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Acrosin Activity Assay for the Evaluation of Mammalian Sperm Acrosome Reaction

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Germ Cell Protocols

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology™ ((MIMB,volume 253))

Abstract

The sperm acrosome reaction (AR) is an exocytotic event that involves multiple fusions between the outer acrosomal membrane and the overlying plasma membrane. It must occur before the spermatozoon penetrates the zona pellucida (ZP) (1). This exocytotic event is mandatory for fertilization because it enables passage of the sperm through the ZP and its subsequent fusion with the egg oolema. Many artificial stimuli are reported to trigger the AR, either by driving extracellular Ca2+ into the sperm cell (Ca2+ ionophores) or by acting through intracellular second messengers that are involved in the cascade leading to acrosomal exocytosis (2,3).

Both contributed equally.

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Notes

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    *

    104 is the camera factor

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© 2004 Humana Press Inc., Totowa, NJ

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Lax, Y., Rubinstein, S., Breitbart, H. (2004). Acrosin Activity Assay for the Evaluation of Mammalian Sperm Acrosome Reaction. In: Schatten, H. (eds) Germ Cell Protocols. Methods in Molecular Biology™, vol 253. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1385/1-59259-744-0:135

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1385/1-59259-744-0:135

  • Publisher Name: Humana Press

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-58829-121-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-59259-744-4

  • eBook Packages: Springer Protocols

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