Prostatic origin of fucosyl transferase in human seminal plasma--a study on healthy controls and on men with infertility or with prostatic cancer.

Fucosyl transferase was recovered in soluble form in human seminal plasma. The enzyme had very little activity, as it was structurally bound to prostasomes, which are membrane-surrounded organelles in seminal plasma. The fucosyl transferase activity was recorded on Sephadex G200 chromatography of seminal plasma (supernatant after ultracentrifugation) in one single peak coinciding with that of prostate-specific acid phosphatase. Studies on healthy men and on men with prostatic cancer suggest a prostatic origin of fucosyl transferase activity; two of the men with prostatic cancer displayed 50-95% decreased activities. Antiandrogenic therapy in another man with cancer resulted in substantial reductions in seminal plasma contents of fucosyl transferase, ATPase, acid phosphatase and fructose suggesting a role of testosterone in their secretions.