Biomaterial Database

Transbilayer motion of spin-labelled phospholipids in the plasma membrane of epididymal and ejaculated ram spermatozoa. 1997

K Müller, and P Müller, and A Herrmann

Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät I, Institut für Biologie/Biophysik, Berlin.

The transbilayer movement and distribution of spin-labelled phospholipid analogues were studied in the plasma membrane of ram sperm cells isolated from functionally different regions of the epididymis (caput, cauda) and from the ejaculate. As already shown for ejaculated cells, (i) a rapid movement of aminophospholipid analogues phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylethanolamine from the exoplasmic to the cytoplasmic leaflet, and (ii) a slow transbilayer movement of phosphatidylcholine were observed in the plasma membrane of maturating ram sperm cells. This suggests an asymmetric steady state transbilayer distribution of phospholipids, with a preferential enrichment of aminophospholipids on the cytoplasmic leaflet of those cells. The fast inward redistribution of the aminophospholipid analogues is consistent with the presence of an aminophospholipid translocase activity in all three sperm cell preparations. The translocase activity was enhanced slightly during the epididymal transit of spermatozoa. However, compared with epididymal sperm cells, a marked increase in the aminophospholipid translocase activity and a more pronounced phospholipid asymmetry for phosphatidylethanolamine was established for ejaculated spermatozoa. The physiological relevance of the rapid removal of aminophospholipids from the exoplasmic leaflet of the plasma membrane of ram sperm cells is discussed. The quality of sperm cell fractions was characterized by the cell morphology, membrane integrity and the cellular ATP concentration.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008051	Lipid Bilayers	Layers of lipid molecules which are two molecules thick. Bilayer systems are frequently studied as models of biological membranes.	Bilayers, Lipid,Bilayer, Lipid,Lipid Bilayer
D008297	Male		Males
D008565	Membrane Proteins	Proteins which are found in membranes including cellular and intracellular membranes. They consist of two types, peripheral and integral proteins. They include most membrane-associated enzymes, antigenic proteins, transport proteins, and drug, hormone, and lectin receptors.	Cell Membrane Protein,Cell Membrane Proteins,Cell Surface Protein,Cell Surface Proteins,Integral Membrane Proteins,Membrane-Associated Protein,Surface Protein,Surface Proteins,Integral Membrane Protein,Membrane Protein,Membrane-Associated Proteins,Membrane Associated Protein,Membrane Associated Proteins,Membrane Protein, Cell,Membrane Protein, Integral,Membrane Proteins, Integral,Protein, Cell Membrane,Protein, Cell Surface,Protein, Integral Membrane,Protein, Membrane,Protein, Membrane-Associated,Protein, Surface,Proteins, Cell Membrane,Proteins, Cell Surface,Proteins, Integral Membrane,Proteins, Membrane,Proteins, Membrane-Associated,Proteins, Surface,Surface Protein, Cell
D010713	Phosphatidylcholines	Derivatives of PHOSPHATIDIC ACIDS in which the phosphoric acid is bound in ester linkage to a CHOLINE moiety.	Choline Phosphoglycerides,Choline Glycerophospholipids,Phosphatidyl Choline,Phosphatidyl Cholines,Phosphatidylcholine,Choline, Phosphatidyl,Cholines, Phosphatidyl,Glycerophospholipids, Choline,Phosphoglycerides, Choline
D010714	Phosphatidylethanolamines	Derivatives of phosphatidic acids in which the phosphoric acid is bound in ester linkage to an ethanolamine moiety. Complete hydrolysis yields 1 mole of glycerol, phosphoric acid and ethanolamine and 2 moles of fatty acids.	Cephalin,Cephalins,Ethanolamine Phosphoglyceride,Ethanolamine Phosphoglycerides,Ethanolamineglycerophospholipids,Phosphoglyceride, Ethanolamine,Phosphoglycerides, Ethanolamine
D010718	Phosphatidylserines	Derivatives of PHOSPHATIDIC ACIDS in which the phosphoric acid is bound in ester linkage to a SERINE moiety.	Serine Phosphoglycerides,Phosphatidyl Serine,Phosphatidyl Serines,Phosphatidylserine,Phosphoglycerides, Serine,Serine, Phosphatidyl,Serines, Phosphatidyl
D010743	Phospholipids	Lipids containing one or more phosphate groups, particularly those derived from either glycerol (phosphoglycerides see GLYCEROPHOSPHOLIPIDS) or sphingosine (SPHINGOLIPIDS). They are polar lipids that are of great importance for the structure and function of cell membranes and are the most abundant of membrane lipids, although not stored in large amounts in the system.	Phosphatides,Phospholipid
D002352	Carrier Proteins	Proteins that bind or transport specific substances in the blood, within the cell, or across cell membranes.	Binding Proteins,Carrier Protein,Transport Protein,Transport Proteins,Binding Protein,Protein, Carrier,Proteins, Carrier
D002462	Cell Membrane	The lipid- and protein-containing, selectively permeable membrane that surrounds the cytoplasm in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells.	Plasma Membrane,Cytoplasmic Membrane,Cell Membranes,Cytoplasmic Membranes,Membrane, Cell,Membrane, Cytoplasmic,Membrane, Plasma,Membranes, Cell,Membranes, Cytoplasmic,Membranes, Plasma,Plasma Membranes
D003593	Cytoplasm	The part of a cell that contains the CYTOSOL and small structures excluding the CELL NUCLEUS; MITOCHONDRIA; and large VACUOLES. (Glick, Glossary of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 1990)	Protoplasm,Cytoplasms,Protoplasms