Primary structure of the nuclear forms of phospholipid hydroperoxide glutathione peroxidase (PHGPx) in rat spermatozoa

FEBS Lett. 2005 Jan 31;579(3):667-70. doi: 10.1016/j.febslet.2004.12.041.

Abstract

Phospholipid hydroperoxide glutathione peroxidase is a monomeric Se-peroxidase highly expressed in mammalian male germ cells. Its nuclear form, sperm nuclei glutathione peroxidase (snGPx), has been originally identified in maturating spermatozoa as a transcription product containing an alternative exon within the phospholipid hydroperoxide glutathione peroxidase gene. In this paper, we show that this form is inconstantly detectable in rat spermatozoa where a 20.0 and 25.9 kDa major forms are detected instead. These have been conclusively characterized. The N-terminus sequence of the 20.0 kDa form confirmed that the protein is identical to cytosolic form, suggesting diffusion into the nucleus. The 25.9 kDa protein represented a truncated form of the previously described nuclear snGPx, lacking the basic nuclear localization signal. This protein is present in two forms differing from each other by the presence of an N-terminal methionine. The presence of traces of the larger snGPx form suggests that exhaustive proteolytic processing of the precursor produces the 25.9 kDa enzyme, although the alternate use of a downstream ATG, at least in rodents, could not be unequivocally ruled out.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Blotting, Western
  • Cell Nucleus / enzymology
  • Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid
  • Glutathione Peroxidase / chemistry*
  • Male
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Nuclear Proteins / chemistry*
  • Phospholipid Hydroperoxide Glutathione Peroxidase
  • Rats
  • Rats, Wistar
  • Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization
  • Spermatozoa / enzymology*

Substances

  • Nuclear Proteins
  • Phospholipid Hydroperoxide Glutathione Peroxidase
  • Glutathione Peroxidase