Carbohydrate analysis of the zona pellucida and cortical granules of human oocytes by means of ultrastructural cytochemistry

Jiménez-Movilla, María; Sánchez, Manuel A. Bueno; Gómez‐Torres, María José; Fernández-Colom, Pedro José; Castells, María Teresa; Juan, J. De; Romeu, A.; Ballesta, José Antonio Camacho

doi:10.1093/humrep/deh311

Cited by 51 publications

(36 citation statements)

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“…Our results on the intense lectin binding to ovarian and endometrial constituents confirm the observations of others on the vast diversity and important role of glycoconjugates in the histophysiology of the female reproductive system [9,12]. The diversity of different classes of carbohydrates in the ovaries (Figure 4) and endometrium apparently results in multiple possible forms of rearrangement under experimental conditions.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

“…The crucial roles of carbohydrate determinants during oocyte maturation, fertilization, implantation, gastrulation, and cell sorting, have been well docu- www.fhc.viamedica.pl mented [9][10][11][12][13]. Therefore, glycoconjugate rearrangement in the female reproductive organs under different pathological conditions can be of special interest for clinical and experimental medicine.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Structural, functional, and lectin histochemical characteristics of rat ovaries and endometrium in experimental hyper- and hypothyroidism

Lutsyk¹,

Sogomonian²

2012

Folia Histochem Cytobiol.

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Abstract:Twenty lectins with different carbohydrate affinities, including five new lectins purified from fungi, were used for histochemical examination of carbohydrate determinants in rat ovaries and endometrium under experimental hyper-and hypothyroidism. In the ovaries of control rats, lectin binding was detected predominantly in the zona pellucida and corona radiata of growing follicles, luteocytes, and leucocytes. Within the endometrium, lectins reacted strongly with the luminal surface, epitheliocytes and secretions of the uterine glands, pre-decidual cells, leucocytes, and collagen fibers. As revealed on general morphology and estrous cycle studies, hyperthyroidism induced ovarian luteinization, and increased the content of pre-decidual cells and of collagen fibers in the endometrium, with no reliable effect on the estrous cycle. Hypothyroidism was accompanied by retardation of the estrous cycle, enhanced folliculogenesis and leucocyte infiltration of ovarian and endometrial stroma. Both hyper-and hypothyroidism significantly affected the tissue carbohydrates of the ovaries and endometrium: specific and differential redistribution of DMan, LFuc, NeuNAc, DGlcNAc, DGalNAc, and DGal determinants was detected under both pathological conditions. Hyperthyroidism induced more severe alterations of glycoconjugates than hypothyroidism; the endometrium was more susceptible to thyroxin-modulated impairments than the ovaries. These results give new insights into the pathogenetic mechanisms of the effects of thyroid disorders on the female reproductive organs and demonstrate the suitability of lectin histochemistry methods for monitoring the efficacy of hormonal imbalance correction therapy, as well as the applicability of new lectin preparations for the selective labeling of ovarian and endometrial constituents.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Structural, functional, and lectin histochemical characteristics of rat ovaries and endometrium in experimental hyper- and hypothyroidism

Lutsyk¹,

Sogomonian²

2012

Folia Histochem Cytobiol.

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“…ZP receptors for sperm as well as ZP properties are changed by CG exocytosis resulting from sperm fusion with the oolemma [13,26]. The Functions and contents of CGs, however, are not well understood [1,25,27].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Miller et al [12] reported that NAG is contained in the CG and affects carbohydrate chains on the ZP, which inactivates the sperm-binding site on the ZP in the mouse. Furthermore, enzymes that are contained in the CG and released following sperm-oocyte fusion target the monosaccharides in the ZP [13,14]. These findings suggest that addition of monosaccharides to the sperm-oocyte co-incubation medium will affect sperm-oocyte interactions and alter the efficiency of spermoocyte interactions in vitro.…”

mentioning

confidence: 95%

Effect of N-Acetyl-D-Glucosamine on Bovine Sperm-Oocyte Interactions

Sakaguchi

Iwata

Kuwayama

et al. 2009

Journal of Reproduction and Development

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Abstract. N-Acetyl-D-glucosamine (GlcNAc) is a major component of glycosaminoglycan, which is involved in spermoocyte interactions. We examined the effect of adding GlcNAc and other monosaccharides, D-mannose and D-fucose, to the in vitro fertilization (IVF) medium on bovine sperm-oocyte interactions. In medium in which sperm and a zona pellucida (ZP) were co-incubated with monosaccharides for 5 min, addition of GlcNAc (5 or 25 mM) significantly reduced the number of sperm that attached to the ZP. Pretreatment of gametes with GlcNAc (5 mM) prior to coincubation also suppressed sperm-ZP attachment. Addition of GlcNAc (5 or 25 mM) to the medium in which sperm and a ZP were co-incubated for 5 h, however, significantly increased the number of sperm binding to and penetrating the ZP in a concentration-related manner. The other monosaccharides, D-fucose and D-mannose, did not have this effect. Supplementation of the sperm-oocyte co-incubation medium with 5 mM GlcNAc also enhanced the rate of polyspermic fertilization. When the ZPs were removed from the oocytes, GlcNAc did not affect the fertilization rate. Furthermore, incubation of sperm with 5 mM GlcNAc induced sperm membrane destabilization and an acrosome reaction, as evidenced by the hypo-osmotic swelling test and fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled peanut agglutinin/ propidium iodide (FITC-PNA/PI) staining. Finally, GlcNAc suppressed ZP hardening following fertilization, as determined by measuring the time required for pronase to dissolve the ZP. In conclusion, supplementation of IVF medium with GlcNAc has various effects on sperm-oocyte interactions including suppression of initial attachment, induction of sperm membrane destabilization and acrosome reaction, increase in the number of sperm secondarily bound to and penetrating the ZP, suppression of ZP hardening following sperm-oocyte co-incubation and increase in the rate of polyspermic fertilization. Key words: Bovine, Fertilization, Monosaccharides, Sperm, Zona pellucida (J. Reprod. Dev. 55: [676][677][678][679][680][681][682][683][684] 2009) ertilization of oocytes comprises several interactions between the sperm and oocyte. Contact between the sperm and oocyte first occurs at the outer surface of the surrounding extracellular matrix of the egg, the zona pellucida (ZP). Binding of the lectinlike protein on the sperm head to distinct oligosaccharides of ZP glycoproteins leads the capacitated sperm to recognize the oocyte. Upon anchoring of the sperm to the oocyte through the ZP carbohydrates, a signaling cascade induces the acrosome reaction of the sperm, allowing the sperm to pass through the ZP. The acrosomereacted, penetrated sperm fuses with the egg plasma membrane, which enables the egg to complete meiosis, and initiates mechanisms to prevent polyspermic fertilization by the exocytosis of cortical granules (CG) [1]. Oligosaccharides on the ZP include some monosaccharides, such as N-acetyl-D-glucosamine (GlcNAc), D-mannose and D-fucose [2], and these monosaccharides are involved in many sperm-oocyte in...

