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On the Species Specificity of Sperm Binding and Sperm Penetration of the Zona Pellucida
Author(s) -
Sinowatz F,
Wessa E,
Neumüller C,
Palma G
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
reproduction in domestic animals
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.546
H-Index - 66
eISSN - 1439-0531
pISSN - 0936-6768
DOI - 10.1046/j.1439-0531.2003.00401.x
Subject(s) - zona pellucida , sperm , andrology , human fertilization , acrosome , acrosome reaction , oocyte , boar , biology , in vitro , semen , incubation , chemistry , embryo , microbiology and biotechnology , anatomy , genetics , biochemistry , medicine
Contents Sperm binding and sperm penetration of the zona pellucida (zp) are regarded as species‐specific. In this investigation, the interactions between bovine oocytes and porcine, respectively, equine spermatozoa have been studied under in vitro conditions and compared with the normal in vitro fertilization of bovine oocytes by bovine sperm. Surprisingly, many of the heterologous spermatozoa adhered firmly to the bovine oocytes and could not be removed by intense washing. On average, more than 100 boar or equine spermatozoa were bound to the zp of bovine oocytes. Electron microscopic studies clearly demonstrated that porcine sperm attached to the zona and underwent the acrosome reaction. Equine spermatozoa displayed a similar binding affinity, but unlike the porcine spermatozoa even penetrated the zp and were taken up into the oocyte after a longer period of co‐incubation. Considering these new results the dogma of a strict species specificity of sperm zona interactions under in vitro conditions has to be reconsidered.