title: Fertilization defects in sperm from mice lacking fertilin beta.
abstract: Fertilin, a member of the ADAM family, is found on the plasma membrane of mammalian sperm. Sperm from mice lacking fertilin beta were shown to be deficient in sperm-egg membrane adhesion, sperm-egg fusion, migration from the uterus into the oviduct, and binding to the egg zona pellucida. Egg activation was unaffected. The results are consistent with a direct role of fertilin in sperm-egg plasma membrane interaction. Fertilin could also have a direct role in sperm-zona binding or oviduct migration; alternatively, the effects on these functions could result from the absence of fertilin activity during spermatogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Section of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: D O
authors.initials: DO
authors.lastname: Bunch
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Faure
authors.forename: E H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Goulding
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Eddy
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Primakoff
authors.forename: D G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Myles
mesh_terms: D051722:ADAM Proteins; D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000502:physiology; D005187:Fallopian Tubes; D005260:Female; D000072196:Fertilins; D008297:Male; D008561:Membrane Fusion; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D008666:Metalloendopeptidases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D010063:Ovum / Q000502:physiology; D013075:Sperm Capacitation; D013084:Sperm-Ovum Interactions; D013091:Spermatogenesis; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D015044:Zona Pellucida / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D051722:ADAM Proteins; C000606458:Adam2 protein, mouse; D000072196:Fertilins; D008666:Metalloendopeptidases; D002118:Calcium