Faculty Collaboration Database

Involvement of a sperm protein sensitive to sulfhydryl-depleting reagents in mouse sperm-egg fusion. J Exp Zool 1997 Jun 15;278(3):178-88

Date

06/15/1997

Pubmed ID

9181696

DOI

10.1002/(sici)1097-010x(19970615)278:3<178::aid-jez7>3.0.co;2-l

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-0031570766 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   12 Citations

Abstract

Effects of various sulfhydryl (SH)-depleting reagents on sperm-egg fusion were demonstrated. When sperm were treated with three plasma membrane-permeable SH-depleting reagents, N-ethyl-maleimide, sodium tetrathionate and 5,5'-dithiobis (2-nitro-benzoic acid), the rates of cleavage of eggs were significantly lower than those with control sperm. Neither the motility, penetration of the zona pellucida, acrosomal status of the sperm, nor sperm-egg binding was affected by the SH-depleting reagents. Fusion of sperm and zona-free egg was estimated by the sperm nuclear incorporation into the eggs, intracellular calcium mobilization, and cortical granule exocytosis in the eggs. Sperm-egg fusion was blocked dose-dependently when sperm were exposed to membrane-permeable SH-depleting reagents, but was not blocked by a membrane-impermeable SH-depleting reagent, eosin-5-maleimide. Blockage of fusion by sodium tetrathionate was completely reversed by an SH-reductant, dithiothreitol. These results suggest that a protein which is sensitive to SH-depleting reagents may play an important role in mouse sperm-egg fusion and that the functional SH region of the protein may be located at an intracellular site.

Author List

Mammoto A, Masumoto N, Tahara M, Yoneda M, Nishizaki T, Tasaka K, Miyake A

Author

Akiko Mammoto MD, PhD Associate Professor in the Pediatrics department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Acrosome
Animals
Calcium
Cell Membrane
Cell Membrane Permeability
Cytoplasmic Granules
Dithionitrobenzoic Acid
Ethylmaleimide
Exocytosis
Female
Fertilization
Male
Mice
Mice, Inbred ICR
Spermatozoa
Sulfhydryl Compounds
Sulfhydryl Reagents
Tetrathionic Acid
Zona Pellucida