Claims
- 1. A substantially purified protein which is correlated with enhanced fertility in mammalian males, wherein said protein is bound by monoclonal antibody M1, and is selected from the group consisting of (1) a non-glycosylated protein migrating at 31 kDa in one dimensional SDS-PAGE electrophoresis and (2) a tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase exhibiting a 24 kDa migration in one-dimensional SDS-PAGE electrophoresis in reduced form, and a 21.5-kDa molecular mass under non-reducing conditions, wherein said substantially purified proteins are secreted by seminal vesicles.
- 2. The substantially purified protein of claim 1, wherein said protein is said 31-kDa protein, is a heparin binding protein, and has an isoelectric point of approximately 8.3.
- 3. The protein of claim 2, wherein said substantially purified protein has an N-terminal sequence LKIXSFNVRSFGESKKAGFNAMRVIV and, when subject to lys-C digestion, results in fragments having the amino acid sequences QSYLYHDYQAGDADVFSREP and DFVIVPLHTTPEXXV, wherein X indicates any amino acid.
- 4. The substantially purified protein of claim 1, wherein said protein exhibits a 24-kDa molecular mass in SDS-PAGE electrophoresis in the presence of 2-mercaptoethanol, and has an N-terminal sequence CSCSPVHPQQAFFNNDIVIR.
- 5. The substantially purified protein of claim 1, wherein said mammalian male is a bull.
- 6. A method of identifying enhanced fertility in mammalian male out of a group of such males, comprising assaying semen samples from each member of said group to determine the presence in said semen sample of the protein of claim 1, wherein the presence of said protein in a semen sample is indicative of higher fertility in the donor of said semen sample.
- 7. The method of claim 6, wherein said mammalian male is a bull.
- 8. The method of claim 7, wherein said assay is conducted using an immunoassay wherein said semen samples are combined with a monoclonal antibody specific for said protein, and binding between said monoclonal antibody and protein in said sample is indicative of higher fertility.
- 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the amount of binding activity occuring is quantified, and wherein a higher degree of binding is indicative of greater fertility.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is related to and a Continuation-In-Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/487,168 filed Jun. 7, 1995, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference. That application is in turn a CIP application of U.S. Pat. No. 5,434,139, itself a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/386,954 filed Jul. 28, 1989. The entire content of U.S. Pat. No. 5,434,139 is incorporated herein by reference.
Continuation in Parts (2)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
08487168 |
Jun 1995 |
US |
Child |
09055671 |
Apr 1998 |
US |
Parent |
07386954 |
Jul 1989 |
US |
Child |
08487168 |
Jun 1995 |
US |