Glycosidase determination in bovine oviducal fluid at the follicular and luteal phases of the oestrous cycle
Luis Cesar Carrasco A B , Pilar Coy A , Manuel Avilés C , Joaquin Gadea A and Raquel Romar A D
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Department of Physiology (Veterinary Physiology), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Murcia, 30071 Murcia, Spain.
B Department of Biology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, University of Pamplona, 2-102 El Carmen, Santander del Norte, Pamplona, Colombia.
C Department of Cell Biology and Histology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Murcia, 30071 Murcia, Spain.
D Corresponding author. Email: rromar@um.es
Reproduction, Fertility and Development 20(7) 808-817 https://doi.org/10.1071/RD08113
Submitted: 20 May 2008 Accepted: 17 July 2008 Published: 1 September 2008
Abstract
Gamete recognition and binding of spermatozoa to the oviduct are carbohydrate-mediated processes in which several glycosidases are thought to have a role, although this has not been demonstrated unequivocally. Oviducal fluid is the biological milieu in which fertilisation and early embryo development take place, but the enzyme composition of oviducal fluid is largely unknown. The aim of the present study was to determine glycosidase activity and protein content in bovine oviducal fluid (bOF) and the volume of fluid collected per oviduct. Oviducts obtained from a slaughterhouse were classified as either in the follicular or luteal phase on the basis of ovarian luteal morphology. Oviducal fluid was aspirated, centrifuged and the volume determined. Samples were then frozen until assay. Substrates conjugated to 4-methylumbelliferyl were used to screen for the activity of seven glycosidases at pH 7.2. The results indicate that bOF has α-l-fucosidase, β-N-acetyl-glucosaminidase, β-d-galactosidase, α-d-mannosidase and β-N-acetyl-galactosaminidase activity during both phases of the cycle, with the specific activity of the latter two enzymes being higher during the follicular phase. There was no N-acetyl-neuraminidase or α-d-galactosidase activity detected in bOF at either phase of the oestrous cycle at pH 7.2, but activity for both glycosidases was detected at pH 4.4. There were no differences in protein concentration or the volume of bOF collected between the two phases of the cycle. These findings indicate that oviducal fluid exhibits glycosidase activity, with specific variations throughout the oestrous cycle, suggesting that these enzymes play a role in carbohydrate-mediated events.
Acknowledgements
The authors thank Dr Daulat Tulsiani for interesting comments and suggestions on the manuscript. The authors also thank the staff of the Orihuela and El Pozo slaughterhouse for supplying the genital tracts and Maria Roldan for help with the acidic enzyme assays. This work was supported by grants from the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science and FEDER (AGL2006–03495) and Murcia Regional Government through Seneca Foundation (Projects Seneca 03018/PI/05 and 04542/GERM/06).
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