Open AccessEarly Contact Interactions between Mammalian Gametes In Vitro: Evidence That the Vitellus Influences Adherence between Sperm and Zona Pellucida
Author(s) -
John F. Hartmann,
Ralph Gwatkin,
C. F. Hutchison
Publication year - 1972
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.011
H-Index - 771
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.69.10.2767
Subject(s) - zona pellucida , spermatozoon , sperm , human fertilization , in vitro , gamete , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , in vitro fertilisation , hamster , oocyte , andrology , chemistry , anatomy , embryo , genetics , endocrinology , medicine
A studyin vitro of interactions between gametes of the golden hamster showed that the spermatozoon associates with the zona pellucida, or outer coat of the ovum, by two successive steps termedattachment andbinding . Attachment, apparently the first step in fertilization, is not species-specific; it is insensitive to temperature (2°) and is reversible. Binding, on the other hand, is species-specific, temperature-sensitive, and irreversible. Experiments with isolated zonae pellucidae indicated that the vitellus (cellular portion of the ovum) influences the interaction between the sperm and the zona pellucida by increasing the time required for the sperm to bind. This effect is exerted on the sperm while they are attached to the zona pellucida.