed by Western blotting and mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF) that the amino acid sequence of the recombinant protein corresponded to ?-NGF, its functionality was validated in PC12 cells in a successful dose-response study over 8 days. The amino acid sequence of prostate rabbit NGF differed to that of other species mainly in its receptor binding sites. In all the spontaneous ovulating species examined, compared with rabbit, alanine and proline residues, which interact with the high-affinity receptor, were replaced by a serine. In rabbits, asparagine and methionine were substituted by lysine at the low-affinity receptor binding site. In time- and dose-response experiments, the in vitro addition of rr?-NGF to the ejaculate did not affect sperm viability whereas sperm motility parameters were enhanced by the addition of 1 ?g/mL of the neuropeptide. Addition of this same concentration of rr?-NGF to the seminal dose administered via the intravaginal route in does induced ovulation with a delayed LH peak, leading to a plasma progesterone increase, gestation and delivery. Our findings suggest that rr?-NGF could be a useful option for biotechnological and reproduction assisted techniques in rabbits but further studies are needed.

Dataset Information

The nerve of ovulation-inducing factor in semen.

Publications

The nerve of ovulation-inducing factor in semen.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets