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First published online January 16, 2004

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When sperm meets egg

During mammalian fertilisation, sperm undergo capacitation before they adhere to the egg coat (zona pellucida) and enter the egg. A sperm is normally maintained in an uncapacitated state by the binding of glycoconjugates produced in the male to the sperm's cell-surface receptor ß1,4-galactosyltransferase I (GalT I). Rodeheffer and Shur (p. 503) demonstrate that GalT I regulates capacitation by suppressing Ca²⁺- and HCO₃^–-dependent signaling cascades. On p. 491, the same authors show for the first time that sperm-egg adhesion involves at least two distinct binding events. During sperm-egg adhesion, GalT I binds to the zona pellucida glycoprotein ZP3 of ovarian eggs. Puzzlingly, however, GalT I-null sperm are able to bind to the zona pellucida of ovulated eggs. Rodeheffer and Shur have identified a novel ligand present in the zona pellucida of ovulated eggs that binds both wild-type and GalT I-null sperm, providing evidence for a ZP3- and GalT I-independent receptor-ligand interaction.

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Related articles in Development:

Sperm from ß1,4-galactosyltransferase I-null mice exhibit precocious capacitation

Carey Rodeheffer and Barry D. Shur
Development 2004 131: 491-501. [Abstract] [Full Text]  

Characterization of a novel ZP3-independent sperm-binding ligand that facilitates sperm adhesion to the egg coat

Carey Rodeheffer and Barry D. Shur
Development 2004 131: 503-512. [Abstract] [Full Text]  

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Related articles in Development Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                         What's this?