Fertilization defects in sperm from mice lacking fertilin beta.
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.
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Section of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
Bunch
D O
DO
Faure
J E
JE
Goulding
E H
EH
Eddy
E M
EM
Primakoff
P
P
Myles
D G
DG
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
D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D051722:ADAM Proteins; C000606458:Adam2 protein, mouse; D000072196:Fertilins; D008666:Metalloendopeptidases; D002118:Calcium