THE INFLUENCE OF BOVINE SEMINAL PLASMA FRACTIONS OBTAINED BY DEAE-SEPHACEL CHROMATOGRAPHY ON BOVINE LYMPHOCYTE BLASTOGENESIS

The aim of this study was to separate protein molecules from bovine se minal plasma and to investigate their influence on mitogen induced bov ine lymphocyte blastogenesis. Pooled bovine seminal plasma was chromat ographed on an ion exchange column (DEAE-Sephacel). and six fractions were obtained. Their influence on bovine lymphocyte blastogenesis was studied in vitro in cell cultures stimulated with suboptimal doses of PHA and Con A. Protein molecules that were present in fractions 1 and 6 were inhibitory in PHA stimulated cultures but only those from fract ion 1 if cell proliferation was induced by Con A. We were also able to demonstrate that in cell cultures stimulated with PHA protein molecul es from fractions 2 and 4 had stimulative effects. When bovine lymphoc yte blastogenesis was induced with Con A only molecules from fraction 4 stimulated cell proliferation. In all our tests pooled seminal plasm a exerted very strong inhibitory effects on mitogen induced bovine lym phocyte blastogenesis.