Barry Bean, Ph.D.
Professor
Cell Biology

phone: 610-758-3678
email: bb00@lehigh.edu

Research Summary

The events that precede fertilization in humans are compelling and combine basic science with direct applications in the areas of human infertility and contraception. Recent technical advances permit new insights into the structures of the sperm cell, and may provide information about specific events that enable fertilization. Our group is using a variety of methods and biological tools to investigate the functions and structures of sperm cells that are associated with fertilization in humans.

Barry Bean with 3 graduate students and 3 undergraduate collaborators at The 1999 Andology Meeting. Front left to right: Sumpars Khunsook, Kiattawee Choowongkomon, Barry Bean, Vladimira Heredia, Tara Baney, Shannon Gibson, and Stephanie Mellilo

We have completed a basic biochemical characterization of the a-L-fucosidases of human semen, a project conducted in collaboration with Prof. Jack Alhadeff of Lehigh’s Chemistry Department. Graduate student Sumpars Khunsook led this laboratory investigation, culminating in completion of his Ph.D. in 2001. His dissertation and three papers (see references below) describe the different forms of this enzyme that exist (a) in the human seminal plasma, and (b) in the membranes of human sperm cells. Provocative circumstantial evidence on the distinctive fucosidases of the sperm cell and the seminal fluid suggests that this common enzyme may facilitate sperm transport and sperm-egg interactions. We are currently interested in the functional significance of the fucosidases, especially at the level of sperm-oocyte interactions.

Several additional distinctive biological tools for analysis of structures and functions of human gametes are available in this laboratory. These include: a) a collection of new hybridoma cell lines and corresponding monoclonal antibodies [mAbs] that are selectively directed against the human sperm surface [Tang & Bean, 1998], b) human sera from patients with immune infertility, containing polyclonal antibodies against sperm cells, kindly obtained through Stephen G. Somkuti, M.D., Ph.D., and his colleagues at Abington Reproductive Medicine, and c) recombinant human zona pellucida glycoproteins and their corresponding antibodies, obtained via collaboration with Dr. Jeffrey Harris. When combined with bioassays for relevant reproductive functions, these tools may provide powerful insights into essential events in human reproduction.

Recent Publications

Venditti, J., Bean, B., 2008. Stabilization of membrane-associated a-L-fucosidase by the human sperm equatorial segment. International Journal of Andrology.

Venditti, J., Donigan, K., Bean, B., 2006. Crypticity and Functional Distribution of the Membrane Associated a-L-Fucosidase of Human Sperm.  Molecular Reproduction and Development. 

Khunsook, S., B. Bean, S.R. McGowan & J.A. Alhadeff, 2003. Purification and Characterization of Plasma Membrane-Associated Human Sperm alpha-L-Fucosidase. Biology of Reproduction 68:709-716.

Khunsook, S., J.A. Alhadeff, & B. Bean, 2002.  Purification and Characterization of Human Seminal Plasma alpha-L-fucosidase.  Molecular Human Reproduction, 8:221-227.

Khunsook, S., J.A. Alhadeff & B.S. Bean, 2001.  Comparative characterization of the purified alpha-L-fucosidases that occur in the human sperm plasma membrane versus the seminal plasma.  Molecular Biology of the Cell 12 Supplement 233a [abstract].

Khunsook, Sumpars, 2001.  Purification and Characterization of Human Sperm Plasma Membrane-Associated and Human Seminal Fluid alpha-L-fucosidases.  Lehigh University Doctoral Dissertation, 97pp.  University Microfilms, 2001.

Alhadeff, J.A., Khunsook, S., Choowongkomon, K., Baney, T., Heredia, V., Tweedie, A., and Bean, B., 1999. Characterization of human semen alpha-L-fucosidases.  Molecular Human Reproduction 5:809-815.

Bean, B., W. Li, S. Gibson, & J. Harris, 1999.  Recombinant human ZPC induces the acrosome reaction in human sperm.  J. Andrology 20suppl, 44.  (Abstract)

Bean, B., S. Khunsook, K. Grimm, K. Choowongkomon, T. Baney, V. Heredia, A. Tweedie, & J.A. Alhadeff,1999.  Characterization of alpha-L-fucosidases of human semen.  J. Andrology 20suppl, 51.  (Abstract)

Tang, S. & B. Bean, 1998. A panel of monoclonal antibodies against human sperm. Journal of Andrology 19:189-195.

Schneider, J.E., Goldman, M.D., Tang, S., Bean, B., Ji, H., and Friedman, M., 1998.  Leptin Indirectly Affects Estrous Cycles by Increasing Metabolic Fuel Oxidation.  Hormones and Behavior 33:217-228.

McGowan, S. & B. Bean, 1997. Initial characterization of a human sperm acrosomal antigen. Molecular Biology of the Cell 8: supplement p 106a.

Bean, B., 1994. The case for anti-sperm immunocontraception. Reproductive Health Matters 4:112-113.

Links

Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man
Abington Reproductive Medicine

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