OBJECTIVESTo analyze human spermatozoa membrane proteins by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and to provide a basis for drawing the protein map of normal human spermatozoa membrane proteins.

METHODSSpermatozoa were purified by Percoll density centrifugation, and spermatozoa membrane proteins were analyzed by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis using isoelectric focusing and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.

RESULTSAbout 800 protein spots could be identified by the imaging analysis system. The molecular weight and isoelectric point of most proteins were 20,000 to 100,000 and 3.0 to 7.0 respectively.

CONCLUSIONSThere are more than 800 types of proteins in the human spermatozoa membrane. The spermatozoa membrane protein can be identified with a certain precision by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis.