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REVERSIBLE INHIBITION OF SPERM‐EGG FUSION IN THE HAMSTER BY LOW PH *
Author(s) -
YANAGIMACHI RYUZO,
MIYASHIRO LAWRENCE H.,
YANAGIMACHI HIROKO
Publication year - 1980
Publication title -
development, growth and differentiation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.864
H-Index - 66
eISSN - 1440-169X
pISSN - 0012-1592
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-169x.1980.00281.x
Subject(s) - hamster , acrosome reaction , sperm , biology , acrosome , zona pellucida , andrology , human fertilization , lipid bilayer fusion , semen , chromatography , biochemistry , anatomy , chemistry , botany , membrane , microbiology and biotechnology , embryo , oocyte , medicine
To study the effect of pH on sperm‐egg fusion, hamster eggs were freed from egg investments (cumulus oophorus and zonal pellucida) and inseminated with acrosome‐reacted spermatozoa in media with various pH values. One hundred percent of the eggs were penetrated by spermatozoa in phosphate buffered media with pH value higher than 7.1. The rate of penetration declined sharply below pH 7.0 and was 0 at pH 6.1. At pH 6.0–6.1, acrosome‐reacted spermatozoa could bind to the egg plasma membrane, but were unable to fuse with it. Similar results were obtained with media buffered with Hepes and Bes. The block of sperm‐egg fusion at low pH appeared to be reversible since the eggs that were not penetrated by spermatozoa at low pH were penetrated when they were returned to more alkaline media.