Sex-chromosome-specific proteins, species specific and sperm specific proteins and methods for their identification and isolation

A purified and isolated sex-chromosome-specific protein having the characteristics of:

• (a) X-chromosome-specific;
• (b) associated with the cell membrane of a bovine sperm cell;
• and
• (c) having a molecular weight on SDS-PAGE and pI range selected from the group consisting of:
• 24, 5-5.5;
• 23, 4.8-5.3;
• 21, 5.3-5.8;
• 20, 5.3-5.8;
• 14, 4.8-5.3;
• and 15, 5-5.5.

A purified and isolated sex-chromosome-specific protein having the characteristics of:

• (a) Y-chromosome-specific;
• (b) associated with the cell membrane of a bovine sperm cell;
• and
• (c) having a molecular weight on SDS-PAGE and pI range selected from the group consisting of:
• 27, 5-6.5;
• 20, 5-5.5;
• 9, 5-5.6;
• 9, 5.3-5.8;
• and 5, 5.3-5.8.

A purified and isolated sex-chromosome-specific protein characterized as follows:

• (a) X chromosome specific;
• (b) associated with the cell membrane of porcine sperm cells;
• and (c) having a molecular weight and pI range selected on the group consisting of 99-100, 5.3-5.7;
• 43, 5.3-5.7;
• 53, 6.1-6.7;
• 31, 5-5.6;
• 30, 6-6.5;
• and 25, 7.5-9.

A purified and isolated sex-chromosome-specific protein characterized as follows:

• (a) Y chromosome specific;
• (b) associated with the cell membrane of porcine sperm cells;
• and (c) having a molecular weight and pI range selected on the group consistng of 36-37 and 6.2-6.8;
• respectively.

A method for identifying sex-chromosome-specific molecules associated with animal sperm cell membranes, comprising:

• (a) injecting whole sperm from a SP1 animal into a second and a third SP2 animal where the second and third animals are one of each of a male and female;
• (b) harvesting antibodies raised in the second and third SP2 animals;
• (c) separately reacting the antibodies from the second and third SP2 animals with a sperm cell membrane fraction from a SP1 animal;
• (d) separating material in the cell membrane fraction which does not bind to the antibodies from the antibodies and bound material for each of the antibodies from the second and third SP2 animals;
• (e) separating the bound material from the antibodies to create bound and unbound subfractions;
• (f) comparing the bound material from the second SP2 animal antibodies with the bound material from the third SP2 animal antibodies and identifying a sex-chromosome-specific molecules bound material of one of the second and third SP2 animal antibodies not present in the other animal antibody bound materal;
• and
• (g) isolatng the sex-chromosome-specific molecules.

A method for identifying sex-chromosome-specific molecules associated with animal sperm cell membranes, comprising:

• (a) injecting a sperm cell fraction from a SP1 into a second and third SP2 animals;
• (b) harvesting antibodies raised in the second and third SP2 animals;
• (c) separately reacting the antibodies from the second and third SP2 animals with a sperm cell membrane fraction from a SP1 animal;
• (d) separating material in the cell membrane fraction which does not bind to the antibodies from the antibodies and bound material for each of the antibodies from the second and third SP2 animals;
• (e) separating the bound material from the antibodies to create bound and unbound subfractions;
• (f) comparing the bound material from the second P2 animal antibodies with the bound material from the third SP2 animal antibodies and identifying as sex-chromosome-specific molecules bound material of one of the second and third SP2 animal antibodies not present in the other animal antibody bound material;
• and
• (g) isolating the sex-chromosome-specific molecules.