I. Jenneckens et al., PROACROSIN AND ACROSIN - A MULTIFUNCTIONA L COMPLEX IN RETRO SPECT, DTW. Deutsche tierarztliche Wochenschrift, 103(10), 1996, pp. 400-403
Proacrosin is a molecule that is located under the acrosomal cap and t
hat acts as a secundary ligand after acrosome reaction. Proacrosin is
thought to bind to ZP2 (zona pellucida receptor 2). The high affinity
is based on the interaction of the zona pellucida glycoprotein's acidi
c sulphate groups with basic, positively charged amino acids of the pr
oacrosin molecule. Proacrosin is a serin protease and is capable to ly
se the zona pellucida locally. Our structural analysis of proacrosin s
hows, that the catalytic centre is surrounded by loops containing posi
tively charged amino acids which create the binding domain. This revie
w is intended to describe the results that lead to the elucidation of
the biochemistry or proacrosin.