Rat epididymal glycoprotein DE (37 kDa) associates with the sperm surface during maturation and is localized over the dorsal region of the acrosome. In the present study we examine, by indirect immunofluorescence, the localization of DE after in vitro and in vivo capacitation. While 49% of sperm capacitated in vitro for 5 hr still presented fluorescence over the dorsal region, 51% showed labeling distributed over a domain that corresponds to the equatorial segment of the sperm head. This change in the localization of fluorescence was not associated with sperm deterioration or death and increased gradually as a function of capacitation time, reaching the maximum at 5 hr. The presence of labeling over the equatorial segment results from protein migration and cannot be induced by permeabilization, proteinase, or high ionic strength treatments. The omission of Ca2+ from the standard capacitation medium inhibited the relocalization of DE, and incubation with Ca2+ ionophore A23187 for induction of the acrosome reaction (AR) significantly raised the percentage of cells with DE localized over the equatorial region. Finally, while free and cumulus-associated spermatozoa recovered from the oviducts of in vivo inseminated females presented 15% and 21% of cells with redistribution respectively, all perivitelline (acrosome reacted) spermatozoa showed DE over the equatorial segment. These results indicate that epididymal protein DE migrates to the equatorial segment under in vitro and in vivo capacitating conditions and suggest a possible association between the redistribution of DE and the occurrence of the AR.