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Mammalian zona pellucida glycoproteins: structure and function during fertilization

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Abstract

Zona pellucida (ZP) is a glycoproteinaceous translucent matrix that surrounds the mammalian oocyte and plays a critical role in the accomplishment of fertilization. In humans, it is composed of 4 glycoproteins designated as ZP1, ZP2, ZP3 and ZP4, whereas mouse ZP is composed of ZP1, ZP2 and ZP3 (Zp4 being a pseudogene). In addition to a variable sequence identity of a given zona protein among various species, human ZP1 and ZP4 are paralogs and mature polypeptide chains share an identity of 47%. Employing either affinity purified native or recombinant human zona proteins, it has been demonstrated that ZP1, ZP3 and ZP4 bind to the capacitated human spermatozoa and induce an acrosome reaction, whereas in mice, ZP3 acts as the putative primary sperm receptor. Human ZP2 only binds to acrosome-reacted spermatozoa and thus may be acting as a secondary sperm receptor. In contrast to O-linked glycans of ZP3 in mice, N-linked glycans of human ZP3 and ZP4 are more relevant for induction of the acrosome reaction. Recent studies suggest that Sialyl-Lewisx sequence present on both N- and O-glycans of human ZP play an important role in human sperm–egg binding. There are subtle differences in the downstream signaling events associated with ZP3 versus ZP1/ZP4-mediated induction of the acrosome reaction. For example, ZP3 but not ZP1/ZP4-mediated induction of the acrosome reaction is dependent on the activation of the Gi protein-coupled receptor. Thus, various studies suggest that, in contrast to mice, in humans more than one zona protein binds to spermatozoa and induces an acrosome reaction.

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Acknowledgements

Financial support from the National Institute of Immunology, New Delhi, Indian Council of Medical Research, Government of India and Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, is gratefully acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Reproductive Cell Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Immunology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, 110067, India

    Satish K. Gupta, Beena Bhandari, Abhinav Shrestha, Chetna Palaniappan, Sudha Saryu Malhotra & Neha Gupta

  2. Protein Crystallography Laboratory, National Institute of Immunology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, 110 067, India

    Bichitra K. Biswal

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  1. Satish K. Gupta
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  2. Beena Bhandari
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  3. Abhinav Shrestha
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  5. Chetna Palaniappan
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  6. Sudha Saryu Malhotra
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  7. Neha Gupta
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Correspondence to Satish K. Gupta.

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Gupta, S.K., Bhandari, B., Shrestha, A. et al. Mammalian zona pellucida glycoproteins: structure and function during fertilization. Cell Tissue Res 349, 665–678 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00441-011-1319-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00441-011-1319-y

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