Ab. Patel et al., Identification of low-molecular-weight compounds in goat epididymis using multinuclear nuclear magnetic resonance, ANALYT BIOC, 266(2), 1999, pp. 205-215
Multinuclear nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) (H-1, C-13, and P-31) studies
have been performed on aqueous solutions of lyophilysates of cell-free ext
ract, epididymal fluid, and intact cells from caput and cauda regions of ep
ididymis of sacrificed goats. Identification of low-molecular-weight compou
nds present in different maturation phases of spermatozoa has been carried
out. Several low-molecular-weight compounds have been identified by assigni
ng 600 MHz H-1 NMR spectra with the help of two-dimensional homonuclear and
heteronuclear correlation spectroscopy such as double quantum filtered cor
relation spectroscopy and heteronuclear single quantum correlation spectros
copy. Homonuclear coupling constants have also been used to get unambiguous
assignments of resonances. NMR data were compared with those of standard s
amples measured at same pH and with those reported in the literature. Ident
ification of several amino acids, carbohydrates, and lipids have been made
and their presence has been discussed in relation to their relevance to spe
rm functions. The presence of beta-alanine and hypotaurine has been reporte
d for the first time in goat epididymis. (C) 1999 Academic Press.