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High-throughput proteomic characterization of seminal plasma from bulls with contrasting semen quality

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Abstract

Seminal plasma proteins are the major extrinsic factors that can modulate the sperm quality and functions. The present study was carried out to compare the proteomic profiles of seminal plasma from breeding bulls producing good and poor quality semen in an effort to understand the possible proteins associated with semen quality. A total of 910 and 715 proteins were detected in the seminal plasma of poor and good quality semen producing bulls, respectively. A total of 705 proteins were common to both the groups, in which 380 proteins were upregulated and 89 proteins were downregulated in the seminal plasma of poor quality semen, while 236 proteins were co-expressed. The proteins negatively influencing sperm functions such as CCL2, UQCRC2, and SAA1 were among the top ten upregulated proteins in the seminal plasma of poor quality semen. Proteins having a positive role in sperm functions (NGF, EEF1A2, COL1A2, IZUMO4, PRSS1, COL1A1, WFDC2) were among the top ten downregulated proteins in the seminal plasma of poor quality semen. The upregulation of oxidation–reduction process-related proteins, histone proteins (HIST3H2A, H2AFJ, H2AFZ, H2AFX, HIST2H2AB, H2AFV, HIST1H2AC, HIST2H2AC, LOC104975684, LOC524236, LOC614970, LOC529277), and ubiquinol–cytochrome-c reductase proteins (UQCRB, UQCRFS1, UQCRQ, UQCRC1, UQCRC2) indicate deranged oxidation–reduction equilibrium, chromatin condensation and spermatogenesis in poor quality semen producing bulls. The expression of proteins essential for motile cilium (CCDC114, CFAP206, TEKT4), chromatin integrity (PRM2), gamete fusion (IZUMO4, EQTN), hyperactivation, tyrosine phosphorylation, and capacitation [PI3K–Akt signalling pathway-related proteins (COL1A1, COL2A1, COL1A2, SPP1, PDGFA, NGF)] were down regulated in poor quality semen producing bulls.

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Data availability

The datasets analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

Authors thank the Director, ICAR–National Dairy Research Institute, India for providing necessary facilities for carrying out this research. The authors are thankful to the Director, Nandini Sperm Station, Karnataka Milk Federation, Karnataka for providing bull semen.

Funding

The present work was funded by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation [Grant Number OPP1154401] project entitled “Molecular markers for improving reproduction in cattle and buffaloes”.

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  1. Kamaraj Elango and Thirumalaisamy Karuthadurai contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Theriogenology Laboratory, Southern Regional Station of ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, Bengaluru, 560030, Karnataka, India

    Kamaraj Elango, Thirumalaisamy Karuthadurai, Arumugam Kumaresan, Manish Kumar Sinha, John Peter Ebenezer Samuel King, Pradeep Nag, Ankur Sharma, Kathan Raval, Nilendu Paul & Thirumala Rao Talluri

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  1. Kamaraj Elango
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Correspondence to Arumugam Kumaresan.

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Elango, K., Karuthadurai, T., Kumaresan, A. et al. High-throughput proteomic characterization of seminal plasma from bulls with contrasting semen quality. 3 Biotech 13, 60 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13205-023-03474-6

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