Protein Kinase C is Present in Human Sperm: Possible Role in Flagellar Motility

• Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS 1990-09, Vol.87 (18), p.7305-7308
• Main Authors: Rotem, Ronit, Paz, Gedalia F., Homonnai, Zvi T., Kalina, Moshe, Naor, Zvi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 1-(5-Isoquinolinesulfonyl)-2-Methylpiperazine; 560300 - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology; Adult; Alkaloids - pharmacology; Analytical, structural and metabolic biochemistry; ANTIBODIES; Antibodies, Monoclonal; ATP; BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; BIOCHEMISTRY; Biological and medical sciences; BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS; CARCINOGENS; Cell biology; CHEMISTRY; CYTOCHEMISTRY; DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES; Delta cells; ENZYME ACTIVITY; ENZYMES; Enzymes and enzyme inhibitors; ESTERS; flagella; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; GAMETES; GERM CELLS; Homogenization; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Isoquinolines - pharmacology; ISOTOPES; Kinetics; LIGHT NUCLEI; Male; man; MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES; motility; NUCLEI; NUCLEOTIDES; ODD-ODD NUCLEI; ORGANIC COMPOUNDS; PHORBOL ESTERS; PHOSPHORUS 32; PHOSPHORUS ISOTOPES; PHOSPHORUS-GROUP TRANSFERASES; PHOSPHOTRANSFERASES; Piperazines - pharmacology; Polyclonal antibodies; protein kinase C; Protein Kinase C - analysis; Protein Kinase C - antagonists & inhibitors; Protein Kinase C - metabolism; RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT; RADIOISOTOPES; Rats; Reference Values; requirements; Sperm motility; Sperm Motility - drug effects; SPERMATOZOA; Spermatozoa - drug effects; Spermatozoa - enzymology; Spermatozoa - physiology; Sphingosine - pharmacology; Staurosporine; Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate - pharmacology; TRANSFERASES
• ISSN: 0027-8424; 1091-6490
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.87.18.7305

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.