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Epidermal growth factor induces acrosomal exocytosis in bovine sperm
Author(s) -
Lax Y.,
Rubinstein S.,
Breitbart H.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/0014-5793(94)80422-2
Subject(s) - exocytosis , sperm , epidermal growth factor , microbiology and biotechnology , chemistry , sperm cell , andrology , biology , medicine , biochemistry , secretion , receptor
At the time of fertilization mammalian spermatozoa undergo a Ca 2+ ‐dependent exocytotic event, which is known as the acrosome reaction (AR). We describe here that EGF‐receptor (EGFR) is localized in the head of bull spermatozoa and that epidermal growth factor (EGF) can induce the occurrence of the AR in its typical dose‐dependent manner. Previously we showed that protein kinase C (PKC) is involved in the cascade leading to AR in bull spermatozoa. Here, we show that PKC is involved in the mechanism in which EGF exerts its effect on AR. These findings together with our results which show inhibition of AR by tyrosine‐phosphorylation inhibitors, indicate that ejaculated bull sperm contain a typical 170‐kDa EGFR which is active in the mechanism leading to AR.