Fertilization defects in sperm from mice lacking fertilin beta.

Cho, C; Bunch, D O; Faure, J E; Goulding, E H; Eddy, E M; Primakoff, P; Myles, D G · Science · 1998

basic_science · Level V

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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.

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