Proteomic Analysis of Seminal Plasma in Male Reproductive Health

Proteomic analysis of seminal plasma has emerged as a vital approach to understanding male reproductive health by mapping the complete complement of proteins secreted into the ejaculate. Advances in mass spectrometry now permit in-depth characterisation of seminal fluids, revealing hundreds to thousands of proteins involved in sperm transport, protection, maturation and fertilisation. Bottom-up and top-down proteomic strategies have enabled the discovery of tissue-specific proteins from the testis and accessory glands, many of which show altered abundance in conditions such as oligozoospermia, asthenozoospermia and azoospermia. Quantitative workflows—label-free, targeted and multiplex assays—have identified panels of biomarkers capable of distinguishing obstructive versus non-obstructive azoospermia, predicting surgical sperm retrieval and stratifying infertility subtypes. Functional annotation of differentially expressed proteins implicates pathways of energy metabolism, oxidative stress response, post-translational modification and inflammatory regulation in the aetiology of male infertility. Seminal proteome signatures are now being translated into non-invasive diagnostic tests and companion assays to guide clinical management, improve assisted-reproductive outcomes and reduce unnecessary interventions. The global significance of seminal plasma proteomics lies in its potential to offer personalised fertility assessments, inform therapeutic decision-making and advance our understanding of male reproductive physiology in health and disease.

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Proteomic Analysis of Seminal Plasma in Male Reproductive Health publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in proteomic analysis of seminal plasma in male reproductive health across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Bottom-up proteomics: Protein identification strategy involving enzymatic digestion into peptides prior to mass-spectrometric analysis.

Top-down proteomics: Direct analysis of intact proteins by mass spectrometry, enabling characterization of proteoforms and post-translational modifications.

Label-free quantification: Mass-spectrometry approach that estimates protein abundance from peptide signal intensities without isotopic labelling.

Seminal plasma: The acellular fluid component of ejaculate containing proteins, lipids and signalling molecules secreted by male reproductive glands.

Azoospermia: Clinical condition characterised by the absence of spermatozoa in the ejaculate, subdivided into obstructive and non-obstructive forms.

Biomarker: A measurable molecular indicator of physiological or pathological processes, here referring to proteins that predict fertility status or treatment response.

References

1. Mass Spectrometry-Based Untargeted Approaches to Reveal Diagnostic Signatures of Male Infertility in Seminal Plasma: A New Laboratory Perspective for the Clinical Management of Infertility?. International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2023).
2. Proteomic biomarkers in seminal plasma as predictors of reproductive potential in azoospermic men. Frontiers in Endocrinology (2024).
3. The Application of Ejaculate-Based Shotgun Proteomics for Male Infertility Screening. Biomedicines (2023).
4. Non-Invasive Diagnostics of Male Spermatogenesis from Seminal Plasma: Seminal Proteins. Diagnostics (2023).
5. Large-scale and high-confidence proteomic analysis of human seminal plasma. Genome Biology (2006).
6. Functional proteomic analysis of seminal plasma proteins in men with various semen parameters. Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology (2013).