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Sumo1-ylation of human spermatozoa and its relationship with semen quality

2010; Wiley; Volume: 34; Issue: 6pt1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1111/j.1365-2605.2010.01118.x

2047-2927

Sara Marchiani, Lara Tamburrino, L. Giuliano, Daniele Nosi, Valentina Sarli, L. Gandini, Paola Piomboni, Giuseppe Belmonte, Gianni Forti, Elisabetta Baldi, Monica Muratori,

Sperm and Testicular Function

Sumoylation is a post-translational modification involved in the regulation of several cell functions. Recent studies suggest its involvement in spermatogenesis, but occurrence and function of SUMO (small ubiquitin-like modifier) in mature spermatozoa remain unknown. We report the occurrence of several SUMO1-conjugated proteins, in a range of 20–85 kDa, in ejaculated spermatozoa. By cytofluorimetric analysis, we evaluated the percentage of SUMO1-positive spermatozoa in 58 subjects undergoing semen analysis in our laboratory and correlated the obtained values with semen parameters. We found that the percentage of SUMO1-positive spermatozoa was inversely correlated with total (r = −0.35, p < 0.01) and progressive motility (r = −0.29, p < 0.05). Such correlations become stricter when only asthenospermic subjects were included in the analysis (r = −0.58, p = 0.01 for progressive motility, n = 17) and were lost in non-asthenospermic subjects. By immunofluorescence and immunoconfocal fluorescence, we demonstrated that SUMO1 is mainly located in the nucleus and, occasionally, in the midpiece of spermatozoa. Immunoelectron microscopy as well as a long permeabilization protocol demonstrated a massive localization of SUMO-1 in the nucleus. By using a fluorescent probe to distinguish dead/live cells, we show that SUMO1 is mainly present in live spermatozoa. In conclusion, sumoylation of human spermatozoa may be involved in the regulation of motility.