title: Zona-induced acrosome reaction of hamster spermatozoa.
abstract: It is well established that the zonae pellucidae of mature unfertilized eggs have the ability to induce the acrosome reaction of capacitated spermatozoa. To determine if this capacity of the zona is species-specific, hamster spermatozoa were allowed to attach to the zonae of homologous and heterologous eggs and examined for the acrosome reaction. The zonae of eggs from six different species were tested and the zona of hamster egg was found to have the strongest capacity to induce the acrosome reaction of hamster spermatozoa, followed by human and rat zonae. The zonae and mouse, guinea pig, and domestic fowl eggs were incapable of inducing the acrosome reaction of hamster spermatozoa. The acrosome reaction-inducing ability of the hamster zona was found to increase during maturation in the ovary. The zona of mature unfertilized hamster eggs maintained their acrosome reaction-inducing ability even after aldehyde fixation or storage in a highly concentrated solution of ammonium sulfate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Reproductive Biology, University of Hawaii School of Medicine, Honolulu 96822.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Uto
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yoshimatsu
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lopata
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yanagimachi
mesh_terms: D000177:Acrosome / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens; D006224:Cricetinae; D005260:Female; D005404:Fixatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D005976:Glutaral / Q000494:pharmacology; D006026:Glycoside Hydrolases / Q000494:pharmacology; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D010063:Ovum / Q000502:physiology*; D010504:Periodic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013045:Species Specificity; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000502:physiology*; D015044:Zona Pellucida / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D005404:Fixatives; D010504:Periodic Acid; C009288:metaperiodate; D006026:Glycoside Hydrolases; D005976:Glutaral