BINDING OF BOAR SPERMATOZOA TO PORCINE OOCYTES - EFFECT OF LOW-MOLECULAR-WEIGHT 17-KDA PROTEIN

The effect of seminal plasma and low molecular weight ACR.3 (17 kDa) p rotein on boar spermatozoa-porcine oocyte binding was examined. Boar s eminal plasma that contains the sperm-adhesive ACR.3 protein was added to spermatozoa prior to their coincubation with oocytes, and the bind ing capacity of the spermatozoa so treated was compared to that of unt reated cells. Similarly, purified ACR.3 protein, that binds to the egg zona pellucida, was added to noncapacitated spermatozoa, and the bind ing capacity of treated and untreated cells was again evaluated. In th e two cases, the treatment of spermatozoa reduced their capacity to bi nd to the zona pellucida. We propose that the reduction in binding is due to competition for the ACR.3 binding sites on the zona pellucida b etween the soluble ACR.3 protein and the ACR.3 protein attached to the sperm surface. Furthermore, sperm-ZP binding was examined in the pres ence of ACR.3 monoclonal antibody, which specifically reacts with ACR. 3 protein, Preliminary results show that addition of ACR.3 monoclonal antibody to a suspension of boar spermatozoa prior to their coincubati on with oocytes did not markedly change sperm-zona binding in comparis on with the control untreated spermatozoa. Our results suggest that AC R.3 protein may mediate the primary sperm-egg zona pellucida binding, and that it is one of the likely candidates for the primary sperm-ZP b inding protein. (C) 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.