Sperm penetration through cumulus mass and zona pellucida

Kim, Ekyune; Yamashita, Misuzu; Kimura, Masanori; Honda, Arata; Kashiwabara, Shin‐ichi; Baba, Tadashi

doi:10.1387/ijdb.072528ek

Cited by 67 publications

(57 citation statements)

References 56 publications

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“…Kim et al (2008), Moreno et al (2011), Sutovsky (2011 and Ferrer et al (2012)). Nevertheless, the highly derived design of the eutherian sperm head does imply a mode of penetration in which physical factors dominate.…”

Section: Sperm Head Design Zona Penetration and Gamete Fusionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Singular features of fertilization and their impact on the male reproductive system in eutherian mammals

Bedford

2014

Reproduction

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Therian (marsupial and eutherian) mammals have evolved a suite of novel reproductive features -seen variously in their gametes, the steps of fertilization and the male reproductive tract -whose adaptive significance remains unclear. Present evidence for the betterunderstood eutherian mammals suggests that the 'prime mover' in their evolution has been the character of the egg coat, with other such features being adaptations to the consequences of this. Its elastic thickness allows the zona pellucida to stretch to a variable degree and yet remain around the blastocyst during much or all of its expansion before implantation, but its character represents an unusual challenge for spermatozoa. Novel aspects of the acrosome related to this challenge enable it to maintain a relatively prolonged binding after the onset of the acrosome reaction, and the structure, shape and behaviour of the sperm head point to physical thrust as a major element of zona penetration -with the unique configuration of gamete fusion as a sequela of this strategy. In the male, such adaptations are reflected in sperm head formation in the testis and in sperm maturation in the epididymis involving at least the sperm head's structure, plasmalemma and acrosome. This complexity allied to a slow epididymal sperm transport, a relatively modest sperm production and the brief life span of mature spermatozoa kept above the cauda epididymidis could account for the evolution of the sperm storage function -a development seemingly linked, in turn, to the need for sperm capacitation and scrotal evolution.Reproduction (2014) 147 R43-R52

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Section: Sperm Head Design Zona Penetration and Gamete Fusionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Singular features of fertilization and their impact on the male reproductive system in eutherian mammals

Bedford

2014

Reproduction

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“…The acrosome exocytosis is a multipoint membrane fusion event between the sperm plasma membrane and the outer acrosomal membrane (see Fig. 5.1 [8,9]) and the exposed acrosomal content is required for sperm to penetrate the zona pellucida [10][11][12]. This so-called zona drilling effectively takes place because the sperm at this stage also has acquired hyperactivated motility [13].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Membrane Fusions During Mammalian Fertilization

Gadella

Evans

2011

Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology

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Successful completion of fertilization in mammals requires three different types of membrane fusion events. Firstly, the sperm cell will need to secrete its acrosome contents (acrosome exocytosis; also known as the acrosome reaction); this allows the sperm to penetrate the extracellular matrix of the oocyte (zona pellucida) and to reach the oocyte plasma membrane, the site of fertilization. Next the sperm cell will bind and fuse with the oocyte plasma membrane (also known as the oolemma), which is a different type of fusion in which two different cells fuse together. Finally, the fertilized oocyte needs to prevent polyspermic fertilization, or fertilization by more than one sperm. To this end, the oocyte secretes the contents of cortical granules by exocytotic fusions of these vesicles with the oocyte plasma membrane over the entire oocyte cell surface (also known as the cortical reaction or cortical granule exocytosis). The secreted cortical contents modify the zona pellucida, converting it to a state that is unreceptive to sperm, constituting a block to polyspermy. In addition, there is a block at the level of the oolemma (also known as the membrane block to polyspermy). IntroductionFertilization of the oocyte involves three membrane fusion events [1] namely, (1) a preparative series of secretion membrane fusions at the apical sperm surface known as acrosome exocytosis [2]. The membrane fusions are induced when the sperm cell binds to specific zona binding proteins at the sperm surface [3][4][5][6][7]. The acrosome exocytosis is a multipoint membrane fusion event between the sperm plasma membrane and the outer acrosomal membrane (see Fig. 5.1 [8,9]) and the exposed acrosomal content is required for sperm to penetrate the zona pellucida [10][11][12]. This so-called zona drilling effectively takes place because the sperm at this stage also has acquired hyperactivated motility [13]. (2) After zona penetration the sperm enters the perivitelline space where it can bind and fuse with the oocyte plasma membrane [14,15]. This is the actual fertilization fusion in which the contents of the sperm are delivered into the oocyte cytoplasm. The plasma membrane of the equatorial segment (see Fig. 5.1) is the site where proteins are located that orchestrate sperm-oocyte binding and fusion [16]. (3) In order to prevent polyspermy the oocyte has to activate defense systems to block redundant sperm-oocyte fusion [17]. To this end the first fertilizing sperm delivers activation factors

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“…Dev. 56: [140][141][142][143][144]2010) ammalian fertilization requires sperm to enter the oocytecumulus complex (OCC) and penetrate the cumulus matrix surrounding the oocytes [1][2][3][4][5]. Cumulus cells are embedded in the extracellular matrix containing hyaluronan (hyaluronic acid or hyaluronate), a polymer consisting of a repeating disaccharide unit of N-acetyl-D-glucosamine and D-glucuronic acid [6].…”

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confidence: 99%

Hyaluronan-Degrading Activity of Mouse Sperm Hyaluronidase Is Not Required for Fertilization?

Kang

Zhou

Koga

et al. 2010

Journal of Reproduction and Development

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Abstract. Sperm hyaluronidase has long been believed to participate in sperm penetration through the cumulus matrix. However, our previous works using male mice lacking either one of two sperm hyaluronidases, SPAM1 and HYAL5, conclusively showed that neither of these hyaluronidases is essential for fertilization. In this study, we examined whether the hyaluronan-degrading activity of mouse epididymal sperm is indeed required for the fertilization process. When the oocyte-cumulus complex was incubated with sperm protein extracts or capacitated epididymal sperm in the presence of the hyaluronidase inhibitor apigenin, dispersal of cumulus cells from the cumulus was effectively inhibited. Despite the presence of apigenin, capacitated epididymal sperm normally entered the oocyte-cumulus complex, traversed the cumulus matrix and reached the oocyte zona pellucida. Importantly, epididymal sperm were also capable of normally fertilizing the metaphase II-arrested oocytes in the presence of apigenin. These data suggest that the hyaluronan-degrading activity of sperm hyaluronidase may not be required for fertilization, at least in the mouse.

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Sperm penetration through cumulus mass and zona pellucida

Cited by 67 publications

References 56 publications

Singular features of fertilization and their impact on the male reproductive system in eutherian mammals

Singular features of fertilization and their impact on the male reproductive system in eutherian mammals

Membrane Fusions During Mammalian Fertilization

Hyaluronan-Degrading Activity of Mouse Sperm Hyaluronidase Is Not Required for Fertilization?

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