title: Correlation of zona-binding with oocyte maturation and sperm motility in rhesus monkeys by hemizona assay.
abstract: The hemizona assay (HZA) in Rhesus monkeys was employed to study the correlation of zona-binding ability with sperm motility or with naturally developing oocytes at various maturational stages. Oocytes from unstimulated ovaries were retrieved within 2 hr from monkeys sacrificed for vaccine production (in reproductive season, but with their menstrual cycles not determined). Oocytes were divided into four groups based on their morphological maturation: 1) Oocytes surrounded by more than one cumulus layer (MC); 2) Oocytes retaining intact germinal vesicle nuclei (GV); 3) Oocytes with germinal vesicle breakdown showing distinct perivitelline space (PVS); and 4) Oocytes extruding the first polar body (PB1). The mean numbers of sperm bound to hemizona for PB1, PVS, GV, and MC groups were 132.9 +/- 12.0, 71.5 +/- 10.1, 36.1 +/- 4.0, and 20.1 +/- 2.9 (Mean +/- SE), respectively. The four groups showed significant differences from each other in sperm/egg binding ability (P < 0.01). The number of bound sperm significantly increased with oocyte maturation. The present study also showed that zona-binding ability was also affected by sperm motility. For sperm with 67.7% motility and sperm with 31.2% motility, the average numbers of bound sperm were 43.5 +/- 2.2 and 25.3 +/- 2.9 (Mean +/- SE), respectively. There was significantly higher binding ability for sperm with higher motility (P < 0.01). The results suggest that: 1) The rhesus monkey model can serve as a very sensitive model for studying sperm/egg interaction by HZA; 2) Sperm motility positively correlated with sperm/egg binding; and 3) Sperm/egg binding ability increases with oocyte maturation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Kunming Institute of Zoology, Academia Sinica, China.
authors.forename: X C
authors.initials: XC
authors.lastname: Pu
authors.forename: W Z
authors.initials: WZ
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.forename: E Y
authors.initials: EY
authors.lastname: Shang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D008297:Male; D008597:Menstrual Cycle; D009865:Oocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D013081:Sperm Motility; D013084:Sperm-Ovum Interactions; D015044:Zona Pellucida / Q000502:physiology*