Skip to main content
PMC home page
The Journal of Experimental Medicine logoLink to The Journal of Experimental Medicine
. 1988 Jul 1;168(1):343–356. doi: 10.1084/jem.168.1.343

Human sperm carbohydrate antigens defined by an antisperm human monoclonal antibody derived from an infertile woman bearing antisperm antibodies in her serum

PMCID: PMC2188971  PMID: 3294333

Abstract

The epitope structure of the human sperm antigen reacting with antibodies present in sera of infertile women has been studied using mAb H6-3C4, which produces immobilization of human sperm in the presence of complement. Another antibody, NUH2, which also induces human sperm immobilization, was used to substantiate the presence of a receptor on sperm involved in susceptibility to immobilization. Both antibodies defined type 2 chain polylactosamine structure. H6-3C4 is directed to internally located repetitive N-acetyllactosamine, i.e., sialyl-i, i, or fucosyl-i. NUH2 defines binary alpha 2----3 sialyl type 2 chain, i.e., sialyl-I. Thus, the presence of antibodies in the sera of infertile women directed to sperm lactosaminoglycan or lactosaminolipid could be the basis for infertility in these cases.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (917.6 KB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. FRANKLIN R. R., DUKES C. D. ANTISPERMATOZOAL ANTIBODY AND UNEXPLAINED INFERTILITY. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1964 May 1;89:6–9. doi: 10.1016/s0002-9378(16)35035-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Fenderson B. A., Nichols E. J., Clausen H., Hakomori S. I. A monoclonal antibody defining a binary N-acetyllactosaminyl structure in lactoisooctaosylceramide (IV6Gal beta 1----4GlcNAcnLc6): a useful probe for determining differential glycosylation patterns between normal and transformed human fibroblasts. Mol Immunol. 1986 Jul;23(7):747–754. doi: 10.1016/0161-5890(86)90086-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Fenderson B. A., O'Brien D. A., Millette C. F., Eddy E. M. Stage-specific expression of three cell surface carbohydrate antigens during murine spermatogenesis detected with monoclonal antibodies. Dev Biol. 1984 May;103(1):117–128. doi: 10.1016/0012-1606(84)90013-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Fukuda M. N., Watanabe K., Hakomori S. I. Release of oligosaccharides from various glycosphingolipids by endo-beta-galactosidase. J Biol Chem. 1978 Oct 10;253(19):6814–6819. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Fukuda M., Fukuda M. N., Hakomori S. Developmental change and genetic defect in the carbohydrate structure of band 3 glycoprotein of human erythrocyte membrane. J Biol Chem. 1979 May 25;254(10):3700–3703. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Hakomori S. Blood group ABH and Ii antigens of human erythrocytes: chemistry, polymorphism, and their developmental change. Semin Hematol. 1981 Jan;18(1):39–62. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Hakomori S., Nudelman E., Levery S., Solter D., Knowles B. B. The hapten structure of a developmentally regulated glycolipid antigen (SSEA-1) isolated from human erythrocytes and adenocarcinoma: a preliminary note. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1981 Jun;100(4):1578–1586. doi: 10.1016/0006-291x(81)90699-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Hakomori S., Patterson C. M., Nudelman E., Sekiguchi K. A monoclonal antibody directed to N-acetylneuraminosyl-alpha 2 leads to 6-galactosyl residue in gangliosides and glycoproteins. J Biol Chem. 1983 Oct 10;258(19):11819–11822. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Hamilton M. S., Vernon R. B., Eddy E. M. A monoclonal antibody, EC-1, derived from a syngeneically multiparous mouse alters in vitro fertilization and development. J Reprod Immunol. 1985 Aug;8(1):45–59. doi: 10.1016/0165-0378(85)90077-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Hirohashi S., Clausen H., Nudelman E., Inoue H., Shimosato Y., Hakomori S. A human monoclonal antibody directed to blood group i antigen: heterohybridoma between human lymphocytes from regional lymph nodes of a lung cancer patient and mouse myeloma. J Immunol. 1986 Jun 1;136(11):4163–4168. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Isojima S., Kameda K., Tsuji Y., Shigeta M., Ikeda Y., Koyama K. Establishment and characterization of a human hybridoma secreting monoclonal antibody with high titers of sperm immobilizing and agglutinating activities against human seminal plasma. J Reprod Immunol. 1987 Jan;10(1):67–78. doi: 10.1016/0165-0378(87)90051-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Isojima S., Tsuchiya K., Koyama K., Tanaka C., Naka O., Adachi H. Further studies on sperm-immobilizing antibody found in sera of unexplained cases of sterility in women. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1972 Jan 15;112(2):199–207. doi: 10.1016/0002-9378(72)90116-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Israelstam D. M. The incidence of sperm-agglutinating antibodies in the serum of infertile women. Fertil Steril. 1969 Mar-Apr;20(2):275–278. doi: 10.1016/s0015-0282(16)36969-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Iwamori M., Nagai Y. Monosialogangliosides of rabbit skeletal muscle. Characterization of N-acetylneuraminosyl lacto-N-noroctaosyl ceramide. J Biochem. 1981 Apr;89(4):1253–1264. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. KATSH S. Infertility in female guinea pigs induced by injection of homologous sperm. