Penetration of zona-free hamster eggs in vitro by goat spermatozoa preincubated in the reproductive tract isolated from a maturing gilt.
When goat spermatozoa were preincubated for 5-5.5 hr in the isolated uterus and oviduct from a maturing gilt, they developed the ability to penetrate zona-free hamster eggs in vitro. Overall penetration rates were 17% and 0%, respectively, 1 hr after insemination, and these increased to 59% and 54% 2 hr later. The penetration rates were not improved by incubation longer than 2 hr after insemination up to 5 hr. Goat spermatozoa preincubated for 5 hr in a m-KRB solution with or without goat serum penetrated zona-free hamster eggs with difficulty. The results suggest that a functional change in the ability of goat spermatozoa to penetrate zona-free hamster eggs may occur in the reproductive tract of different species.
D000818:Animals; D006224:Cricetinae; D005260:Female; D005306:Fertilization; D006041:Goats; D008297:Male; D008647:Mesocricetus; D010057:Oviducts / Q000502:physiology*; D010063:Ovum / Q000502:physiology*; D013084:Sperm-Ovum Interactions; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000502:physiology*; D014599:Uterus / Q000502:physiology*; D015044:Zona Pellucida / Q000502:physiology*