Protein kinase C is present in human sperm: Possible role in flagellar motility

Ronit Rotem*, Gedalia F. Paz, Zvi T. Homonnai, Moshe Kalina, Zvi Naor

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

We report the presence of protein kinase C (PKC) in ejaculated human sperm as revealed by enzymatic activity assay and indirect immunohistochemistry. PKC is localized in the equatorial segment and in the principal piece of the tail. Addition of phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate resulted in increased flagellar motility that was blocked by known PKC inhibitors such as sphingosine, staurosporine, and 1-(5-isoquinoylinylsulfonyl)-2-methylpiperazine. A very good correlation (r = 0.9, P < 0.001) was found between the percentage of PKC-stained sperm cells and motility. We propose that PKC is involved in the regulation of flagellar motility in human sperm.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)7305-7308
Number of pages4
JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Volume87
Issue number18
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 1990

Keywords

  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Phorbol ester

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Protein kinase C is present in human sperm: Possible role in flagellar motility'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this