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1959 Aug;78(2):276–278. doi: 10.1016/0002-9378(59)90172-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Kannagi R., Cochran N. A., Ishigami F., Hakomori S., Andrews P. W., Knowles B. B., Solter D. Stage-specific embryonic antigens (SSEA-3 and -4) are epitopes of a unique globo-series ganglioside isolated from human teratocarcinoma cells. EMBO J. 1983;2(12):2355–2361. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1983.tb01746.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Kannagi R., Levery S. B., Ishigami F., Hakomori S., Shevinsky L. H., Knowles B. B., Solter D. New globoseries glycosphingolipids in human teratocarcinoma reactive with the monoclonal antibody directed to a developmentally regulated antigen, stage-specific embryonic antigen 3. J Biol Chem. 1983 Jul 25;258(14):8934–8942. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Kannagi R., Nudelman E., Levery S. B., Hakomori S. A series of human erythrocyte glycosphingolipids reacting to the monoclonal antibody directed to a developmentally regulated antigen SSEA-1. J Biol Chem. 1982 Dec 25;257(24):14865–14874. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Kannagi R., Stroup R., Cochran N. A., Urdal D. L., Young W. W., Jr, Hakomori S. Factors affecting expression of glycolipid tumor antigens: influence of ceramide composition and coexisting glycolipid on the antigenicity of gangliotriaosylceramide in murine lymphoma cells. Cancer Res. 1983 Oct;43(10):4997–5005. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Kapadia A., Feizi T., Evans M. J. Changes in the expression and polarization of blood group I and i antigens in post-implantation embryos and teratocarcinomas of mouse associated with cell differentiation. Exp Cell Res. 1981 Jan;131(1):185–195. doi: 10.1016/0014-4827(81)90418-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Kundu S. K., Samuelsson B. E., Pascher I., Marcus D. M. New gangliosides from human erythrocytes. J Biol Chem. 1983 Nov 25;258(22):13857–13866. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. MARSH W. L., JENKINS W. J. Anti-i: a new cold antibody. Nature. 1960 Nov 26;188:753–753. doi: 10.1038/188753a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Magnani J. L., Smith D. F., Ginsburg V. Detection of gangliosides that bind cholera toxin: direct binding of 125I-labeled toxin to thin-layer chromatograms. Anal Biochem. 1980 Dec;109(2):399–402. doi: 10.1016/0003-2697(80)90667-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Niemann H., Watanabe K., Hakomori S. Blood group i and I activities of "lacto-N-norhexaosylceramide" and its analogues: the structural requirements for i-specificities. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1978 Apr 28;81(4):1286–1293. doi: 10.1016/0006-291x(78)91275-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Nores G. A., Dohi T., Taniguchi M., Hakomori S. Density-dependent recognition of cell surface GM3 by a certain anti-melanoma antibody, and GM3 lactone as a possible immunogen: requirements for tumor-associated antigen and immunogen. J Immunol. 1987 Nov 1;139(9):3171–3176. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Okada Y., Kannagi R., Levery S. B., Hakomori S. Glycolipid antigens with blood group I and i specificities from human adult and umbilical cord erythrocytes. J Immunol. 1984 Aug;133(2):835–842. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Pruzanski W., Katz A. Cold agglutinins--antibodies with biological diversity. Clin Immunol Rev. 1984;3(1):131–168. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Siddiqui B., Hakomori S. A ceramide tetrasaccharide of human erythrocyte membrane reacting with anti-type XIV pneumococcal polysaccharide antiserum. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1973 Dec 13;330(2):147–155. doi: 10.1016/0005-2736(73)90219-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Svennerholm L. Gangliosides and other glycolipids of human placenta. Acta Chem Scand. 1965;19(6):1506–1507. doi: 10.3891/acta.chem.scand.19-1506. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Taniguchi M., Wakabayashi S. Shared antigenic determinant expressed on various mammalian melanoma cells. Gan. 1984 May;75(5):418–426. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Tyler A., Tyler E. T., Denny P. C. Concepts and experiments in immunoreproduction. Fertil Steril. 1967 Mar-Apr;18(2):153–166. doi: 10.1016/s0015-0282(16)36240-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Watanabe K., Hakomori S. I., Childs R. A., Feizi T. Characterization of a blood group I-active ganglioside. Structural requirements for I and i specificities. J Biol Chem. 1979 May 10;254(9):3221–3228. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. Watanabe K., Powell M. E., Hakomori S. I. Isolation and characterization of gangliosides with a new sialosyl linkage and core structures. II. Gangliosides of human erythrocyte membranes. J Biol Chem. 1979 Sep 10;254(17):8223–8229. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  34. Young W. W., Jr, Portoukalian J., Hakomori S. Two monoclonal anticarbohydrate antibodies directed to glycosphingolipids with a lacto-N-glycosyl type II chain. J Biol Chem. 1981 Nov 10;256(21):10967–10972. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  35. Zhu B. C., Fisher S. F., Pande H., Calaycay J., Shively J. E., Laine R. A. Human placental (fetal) fibronectin: increased glycosylation and higher protease resistance than plasma fibronectin. Presence of polylactosamine glycopeptides and properties of a 44-kilodalton chymotryptic collagen-binding domain: difference from human plasma fibronectin. J Biol Chem. 1984 Mar 25;259(6):3962–3970. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The Journal of Experimental Medicine are provided here courtesy of The Rockefeller University Press

RESOURCES