ArticleJournal of andrology
Equatorial segment protein (ESP) is a human alloantigen involved in sperm-egg binding and fusion.
Article in Journal of andrology. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 25 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
25 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 59 citations in OpenAlex.
- The Role of Sperm Proteins IZUMO1 and TMEM95 in Mammalian Fertilization: A Systematic Review.International journal of molecular sciences · 2022Pooled it
- Neprilysin 4 controls acrosome structure and male fertility in Drosophila melanogaster.Communications biology · 2025Article
- Global characterization of mouse testis O-glycoproteome landscape during spermatogenesis.Nature communications · 2025Article
- Downregulated SPESP1-driven fibroblast senescence decreases wound healing in aged mice.Clinical and translational medicine · 2024Article
- New Insights on Sperm Function in Male Infertility of Unknown Origin: A Multimodal Approach.Biomolecules · 2023Article
- Non-Hormonal Contraception.Journal of clinical medicine · 2023Review
- Inhibition of Mitochondrial Uncoupling Proteins Arrests Human Spermatozoa Motility without Compromising Viability.Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Expression of membrane fusion proteins in spermatozoa and total fertilisation failure during in vitro fertilisation.Andrology · 2022Article
- Combined RNA/tissue profiling identifies novel Cancer/testis genes.Molecular oncology · 2021Article
- Sperm Proteome after Interaction with Reproductive Fluids in Porcine: From the Ejaculation to the Fertilization Site.International journal of molecular sciences · 2020Article
- Immunocytochemical Localization of Olfactory-signaling Molecules in Human and Rat Spermatozoa.The journal of histochemistry and cytochemistry : official journal of the Histochemistry Society · 2020Article
- Male infertility-related molecules involved in sperm-oocyte fusion.The Journal of reproduction and development · 2017Review
- Identification of sperm equatorial segment protein 1 in the acrosome as the primary binding target of peanut agglutinin (PNA) in the mouse testis.Histochemistry and cell biology · 2017Article
- The control of male fertility by spermatid-specific factors: searching for contraceptive targets from spermatozoon's head to tail.Cell death & disease · 2016Review
- Gamete activation: basic knowledge and clinical applications.Human reproduction update · 2016Review
- Dynamic Changes in Equatorial Segment Protein 1 (SPESP1) Glycosylation During Mouse Spermiogenesis.Biology of reproduction · 2015Article
- Characterization of the Olfactory Receptors Expressed in Human Spermatozoa.Frontiers in molecular biosciences · 2015Article
- Sex differences in the genome-wide DNA methylation pattern and impact on gene expression, microRNA levels and insulin secretion in human pancreatic islets.Genome biology · 2014Article
- Molecular and cellular mechanisms of sperm-oocyte interactions opinions relative to in vitro fertilization (IVF).International journal of molecular sciences · 2014Review
- Immunocontraceptives: new approaches to fertility control.BioMed research international · 2014Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
The equatorial segment of the sperm head is known to play a role in fertilization; however, the specific sperm molecules contributing to the integrity of the equatorial segment and in binding and fusion at the oolemma remain incomplete. Moreover, identification of molecular mediators of fertilization that are also immunogenic in humans is predicted to advance both the diagnosis and treatment of immune infertility. We previously reported the cloning of Equatorial Segment Protein (ESP), a protein localized to the equatorial segment of ejaculated human sperm. ESP is a biomarker for a subcompartment of the acrosomal matrix that can be traced through all stages of acrosome biogenesis (Wolkowicz et al, 2003). In the present study, ESP immunoreacted on Western blots with 4 (27%) of 15 antisperm antibody (ASA)-positive serum samples from infertile male patients and 2 (40%) of 5 ASA-positive female sera. Immunofluorescent studies revealed ESP in the equatorial segment of 89% of acrosome-reacted sperm. ESP persisted as a defined equatorial segment band on 100% of sperm tightly bound to the oolemma of hamster eggs. Antisera to recombinant human ESP inhibited both oolemmal binding and fusion of human sperm in the hamster egg penetration assay. The results indicate that ESP is a human alloantigen involved in sperm-egg binding and fusion. Defined recombinant sperm immunogens, such as ESP, may offer opportunities for differential diagnosis of immune infertility.
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