The acrosin system of bull, boar and ram sperm]

Described in this paper is a technique by which to separate the components of the sperma acrosin system. Included in the method are extraction of all components by means of acetic acid, separation of acrosin inhibitors on Sephadex G 100 as well as biochemical determination of proacrosin and acrosin. While species-related peculiarities were of minor importance, alterations were found to occur to the acrosin system in response to deep-freeze preservation of bull, boar, and ram sperma. Those alterations grew manifest primarily through decline in total acrosin activity and shifting of the proacrosin-acrosin ratio in the direction of proacrosin activation. Detachability of membrane-bound acrosin inhibitors was increased with significance, following in-vitro capacitation of bull sperma under heparin action.