Cell surface changes associated with Cell surface changes associated with in vitro in vitro capacitation and capacitation and acrosome reaction of goat epididymal sperm by a marine bio-active acrosome reaction of goat epididymal sperm by a marine bio-active compound from the snail compound from the snail Telescopium telescopium Telescopium telescopium

A protein factor, spermatheca fraction fi fty, isolated from the spermatheca/ovotestis gland of a marine mollusc Telescopium telescopium by 50% ammonium sulphate precipitation was capable of inducing a capacitation and acrosome reaction of washed goat cauda epididymal spermatozoa in vitro. The effect of this isolated bio-active compound on goat sperm cells was comparable to heparin and concanavalinA. The number of acrosome reacted spermatozoa treated with heparin, concanavalinA and spermatheca fraction fi fty increased steadily and signifi cantly (P<0.001) over the extended period of incubation. Observation concluded that spermatheca fraction fi fty could be used for the evaluation of sperm plasmamembrane integrity and/or acrosomal integrity in vitro.