ISSN:
1040-452X
Keywords:
Capacitation
;
Acrosome reaction
;
Immunoaggregation
;
Life and Medical Sciences
;
Cell & Developmental Biology
Source:
Wiley InterScience Backfile Collection 1832-2000
Topics:
Biology
Notes:
Proteinase inhibitors are present in the various glands, tissues, and secretions of the male reproductive tract. Some of these inhibitors bind to the acrosomal region of the sperm, and their release during in vitro or in utero incubation suggests that they may play a role in capacitation. In the mouse, the binding site for a trypsin-acrosin inhibitor, the acceptor, has been implicated in capacitation, zona binding, and the acrosome reaction. This presentation demonstrates that a component, molecular weight ˜T20,000, on the human sperm head may recognize the murine inhibitor. Furthermore, the acrosome reaction can be induced in capacitated human sperm by immunoaggregation of bound murine inhibitor. The data indicate that the proteinase inhibitor binding site on the human sperm head may, as with a similar site on murine sperm, play a role in the early events of fertilization. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Additional Material:
9 Ill.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/mrd.1080360310
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