Human seminal plasma proteins: identification and preliminary characterization of a human sperm coating antigen (h-SCA) protein in physiological and pathological conditions

The presence in the human seminal plasma (h-SP) of a protein immunologically related to the RSV-IV, protein secreted by the rat seminal vesicles (RSV), is shown. We also report that this protein (hereafter termed the h-SCA protein) binds the human sperm cell surface. This protein has been partially characterized by chromatography and gel electrophoresis, and could represent a good marker to study the human function of seminal vesicles and their androgen regulation.