SEMINALPLASMIN

The importance of seminal plasma in fertilization was appreciated as e arly as 1677 and would thus hardly seem a source for the search of ant ibacterial agents. The observation that seminal plasma had the ability to inhibit the growth of microorganisms in 1940 led to a systematic s earch for molecules possessing antimicrobial activity in addition to f actors that might have a role in reproductive physiology. Extensive in vestigations led to the discovery in bovine seminal fluid of a 47-resi due peptide, possessing potent antimicrobial activity as well as calci um transport modulatory properties in bovine sperm. We describe in thi s article the two, apparently unrelated, biological activities of this peptide.