Antibodies to spermatozoa. 3. Responses in rabbits and guinea-pigs to immunization with guinea-pig sperm cells.

The antigens of guinea-pig sperm cells, of both the epididymal and ejaculated (or seminal) types, have been studied, using rabbit and guinea-pig antisera. Several antigens could be revealed by gel diffusion studies, using well-washed but non-ruptured sperm cells, indicating that intentional cell breaking is not essential for demonstrating the antigens. This release of soluble antigen was followed as a function of time and temperature, both as total protein in supernatants and in increasing strength of precipitation. With rabbit antiserum, epididymal sperm showed two antigens, that were also demonstrated in epididymal and testicular extract and in seminal sperm. These other materials revealed additional antigens with these antisera. Immunofluorescent staining was limited to the acrosomes. With guinea-pig antibodies, no precipitating antigen that was characteristic of sperm could be seen. These antisera showed immunofluorescent staining of the acrosomes. The staining could be distinguished, in terms of thermostability, from the staining produced by normal serum. No evidence was found for the occurrence of any sperm-coating antigens in the guinea-pig, especially since both antiseminal plasma and antivesicular fluid antisera failed to give immunofluorescent staining of the sperm cells.