Sperm-egg interaction and gene manipulated animals.
It is intriguing that the disruption of a number of genes, e.g., Clgn, Ace, Adamla, Adam2 and Adam3 results in a similar sperm phenotype, i.e., failure of sperm to bind to the zona pellucida (ZP). Because calmegin functions as a testis-specific molecular chaperone, there is a possibility of misfolding of ADAMs in sperm from Clgn-/- mice. In the first half of this review we describe the interaction of ADAMs with calmegin and try to elucidate the relationship of these proteins to establish the zona binding ability. In the second half of this review we describe other gene manipulated animals that lead to a defect in sperm-egg fusion. The first factor, CD9, was found serendipitously on the egg side, while the second factor, Izumo, on the sperm side, was discovered after 20 years of pursuit. Here we describe various gene manipulated animals that are useful to elucidate the mechanism of fertilisation.
Inoue
Naokazu
N
Genome Information Research Center, Osaka University, Yamadaoka 3-1, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
Yamaguchi
Ryo
R
Ikawa
Masahito
M
Okabe
Masaru
M
D051722:ADAM Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D001483:Base Sequence; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D018832:Molecular Chaperones / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D013084:Sperm-Ovum Interactions / Q000235:genetics*; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D060245:Tetraspanin 29; D015044:Zona Pellucida / Q000378:metabolism*
D015703:Antigens, CD; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; C554870:Cd9 protein, mouse; D007136:Immunoglobulins; C498177:Izumo1 protein, mouse; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D018832:Molecular Chaperones; D060245:Tetraspanin 29; C087341:calmegin; D051722:ADAM Proteins