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A mammalian sperm lectin related to rat hepatocyte lectin-2/3

Purification from rabbit testis and identification as a zona binding protein

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Abstract

In rat liver the asialoglycoprotein receptor is composed of three polypeptides, RHL-1, RHL-2 and RHL-3 [6]. In rat testis and spermatozoa a galactosyl receptor (RTG-r) which is immunologically related to RHL-2/3 has been described [7]. We now report that in addition to its presence in the rat, an antigenic species of 54 kDa related to RHL-2/3 is present on rabbit, human, pig and mouse spermatozoa. Purified rabbit testis galactosyl receptor (RbTG-r) consists of two major proteins of 54 and 49 kDa, while purified rabbit liver galactose lectin consists of two major proteins of 43 and 40 kDa. In an ELISA the purified rabbit testis galactosyl receptor was shown to bind biotinylated heat solubilized rabbit zonae, while the purified liver galactose lectin did not. We conclude that one of the mammalian sperm's zona binding proteins is a galactose lectin of 54 kDa related to rat liver RHL-2/3.

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  1. Munir Abdullah

    Present address: Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, 27709, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina

    Munir Abdullah, Esther E. Widgren & Michael G. O'Rand

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  1. Munir Abdullah
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  2. Esther E. Widgren
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  3. Michael G. O'Rand
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Abdullah, M., Widgren, E.E. & O'Rand, M.G. A mammalian sperm lectin related to rat hepatocyte lectin-2/3. Mol Cell Biochem 103, 155–161 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00227482

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00227482

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