Premium
Binding of a murine proteinase inhibitor to the acrosome region of the human sperm head
Author(s) -
BoettgerTong Holly L.,
Aarons David J.,
Biegler Beth E.,
George Bobby,
Poirier Gary R.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
molecular reproduction and development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.745
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1098-2795
pISSN - 1040-452X
DOI - 10.1002/mrd.1080360310
Subject(s) - capacitation , sperm , biology , acrosome reaction , acrosome , acrosin , human fertilization , binding site , trypsin inhibitor , microbiology and biotechnology , andrology , trypsin , biochemistry , enzyme , anatomy , genetics , medicine
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.