Biology of Reproduction, Vol 31, 1061-1071, Copyright © 1984 by Society for the Study of Reproduction

ARTICLES

Characterization of (Ca2+ + Mg2+) adenosine triphosphatase activity and calcium transport in boar sperm plasma membrane vesicles and their relation to phosphorylation of plasma membrane proteins

M Ashraf, RN Peterson and LD Russell

Properties of (Ca2+ + Mg2+) adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) in plasma membranes from boar epididymal spermatozoa are described. Enzyme activity is optimum at high pH and has a high affinity for Ca2+. It is not inhibited by the calmodulin antagonist trifluoperazine (TFP), but it is inhibited by low concentrations of Ca2+. Plasma membrane vesicles obtained by hypotonic lysis of intact sperm [mixed inside-out (IOV) and right side-out (ROV) vesicles] transport 45Ca2+ in the presence of oxalate. Similar to the Ca2+-stimulated Mg ATPase activity, transport is unaffected by TFP, but unlike the ATPase, transport is at an optimum rate near neutral pH and is completely inhibited by p- chloromercurphenylsulfonate (pCMS). When plasma membranes are labeled in the presence and absence of Ca2+ and Mg2+ with [gamma-32P]ATP, differences in the intensity of labeling and lability of bound 32P to alkali and hydroxylamine suggest that two polypeptides between 100-120K may be related to a transport ATPase. The addition of TFP at concentrations which stimulate net Ca2+ uptake in intact cells causes intense labeling of a single neutrally charged protein near 68K. These labeling patterns and the properties of (Ca2+ + Mg2+) ATPase identify particular plasma membrane proteins (PMPs) from the complex surface of these cells that may be involved in Ca2+-dependent functions and support the view that calmodulin is not directly involved in the regulation of ATP-driven Ca2+ efflux from boar spermatozoa.