Involvement of carbohydrates in the hardening of the zona pellucida of mouse oocytes.
The effect of lectins with different saccharide specificity (ConA, LCA, DBA, WGA and PNA) on enzymatic digestion of the zona pellucida (ZP) of mouse oocytes was studied. All lectins tested, except PNA, induced ZP hardening with different degrees of efficiency. Moreover, extensive ZP digestion with mixed exoglycosidase prevented "spontaneous" ZP hardening. These observations suggest that changes of the carbohydrate moieties can be involved in the hardening of the zona pellucida of mouse oocytes.
Department of Public Health and Cellular Biology, II University of Rome, Italy.
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S
Dolci
M V
MV
Bertolani
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R
Canipari
M
M
De Felici
D000818:Animals; D050260:Carbohydrate Metabolism; D005260:Female; D006026:Glycoside Hydrolases / Q000494:pharmacology; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D037102:Lectins; D051379:Mice; D009865:Oocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D015044:Zona Pellucida / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*
D037102:Lectins; D006026:Glycoside Hydrolases