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Proteases and Protease Inhibitors in Male Reproduction

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Proteases in Physiology and Pathology

Abstract

From the development of the spermatozoa within the seminiferous tubule of testis to the fertilization events that occur in female reproductive tract, all the reproductive processes in mammals are regulated by a highly orchestrated and integrative mechanism. Several proteases and their protease inhibitors form an important part of this mechanism. So far, vast arrays of proteases have been identified in the reproductive system of mammals playing critical role in the major events associated with the several male reproductive processes. Several endogenous inhibitors of these proteases are also produced in the male reproductive tissues/fluids that cater to the role of regulating the protease production/degradation, activation/inactivation, etc. Thus, there exist a fine balance between the production of these proteases and their regulators for maintaining the blood-testes barrier and the gamete development. A disturbance in this equilibrium leads to progression of reproductive failures including azoospermia, impaired sperm functions, low fertilizing efficiency, etc. and culminates in infertility cases. This chapter focuses on an account of such proteases and the protease inhibitors with their role in mammalian male reproduction.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank the Director, National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology (NIANP), Bangalore, India for providing funds and facilities for carrying out the present study. The first author was supported by Junior Research Fellowship from Indian Council of Medical Research, New Delhi. The authors also thank the Director, Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), Bareilly, India for providing an opportunity to the first author for conducting the present study at NIANP, Bangalore.

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  1. Molecular Biology Laboratory, ICAR-National Institute of Animal Nutrition & Physiology, Hosur Road, Adugodi P.O, Banglaore, 560030, India

    V. S. Gurupriya & Sudhir C. Roy

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  1. V. S. Gurupriya
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  2. Sudhir C. Roy
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Correspondence to Sudhir C. Roy .

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  1. Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Kalyani, Kalyani, West Bengal, India

    Sajal Chakraborti

  2. St. Boniface Hospital Research Centre, University of Manitoba, Faculty of Health Sciences, College of Medicine, Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada

    Naranjan S. Dhalla

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Gurupriya, V.S., Roy, S.C. (2017). Proteases and Protease Inhibitors in Male Reproduction. In: Chakraborti, S., Dhalla, N. (eds) Proteases in Physiology and Pathology. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-2513-6_10

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