title: Effects of phorbol esters and a diacylglycerol on mouse eggs: inhibition of fertilization and modification of the zona pellucida.
abstract: Sperm penetration of the zona pellucida and fertilization are inhibited in mouse eggs treated with phorbol esters and the diacylglycerol, sn-1,2-dioctanoyl glycerol. The effect appears mediated by the zona pellucida, since zona-free eggs treated with these compounds are fertilized to the same extent as untreated eggs. Moreover, the binding of sperm to isolated zonae incubated in the absence or presence of biologically active phorbol esters is similar. Last, sperm treated with phorbol esters or sn-1,2-dioctanoyl glycerol bind to eggs and undergo the acrosome reaction to the same extent as untreated sperm. The inhibitory effect on fertilization is correlated with an egg-induced modification of at least ZP2, as manifested by a change in its electrophoretic mobility in polyacrylamide gels. In addition, changes in the biological properties of the treated zonae occur, such that sperm binding is not altered, but that the final stage(s) of the zona-induced acrosome reaction is inhibited. Zonae obtained from phorbol ester- or diacylglycerol-treated eggs should provide a system to study both the structural modifications of the zona proteins that are involved in induction of the acrosome reaction, as well as, delineating the sequence of events that comprise the acrosome reaction.
mesh_terms: D000177:Acrosome / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D004075:Diglycerides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D005306:Fertilization / Q000187:drug effects*; D005989:Glycerides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007700:Kinetics; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D010063:Ovum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D010703:Phorbol Esters / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013084:Sperm-Ovum Interactions / Q000187:drug effects; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015044:Zona Pellucida / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D004075:Diglycerides; D005989:Glycerides; D010703:Phorbol Esters; C044295:1,2-dioctanoylglycerol; C008876:phorbol-12,13-didecanoate; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate