Identification of an ATPase activity associated with the high molecular weight proteins of the human spermatozoon axonemes.

The high salt extract obtained from demembranated human spermatozoa contains high molecular weight proteins. These proteins are associated with an ATPase activity inhibited by sodium orthovanadate. In association with lower molecular weight proteins, they constitute a 20 S particle and are probably localized in the dynein arms (and in the radial spokes) of the human spermatozoon axonemes. Evidence is shown for a biochemical analogy between the dynein ATPases extracted from the invertebrate axonemes and the human dynein-like ATPase described in this study.