SPERM AUTOANTIGENS RECOGNIZED BY AUTOANTIBODIES IN DEVELOPING RATS FOLLOWING PREPUBERTAL OBSTRUCTION OF THE VAS-DEFERENS

Sperm protein autoantigens recognized by serum antisperm autoantibodie s during development following vas deferens obstruction were studied u sing western blot analysis. At age 10 days, rats in an obstructed grou p underwent bilateral ligation and division of the vas deferens, where as animals assigned to a sham group received a sham operation. At ages 14, 21, 35, 56, 91, and 128 days, rats were sacrificed and blood samp les were obtained, Sperm antigens were recognized infrequently and wit h low intensity by most sera obtained at ages 14 through 56 days. Subs equently, the incidence as well as the intensity of staining of antige ns in blots increased at 91-and 128-day intervals in obstructed animal s. The increase in antisperm antibodies correlated with the appearance of sperm throughout the epididymis at approximately 56 days postnatal ly. A set of autoantigens including proteins migrating at 82-78, 76-73 , 68, 57, 54, 48, 44, 42, 38-42, 36, and 22 kDa were recognized with t he highest frequency and intensity after puberty. A 42-kDa protein app eared to be one of the first autoantigens recognized when obstructed a nimals underwent sexual maturation. Although individual animals recogn ized different patterns of sperm autoantigens, a repertoire of 10-12 a utoantigens dominated the antisperm antibody response when obstructed animals underwent sexual maturation.