Boar seminal vesicles secrete arylsulfatases into seminal plasma: evidence that desulfation of seminolipid occurs only after ejaculation.

The presence and composition of arylsulfatases in secretions of various glands of the boar genital tract were studied. Arylsulfatase A was present in seminal plasma but not in extracellular fluids of the testis and epididymis nor in blood serum of boars. On the other hand, arylsulfatase B was present in both seminal plasma and extracellular fluids of the testis but was completely resorbed in the epididymis. The acrosomal arylsulfatase A did not leak out of spermatozoa before ejaculation. We conclude that arylsulfatases A and B present in seminal plasma are secreted by the seminal vesicles, for three reasons: 1) secretions from seminal vesicles contained 2.3-fold higher arylsulfatase activities than did those from seminal plasma, but had an identical composition; 2) cauda epididymal fluids did not contain arylsulfatase; and 3) other accessory glands of the boar genital tract did not secrete arylsulfatase. When intact boar spermatozoa were incubated with arylsulfatase A, complete desulfation of seminolipid was observed. The most important arguments favoring our hypothesis that desulfation of seminolipid does not start before ejaculation are the following: 1) desulfoseminolipid is not detectable in epididymal or freshly ejaculated sperm samples; 2) the acrosomal arylsulfatase A cannot desulfate seminolipid present at the surface of the plasma membrane of intact spermatozoa because of its intracellular localization; 3) extracellular arylsulfatase A is stored in seminal vesicles and thus can interact with spermatozoa during and after ejaculation.