GOSSYPOL-INDUCED ALTERATIONS OF AMINOPHOSPHOLIPID COMPOSITION IN HUMAN SPERM

Gossypol-induced alterations of aminophospholipid composition in human sperm wereobserved and the effects of some factors on these alterations were investigated.The altera-tions of aminophospholipid composition of human sperm induced by gossypoI included aprogressive decrease in the levels of phosphatidylethanolamine（PE）and phosphatidylserine（PS）when gossypol concentrations ranged from 5-500μmol/L,and a progressive increase inthe level of（LPE）at lower gossypol concentrations（5-50μmol/L）.The conversion of PEinto lysophosphatidylethanolamine（LPE）was strongly enhanced by Ca2+and inhibitedby 0.5mmol/L EDTA,while PMSF,NEM,iodoacetamide and Zn2+had no effect.Thisconversion was weaker in sperm with stripped surface proteins than in normal sperm.In addition,three surface proteins（MW 80,60 and 40 kD）were fixed on the plasmamembrane by gossypol treatment.The significance of gossypol action and the possibilitythat sperm PLA2, PE and.some surface proteins might play an important role in the physio-logical acrosome reaetion of human sperm,as well as in oocyte penetration,are discussed.