Skip Navigation



Mol. Hum. Reprod. Advance Access published online on October 29, 2004
Molecular Human Reproduction, doi:10.1093/molehr/gah122
© 2004 by Oxford University Press
This Article
Right arrow Advance Access manuscript (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
10/12/925    most recent
gah122v1
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Zitta, K.
Right arrow Articles by Miranda, P. V.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Zitta, K.
Right arrow Articles by Miranda, P. V.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Received July 8, 2004
Revised September 28, 2004
Accepted October 4, 2004

Article

Analysis of the participation of N-acetylglucosamine in the different steps of sperm-zona pellucida interaction in hamster

Karina Zitta 1 *, Eva Wertheimer 1 *, and Patricia V. Miranda 1*

1 Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental--CONICET, Buenos Aires, C1428ADN, Argentina

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
Patricia V. Miranda, E-mail: pmiranda{at}dna.uba.ar


  Abstract

Glycoproteins and lectin-like proteins mediate sperm-zona pellucida interaction. The present study analysed the participation of carbohydrates in the different stages of sperm interaction with the zona pellucida in hamster, by determining the effects of different monosaccharides. N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc, 1 mM) reduced sperm ability to bind to the zona pellucida. Surprisingly, spontaneous acrosome reaction (AR) was also inhibited by this sugar. In order to analyse the effect of GlcNAc on sperm-zona pellucida binding, independent of its effect on the AR, strontium (Sr) was used as a calcium (Ca) replacement in the sperm capacitation and co-incubation medium. Sr seemed to be able to replace Ca for sperm capacitation, at least when measured as the ability to bind to the zona pellucida, and undergo AR when Ca is provided. Moreover, sperm-zona pellucida binding could also take place in a Sr-modified medium. When binding assays were carried out in the Sr medium, GlcNAc also produced an inhibitory effect. This could be reproduced when sperm, but not oocytes, were pre-incubated with the monosaccharide. IVF assays were also carried out to analyse the participation of GlcNAc in the different steps of sperm-oocyte interaction. Taken together, the results support the involvement of the GlcNAc residues of the zona pellucida in the early steps of the interaction with sperm.

Keywords: acrosome reaction; carbohydrates; fertilization; N-acetylglucosamine; sperm-zona pellucida interaction.

*These authors contributed equally to this paper.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Mol Hum ReprodHome page
K. Zitta, E. V. Wertheimer, and P. V. Miranda
Sperm N-acetylglucosaminidase is involved in primary binding to the zona pellucida
Mol. Hum. Reprod., September 1, 2006; 12(9): 557 - 563.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.