COMPARATIVE STRUCTURAL AND ANTIGENIC PROPERTIES OF ZONA-PELLUCIDA GLYCOPROTEINS

For rational and optimal use of the zona pellucida glycoproteins as an tigens for immunocontraception, a comprehensive understanding of their structure, function and antigenic properties is necessary. The antige nic relatedness of the pig zona pellucida glycoproteins were analysed and compared with three glycoproteins cloned from ovarian cDNA librari es of the anuran Xenopus laevis. The vitelline envelope from Xenopus l aevis eggs (an extracellular matrix structure equivalent to the mammal ian zona pellucida) is composed of glycoproteins that are homologous t o the three mammalian zona pellucida glycoproteins, ZPA, ZPB and ZPC. The experimental results were used to make antigenic and functional (f ertilization) predictions about zona pellucida glycoproteins. These st udies provide a potentially useful perspective for devising immunocont raceptive methods of fertility regulation.