Rabbit zona pellucida composition: A molecular, proteomic and phylogenetic approach

Four glycoproteins are expressed in the cat zona pellucida

“…Until now, mammalian ZP has been considered to be formed by 3 to 4 highly glycosylated proteins [9][10][11][12][13][14]. Different models have been proposed for mammalian ZP composition: (1) three proteins in cases where ZP1 is present as in the laboratory mouse (M. musculus; ZP1, ZP2, and ZP3) [9], (2) three proteins when ZP1 is absent; e.g., in ungulates (cows and pigs) [14,17] and dogs (ZP2, ZP3, and ZP4) [14], and (3) four proteins (ZP1, ZP2, ZP3, and ZP4), an increasingly numerous group. The rat, human, horse, macaque, hamster, and rabbit are included in this last group [11][12][13]16,17,30].…”

“…The situation in cat could be similar to other species containing ZP2, ZP3, and ZP4. Such is the case with Canis and Bos, where a pseudogene was found in the genome corresponding to ZP1 [14], whereas, more recently, ZP1 has been described as a pseudogene in Sus, Tursiops, Callithrix, or Tarsius [17]. However, in Felis, a complete ZP1 sequence has been annotated in the genome.…”

“…Species such as the pig, dog or cow also have three ZP proteins; but, in these cases, the proteins are ZP2, ZP3, and ZP4 [10,14,15]. And more recently, four proteins (ZP1, ZP2, ZP3, and ZP4) have been described in rats, humans, macaques, hamsters, or rabbits [11][12][13]16,17]. The development of new techniques of genome sequencing and the apparition of -iomic techniques like transcriptomics or proteomics has made an accurate analysis of the ZP genes and protein composition of ZP possible.…”

“…The development of new techniques of genome sequencing and the apparition of -iomic techniques like transcriptomics or proteomics has made an accurate analysis of the ZP genes and protein composition of ZP possible. Proteomic analysis has allowed the detection of four proteins in rat, human, hamster, and rabbit ZP [11,12,16,17]. Moreover, when the messenger RNA/ protein has not been detected by transcriptomic/proteomic analysis in a given species, phylogenetic and bioinformatic analyses have detected the presence of pseudogenes, as reported in the mouse [11], cow and dog [14], and pig [17].…”

Involvement of Carbohydrate Residues of the Zona Pellucida in In Vitro Sperm Recognition in Pigs and Cattle

“…In many mammalian species, there are four ZP glycoproteins (ZPGs) (ZP1, ZP2, ZP3, ZP4) (Stetson et al 2012 ), although there are three ZPGs (ZP1, ZP2, ZP3) in mice. The porcine and bovine ZPs are composed of three ZPGs (ZP2, ZP3, ZP4).…”