| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2593600 | Reproductive Toxicology | 2013 | 9 Pages |
•ConA, ConBol and ConBr bound to bovine sperm in different manners.•These lectins did not affect sperm viability or lipid peroxidation.•The three lectins induced a decrease in sperm motility and an increase in ROS production.•The three lectins reduced the embryo cleavage ratio but not the blastocyst formation ratio.
The aim of this study was to determine the binding patterns of Canavalia ensiformis (ConA), Canavalia boliviana (ConBol) and Canavalia brasiliensis (ConBr) lectins to bovine sperm and their effects on sperm motility, viability, lipid peroxidation, reactive oxygen species production and fertilization ability. ConA bound to whole spermatozoa, with the exception of the equatorial segment, ConBol did not interact with the acrosome region and ConBr exhibited a fragmented binding pattern. The three lectins decreased sperm motility but did not affect cell viability or lipid peroxidation. Nevertheless, ROS production was increased in comparison to controls and a reduction in the cleavage and blastocyst ratio was induced in comparison to controls. In conclusion, this study determined that structurally similar lectins interact differently with bovine sperm and affect sperm motility, viability, lipid peroxidation, ROS production and fertilization ability in various ways.
