BACKGROUND Glycodelin-A interacts with spermatozoa before fertilization, but its role in modulating sperm functions is not known. Zona pellucida-induced acrosome reaction is crucial to fertilization and its dysfunction is a cause of male infertility. We hypothesized that glycodelin-A, a glycoprotein found in the female reproductive tract, potentiates human spermatozoa for zona pellucida-induced...

The acrosome is a large secretory vesicle of the sperm head that carries enzymes responsible for the digestion of the oocyte's investments. The event leads to sperm penetration and allows fertilization to occur. Release of the acrosomal enzymes is mediated by the interaction between sperm acrosomal and plasma membranes (acrosome reaction). Biochemical characterization of the acrosomal membrane ...

We have read with a great interest the excellent article by Pasch et al. (2015) which describes the role of Sun4 in sperm head formation and fertility. The authors have used a Sun4 knockout (Sun4) mouse model to study the function of Sun4 in spermatogenesis. They observed that homozygous Sun4 males are infertile and present a globozoospermia-like phenotype. Further, they demonstrate that Sun4 i...

Here we investigated the effects of Tribulus terrestris L. on sperm morphology and acrosome reaction in subjects with oligoasthenoteratozoospermia. A double-blind placebo-controlled trial was performed with 30 primary and secondary infertile men. Half received oral Tribulus (Libilov, 500mg dose) three times per day for 60 days, and the rest were given sugar pills. The ejaculate volume, sperm co...

The efficiency of sperm capacitation and of the acrosome reaction was studied in the teratospermic domestic cat to evaluate further the etiology of compromised zona pellucida penetration and oocyte fertilization. Specific objectives were to compare normospermic and teratospermic cat ejaculates for 1) the kinetics and timing of sperm capacitation in vitro as determined by an ionophore-induced ac...

BACKGROUND In rodents, the cell surface complement regulatory protein CD46 is expressed solely on the spermatozoal acrosome membrane. Ablation of the CD46 gene is associated with a faster acrosome reaction. Sperm from Apodemus flavicollis (yellow-necked field mice), A. microps (pygmy field mice) and A. sylvaticus (European wood mice) fail to express CD46 protein and exhibit a more rapid acrosom...

Addit ion of either 25% or 50% bovine follicular fluid (FF) to Krebs Ringer phosphate buffer, with .5% fructose added (KRPF), maintained higher percentages (P<.05) of motile sperm throughout 9-hr incubation at 37 C than did 100% KRPF or 100% FF. Accelerated sperm moti l i ty and head-to-head agglutination of sperm cells were consistently observed in all diluents that contained FF. The percentag...

The Mab 4B12 produced by us against capacitated boar spermatozoa was found to recognize a protein located in the acrosome portion of capacitated boar spermatozoa which is shared by different animal species, dogs included. It was shown that Mab 4B12 might affect fertilizing ability in vitro of boar spermatozoa. Using indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) test, we provide evidence here that Mab 4B12 ...

Capacitation is an important physiological pre-requisite before the sperm cell can acrosome react and fertilize the oocyte. Recent reports from several laboratories have amply documented that the protein phosphorylation especially at tyrosine residues is one of the most important events that occur during capacitation. In this article, we have reviewed the data from our and other laboratories, a...