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“…73 Human Binding studies with various lectins suggest that the human ZP matrix has a high concentration of D-mannose. 95,96 The presence of mannose-binding sites has been reported on human sperm. 97,98 Several oligosaccharide moieties, such as mannose, GlcNAc, fucose and galac- 83 The N-terminal fragment of ZP3 failed to induce the AR, whereas both C-terminal fragments induced the AR.…”

Section: Zp4mentioning

confidence: 99%

Acrosome reaction: relevance of zona pellucida glycoproteins

Gupta

Bhandari²

2010

Asian J Androl

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During mammalian fertilisation, the zona pellucida (ZP) matrix surrounding the oocyte is responsible for the binding of the spermatozoa to the oocyte and induction of the acrosome reaction (AR) in the ZP-bound spermatozoon. The AR is crucial for the penetration of the ZP matrix by spermatozoa. The ZP matrix in mice is composed of three glycoproteins designated ZP1, ZP2 and ZP3, whereas in humans, it is composed of four (ZP1, ZP2, ZP3 and ZP4). ZP3 acts as the putative primary sperm receptor and is responsible for AR induction in mice, whereas in humans (in addition to ZP3), ZP1 and ZP4 also induce the AR. The ability of ZP3 to induce the AR resides in its C-terminal fragment. O-linked glycans are critical for the murine ZP3-mediated AR. However, N-linked glycans of human ZP1, ZP3 and ZP4 have important roles in the induction of the AR. Studies with pharmacological inhibitors showed that the ZP3-induced AR involves the activation of the G i -coupled receptor pathway, whereas ZP1-and ZP4-mediated ARs are independent of this pathway. The ZP3-induced AR involves the activation of T-type voltage-operated calcium channels (VOCCs), whereas ZP1-and ZP4-induced ARs involve both T-and L-type VOCCs. To conclude, in mice, ZP3 is primarily responsible for the binding of capacitated spermatozoa to the ZP matrix and induction of the AR, whereas in humans (in addition to ZP3), ZP1 and ZP4 also participate in these stages of fertilisation. Keywords: acrosome reaction; fertilisation; oocyte; signalling pathways; spermatozoa; zona pellucida glycoproteins INTRODUCTION Mammalian fertilisation is a highly synchronized process that involves a complex series of interactions between the spermatozoon and the egg, culminating in their unison. The initial steps in fertilisation involves the binding of the spermatozoon to the zona pellucida (ZP) matrix surrounding the egg, followed by induction of the acrosome reaction (AR) in the zona-bound spermatozoon, a pre-requisite for penetration of the ZP matrix by the spermatozoon. The spermatozoon acrosome is a Golgi-derived organelle that forms a cap over the anterior two-thirds of its nucleus. The AR involves the fusion of the sperm membrane with the outer acrosomal membrane, resulting in release of the acrosomal contents and exposure of the inner acrosomal membrane on the anterior head of the spermatozoon. Various physiological agents, such as progesterone, serum albumin, follicular fluid, hormones (including biogenic amines), hydrolytic enzymes (particularly proteases), hyaluronic acid and ZP glycoproteins, have been implicated in the induction of the AR. [1][2][3] In the present paper, we review the role of the ZP matrix and its constituents in AR induction. Various downstream signalling pathways involved in the ZP glycoprotein-induced AR will also be discussed. On the basis of the current literature and studies from our group, the salient differences in the ZP glycoprotein-mediated induction of the AR in mouse versus human will be highlighted.

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Carbohydrate analysis of the zona pellucida and cortical granules of human oocytes by means of ultrastructural cytochemistry

Abstract: A heterogeneous carbohydrate composition was observed in the thickness of the human ZP that could be responsible for the different sperm binding affinity detected between the outer and inner regions of the ZP.

Cited by 51 publications

References 95 publications

Structural, functional, and lectin histochemical characteristics of rat ovaries and endometrium in experimental hyper- and hypothyroidism

Structural, functional, and lectin histochemical characteristics of rat ovaries and endometrium in experimental hyper- and hypothyroidism

Effect of N-Acetyl-D-Glucosamine on Bovine Sperm-Oocyte Interactions

Acrosome reaction: relevance of zona pellucida glycoproteins

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