The anti-glycolytic activity of 3-bromopyruvate on mature boar spermatozoa in vitro.

Mature epididymal boar spermatozoa converted fructose, glycerol and glycerol-3-phosphate to carbon dioxide, but in the presence of 0.5 mM 3-bromopyruvate, these oxidations were inhibited while that of lactate was unaffected. Inhibition of the oxidation of these substrates results in a decrease in the content of ATP and the accumulation of dihydroxyacetone phosphate and fructose-1,6-bisphosphate. Examination of the activities of the enzymes within stage two of the glycolytic pathway showed that glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and 3-phosphoglycerate kinase were immediately inhibited by 3-bromopyruvate in a competitive manner. We now report the action of 3-bromopyruvate on the metabolic activity of boar spermatozoa. At a concentration of 0.5 mM, this compound selectively inhibits stage two of the glycolytic pathway and becomes yet another specific inhibitor of spermatozoal metabolism.