Epididymal sperm maturation proteins.
Mammalian spermatozoa are not motile when they leave the testis. They have to undergo a complex maturation process to be able to fertilize in vivo. The maturation changes of mammalian sperm membrane have been extensively studied using lectins and antibodies. Some of these antigens have been purified and cloned. The interaction of secreted proteins with sperm membranes and acquisition of sperm motility as essential steps for spermatozoa to be fertile are well documented. The role of these epididymal maturation proteins in infertility and the possibility of using these antigens for immunocontraception are discussed in this review.