Isolation of the boar sperm acrosin peptide released during the conversion of alpha-form into beta-form

Biol Chem Hoppe Seyler. 1989 Apr;370(4):323-7. doi: 10.1515/bchm3.1989.370.1.323.

Abstract

The sperm proteinase acrosin occurs in several enzymatically active forms which differ from each other in molecular mass. The high-molecular-mass alpha-form (53 kDa) is converted into the low-molecular-mass beta-form (38 kDa) by auto-proteolysis. As these two forms possess identical N-termini and identical A-chains (light chains) the difference must reside in the C-terminal parts of their B-chains (heavy chains). It could be demonstrated by gel electrophoresis that on incubation of alpha-acrosin, in addition to beta-acrosin, a main degradation product of approx. 18 kDa was formed. This fragment was isolated by gel filtration chromatography. The amino-acid composition of the fragment corresponded to the difference between that of alpha-acrosin and of beta-acrosin, and showed a strikingly high proportion of proline. It is suggested that this hydrophobic segment from the C-terminal region of alpha-acrosin accounts for the special membrane-associating property of the enzyme.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acrosin / isolation & purification*
  • Amino Acids / analysis
  • Animals
  • Chromatography, Gel
  • Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel
  • Isomerism
  • Male
  • Peptides / isolation & purification*
  • Serine Endopeptidases / isolation & purification*
  • Spermatozoa / metabolism*
  • Swine

Substances

  • Amino Acids
  • Peptides
  • Serine Endopeptidases
  • Acrosin