A novel group of sperm activating peptides from the sea urchin Glyptocidaris crenularis |
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| Authors: | N Suzuki K Yoshino M Kurita K Nomura M Yamaguchi |
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| Institution: | Noto Marine Laboratory, Kanazawa University, Ishikawa, Japan. |
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| Abstract: | 1. Six new sperm activating peptides were purified from the egg jelly of the sea urchin Glyptocidaris crenularis and their amino acid sequences were determined as follows: Ser-Ala-Lys-Leu-Cys-Pro-Gly-Gly-Asn-Cys-Val, Lys-Leu-Cys-Pro-Gly-Gly-Asn-Cys-Val, Leu-Cys-Pro-Gly-Gly-Asn-Cys-Val, Ser-Phe-Lys-Leu-Cys-Pro-Gly-Gly-Gln-Cys-Val, Lys-Leu-Cys-Pro-Gly-Gly-Gln-Cys-Val and Leu-Cys-Pro-Gly-Gly-Gln-Cys-Val. 2. The peptides were specific for G. crenularis spermatozoa and caused significant increases of sperm respiration rates and sperm cyclic nucleotide concentrations at concentrations as low as 10(-10) M. 3. The addition of the peptides to intact spermatozoa resulted in the change of the apparent mol. wt of a sperm protein from 195,000 to 200,000. |
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