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Sperm Penetration of Rat Eggs in vitro after Dissolution of Zona Pellucida by Chymotrypsin

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Abstract

SUCCESSFUL in vitro fertilization of mammalian eggs has been achieved in the rabbit and golden hamster1–4, but authentic reports of success for rat eggs are still lacking. In an attempt to fertilize rat eggs in vitro by the procedures of Yanagimachi and Chang3, we used various media with added heated rat serum, follicular, bursal or uterine fluid. After many trials, none of 844 eggs from seventy-six rats was found to have been penetrated, confirming Austin's early statement5. Various proteolytic enzymes were added to the medium to facilitate sperm penetration, and we found that, when the zona pellucida was dissolved, epididymal sperm as well as sperm recovered from the uterus could penetrate the vitelline surface, activate the eggs and lead to the formation of pronuclei. This communication reports the procedures and results of this experiment.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Worcester Foundation for Experimental Biology, Shrewsbury, Massachusetts

    Y. TOYODA & M. C. CHANG

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  1. Y. TOYODA
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  2. M. C. CHANG
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TOYODA, Y., CHANG, M. Sperm Penetration of Rat Eggs in vitro after Dissolution of Zona Pellucida by Chymotrypsin. Nature 220, 589–591 (1968). https://doi.org/10.1038/220589a0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/220589a0

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