Human testis cDNAs identified by sera from infertile patients: a molecular biological approach to immunocontraceptive development

Sera from patients with known or suspected immunological infertility were used to screen a human testis cDNA library. A total of 59 sera detected 38 unique cDNA inserts of which four were testis specific by Northern blot analyses. One of these is a testis-specific isoform of calpastatin. Five additional clones, although not testis specific, were found to be testis abundant. The number and type of clones identified by these human sera suggests a possible aetiology for immunologic infertility. The testis-specific clones will be further characterized to establish their usefulness as contraceptive vaccine candidates.