Biological activities of a major protein secreted from the rat seminal vesicles after structural modification catalyzed by transglutaminase in vitro

The immunosuppressive, anti-inflammatory and anti-thrombotic properties of SV-IV, a major protein secreted from the epithelium of rat seminal vesicles, were investigated after transglutaminase-catalyzed covalent incorporation of two molecules of spermidine (Spd) into the protein at the level of Gln-9 and Gln-86. The modified molecular form of the protein (Spd₂-SV-IV) showed a more marked inhibitory activity on Con A-induced lymphocyte blastogenesis in comparison with the native protein, whereas no differences in the ability to inhibit the mixed lymphocyte reaction and to decrease the rat epididymal sperm immunogenicity were found between modified and native SV-IV. Spd₂-SV-IV was also less effective than native SV-IV to inhibit platelet aggregation induced in vivo by different thrombogenic agents. In contrast, superimposable inhibitory tracings were observed in the in vitro platelet aggregation experiments performed with the two different molecular forms on the protein. Finally, Spd₂-SV-IV was shown to retain unchanged the anti-inflammatory activity of native SV-IV.