PROTEIN-CARBOHYDRATE INTERACTIONS DURING FERTILIZATION

Interaction between gametes during fertilization is at least in part r egulated by carbohydrate moieties of the zona pellucida (ZP) and carbo hydrate binding proteins of the sperm surface. This review focuses on the protein-carbohydrate interactions during the primary binding of th e sperm to the ZP in different species. Synthesis, structure and compo sition of the ZP an summarized. The functional significance of carbohy drate residues of the ZP as sperm receptor is discussed. Sperm surface proteins known to have specific ZP and carbohydrate-binding sites inc luding the mouse beta 1,4-galactosyltransferase and sp56, the rabbit p rotein Sp17, a human mannose-binding protein and several members of th e sperm-adhesin family are presented.