Biomaterial Database

Spermagglutination by bacteria: receptor-specific interactions. 1994

M Monga, and J A Roberts

Department of Urology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana.

The influence of genital infection on infertility has yet to be elucidated. We examined receptor-ligand interactions between sperm and Escherichia coli from patients with prostatitis. Two E. coli surface adhesins (P-fimbriae, type 1 fimbriae) and their specific receptor saccharides (alpha-galp-1-4-beta-galp-O-methyl [gal-gal], mannose) were evaluated. Bacterial concentrations of 10(4) caused spermagglutination. P-fimbriae caused tail-tail spermagglutination that was inhibited by gal-gal. D-mannose concentrations are highest in the acrosomal region and type 1 fimbriae caused head-head agglutination that was inhibited by mannose. Strains with both fimbriae caused head-head and tail-tail agglutination that was inhibited by a mannose/gal-gal combination. E. coli agglutinated 40-75% of motile sperm. Seminal fluid provided 50-100% protection, with lower effectiveness against type 1 fimbriae. Understanding bacteria-spermatozoa interactions at the receptor-ligand level holds potential for treatment of infertility and development of spermagglutinating contraceptives.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D008969	Molecular Sequence Data	Descriptions of specific amino acid, carbohydrate, or nucleotide sequences which have appeared in the published literature and/or are deposited in and maintained by databanks such as GENBANK, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), National Biomedical Research Foundation (NBRF), or other sequence repositories.	Sequence Data, Molecular,Molecular Sequencing Data,Data, Molecular Sequence,Data, Molecular Sequencing,Sequencing Data, Molecular
D010861	Fimbriae, Bacterial	Thin, hairlike appendages, 1 to 20 microns in length and often occurring in large numbers, present on the cells of gram-negative bacteria, particularly Enterobacteriaceae and Neisseria. Unlike flagella, they do not possess motility, but being protein (pilin) in nature, they possess antigenic and hemagglutinating properties. They are of medical importance because some fimbriae mediate the attachment of bacteria to cells via adhesins (ADHESINS, BACTERIAL). Bacterial fimbriae refer to common pili, to be distinguished from the preferred use of "pili", which is confined to sex pili (PILI, SEX).	Bacterial Fimbriae,Bacterial Pili,Common Fimbriae,Common Pili,Pili, Bacterial,Pili, Common,Bacterial Fimbria,Bacterial Pilus,Common Fimbria,Common Pilus,Fimbria, Bacterial,Pilus, Bacterial,Fimbria, Common,Fimbriae, Common,Pilus, Common
D011956	Receptors, Cell Surface	Cell surface proteins that bind signalling molecules external to the cell with high affinity and convert this extracellular event into one or more intracellular signals that alter the behavior of the target cell (From Alberts, Molecular Biology of the Cell, 2nd ed, pp693-5). Cell surface receptors, unlike enzymes, do not chemically alter their ligands.	Cell Surface Receptor,Cell Surface Receptors,Hormone Receptors, Cell Surface,Receptors, Endogenous Substances,Cell Surface Hormone Receptors,Endogenous Substances Receptors,Receptor, Cell Surface,Surface Receptor, Cell
D002240	Carbohydrate Sequence	The sequence of carbohydrates within POLYSACCHARIDES; GLYCOPROTEINS; and GLYCOLIPIDS.	Carbohydrate Sequences,Sequence, Carbohydrate,Sequences, Carbohydrate
D004926	Escherichia coli	A species of gram-negative, facultatively anaerobic, rod-shaped bacteria (GRAM-NEGATIVE FACULTATIVELY ANAEROBIC RODS) commonly found in the lower part of the intestine of warm-blooded animals. It is usually nonpathogenic, but some strains are known to produce DIARRHEA and pyogenic infections. Pathogenic strains (virotypes) are classified by their specific pathogenic mechanisms such as toxins (ENTEROTOXIGENIC ESCHERICHIA COLI), etc.	Alkalescens-Dispar Group,Bacillus coli,Bacterium coli,Bacterium coli commune,Diffusely Adherent Escherichia coli,E coli,EAggEC,Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli,Enterococcus coli,Diffusely Adherent E. coli,Enteroaggregative E. coli,Enteroinvasive E. coli,Enteroinvasive Escherichia coli
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D001422	Bacterial Adhesion	Physicochemical property of fimbriated (FIMBRIAE, BACTERIAL) and non-fimbriated bacteria of attaching to cells, tissue, and nonbiological surfaces. It is a factor in bacterial colonization and pathogenicity.	Adhesion, Bacterial,Adhesions, Bacterial,Bacterial Adhesions
D013073	Sperm Agglutination	Agglutination of spermatozoa by antibodies or autoantibodies.	Agglutination, Sperm,Agglutinations, Sperm,Sperm Agglutinations
D066298	In Vitro Techniques	Methods to study reactions or processes taking place in an artificial environment outside the living organism.	In Vitro Test,In Vitro Testing,In Vitro Tests,In Vitro as Topic,In Vitro,In Vitro Technique,In Vitro Testings,Technique, In Vitro,Techniques, In Vitro,Test, In Vitro,Testing, In Vitro,Testings, In Vitro,Tests, In Vitro,Vitro Testing, In