Time requirement for capacitation of boar spermatozoa assessed by their ability to penetrate the zona-free hamster egg.
Boar spermatozoa were preincubated for various times in the isolated uterus and oviduct from a maturing gilt and used to inseminate zona-free hamster eggs. The proportions of eggs penetrated and activated were increased, and the interval between insemination and sperm penetration was shortened when the spermatozoa were preincubated for 4--5.5 h instead of 2--.5 h. Overall penetration rates were higher and sperm penetration occurred about 1 h earlier when the eggs were inseminated with spermatozoa preincubated in the uterus than in the oviduct. It is concluded that the change in ability of boar spermatozoa to penetrate zona-free hamster eggs is due to capcitation which requires 4--4.5 h and 5--5.5 h of preincubation in the isolated uterus and oviduct, respectively.
D000818:Animals; D006224:Cricetinae; D005260:Female; D005306:Fertilization; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007315:Insemination, Artificial; D008297:Male; D008647:Mesocricetus; D013075:Sperm Capacitation; D013081:Sperm Motility; D013084:Sperm-Ovum Interactions; D013552:Swine; D013997:Time Factors