• PMID: 3086132
• Gene Name: PCMT1
• Condition: Sperm motility
• Association: Associated
• Sex: Male
• Infertility type: Male infertility
• Associated genes: PCM
• Other associated phenotypes: Sperm motility

Positive correlation between the level of protein-carboxyl methylase in spermatozoa and sperm motility

Gagnon C, de Lamirande E, Sherins RJ.

Levels of protein-carboxyl methylase (PCM) activity were measured in spermatozoa from infertile patients with less than 50% sperm motility and compared with those of normal fertile controls. When spermatozoa were washed by a standard centrifugation procedure, the level of PCM activity in a subgroup of patients with sperm motility ranging from 0% and 20% (24.0 +/- 5.2 pmol/mg protein, mean +/- standard error of the mean) was significantly different from that of controls (35.9 +/- 2.3 pmol/mg). However, when the entire population of patients with sperm motility ranging from 0% to 50% (32.6 +/- 6.2 pmol/mg) was compared with controls, no significant difference was observed in sperm PCM levels. With this standard washing procedure no significant relationship (r = 0.28; P greater than 0.05) between sperm PCM activity and motility was observed. By contrast, when spermatozoa were washed on a Percoll gradient, to eliminate other cellular elements, both groups of patients with 0% to 20% (14.6 +/- 2.5 pmol/mg) and with 0% to 50% (21.5 +/- 2.4 pmol/mg) sperm motility had sperm PCM levels significantly lower than that of controls (34.7 +/- 3.6). A highly significant relationship (r = 0.78; P less than 0.001) was observed between the levels of sperm PCM activity and motility. FAU - Gagnon, C AU - Gagnon C FAU - de Lamirande, E AU - de Lamirande E