title: Inhibition of bovine sperm-zona binding by bovine herpesvirus-1.
abstract: The purpose of the present study was to identify a potential interference of bovine herpesvirus-1 (BoHV-1) with sperm-oocyte interactions during bovine in vitro fertilization. An inhibition of almost 70% of sperm-zona binding was observed when bovine cumulus-denuded oocytes were inseminated in the presence of 10(7) 50% tissue culture infective dose/ml BoHV-1. The inhibitory effect of BoHV-1 on sperm-zona binding was mediated by an interaction of the virus with spermatozoa, but not with oocytes. Treatment of spermatozoa with BoHV-1, however, did not affect sperm motility and acrosomal status. Antiserum against BoHV-1 prevented the virus-induced inhibition of sperm-zona binding, indicating that BoHV-1 itself affects the fertilization process. In order to investigate which BoHV-1 glycoprotein(s) are responsible for the virus-sperm interaction, BoHV-1 was treated with monoclonal antibodies against the viral glycoproteins gB, gC, gD and gH prior to insemination. Anti-gC completely prevented the inhibitory effect of BoHV-1 on sperm-zona binding, while anti-gD caused a reduction of this inhibition. Further evidence for the involvement of gC and gD in the virus-sperm interaction was provided by the fact that purified gC and gD decreased sperm-zona binding in a dose-dependent way with gC being more effective than gD. These results indicated that BoHV-1 inhibits bovine sperm-zona binding by interacting with spermatozoa. The binding of BoHV-1 to a spermatozoon is mediated by the viral glycoproteins gC and gD, and therefore seems to be comparable with the mechanisms of BoHV-1 attachment to its natural host cell.
authors.affiliation: Department of Reproduction, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ghent, Merelbeke, Belgium.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tanghe
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vanroose
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Van Soom
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Duchateau
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Ysebaert
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kerkhofs
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Thiry
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: van Drunen Littel-van den Hurk
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Van Oostveldt
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nauwynck
mesh_terms: D020101:Acrosome Reaction; D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000494:pharmacology; D000937:Antigen-Antibody Reactions; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000378:metabolism; D002417:Cattle; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D007242:Herpesvirus 1, Bovine / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D013081:Sperm Motility; D013084:Sperm-Ovum Interactions / Q000187:drug effects; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000821:virology*; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; D014764:Viral Proteins; C046998:bovine herpesvirus type-1 glycoproteins