Introduction: The seminal proteome has been shown to directly influence the male fertile potential. Post-translational modifications (PTMs) are significant changes that play a role in the biological regulation of proteins. Sperm cells are transcriptionally and translationally inactive and these modifications are essential to control protein function.

Areas covered: Here we reviewed seven PTMs which importance for male reproductive function investigated in the past decade, namely S-nitrosylation and tyrosine nitration (both occurring by the action of NO), glycosylation, ubiquitination, acetylation, methylation, and SUMOylation. Since they were previously identified in human semen, we focus on their role in sperm function, as well as in physiological and pathophysiological processes which could contribute to the fertility potential. The following keywords were applied: ‘post-translational modification’, ‘sperm’, ‘semen’, ‘seminal plasma’, ‘male infertility’, ‘nitrosylation’, ‘nitration’, ‘histone methylation’, ‘SUMOylation’, ‘ubiquitination’, ‘ubiquitilation’, ‘glycosylation’, and ‘acetylation’.

Expert opinion: Most biological processes orchestrated by proteins require PTMs for their activation or inhibition. Most of them are dynamic and occur in mature sperm, modulating protein function, thus exerting a significant role in sperm function and fertility. Finally, the study of PTMs should be also addressed in pathophysiological processes, as different clinical conditions are known to alter the proteome.

简介：已证明精子蛋白质组直接影响男性的受精能力。翻译后修饰（PTM）是重要的改变，在蛋白质的生物学调节中起作用。精子细胞在转录和翻译上无活性，这些修饰对于控制蛋白质功能至关重要。

涵盖的领域：在这里，我们回顾了在过去十年中研究的对男性生殖功能重要的七个PTM，即S-亚硝基化和酪氨酸硝化（均在NO的作用下发生），糖基化，泛素化，乙酰化，甲基化和SUMOylation。由于先前已在人精液中鉴定出它们，因此我们将重点放在它们在精子功能以及可能有助于生育潜力的生理和病理生理过程中的作用。应用了以下关键词：“翻译后修饰”，“精子”，“精液”，“生化血浆”，“男性不育”，“亚硝基化”，“硝化”，“组蛋白甲基化”，“ SUMOylation”，“泛素化” ”，“泛素化”，“糖基化”和“乙酰化”。

专家意见：大多数由蛋白质精心策划的生物过程都需要PTM对其进行激活或抑制。它们中的大多数是动态的，并发生在成熟的精子中，调节蛋白质的功能，因此在精子的功能和生育能力中起着重要的作用。最后，由于已知不同的临床条件会改变蛋白质组，因此PTM的研究也应在病理生理过程中进行。