Metabolism of glycerol 3-phosphate by mature boar spermatozoa.

Under anaerobic conditions boar spermatozoa metabolized fructose and glucose to lactate but did not produce ATP to the extent of that produced under aerobic conditions; the ketogenic amino acids leucine, tryptophan, phenylalanine and tyrosine were not oxidatively metabolized. Glycerol 3-phosphate was metabolized rapidly in the presence or absence of the glycolytic inhibitor, 3-chloro-1-hydroxypropanone (CHOP). In the absence of CHOP, glycerol 3-phosphate was converted to CO2, lactate, glucose 6-phosphate and fructose 6-phosphate, and ATP was produced. In the presence of CHOP, glycerol 3-phosphate did not produce CO2, lactate or ATP, but formed fructose 1,6-bisphosphate and dihydroxyacetone phosphate. With dihydroxyacetone phosphate as substrate, fructose 1,6-bisphosphate, lactate, glucose 6-phosphate, fructose 6-phosphate and ATP were produced. Accumulation of glucose 6-phosphate and fructose 6-phosphate from glycerol 3-phosphate appeared to depend on the production of ATP; if ATP was not produced, dihydroxyacetone phosphate and fructose 1,6-bisphosphate accumulated. The conversion of glycerol 3-phosphate to glycolytic intermediates appeared to be a mechanism for the conversion of substrates for the ultimate production of lactate.