2006 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Analysis of sperm acrosomal matrix protein during fertilization.
| Project/Area Number |
17590165
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
General anatomy (including Histology/Embryology)
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| Research Institution | University of Miyazaki |
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Principal Investigator |
YOSHINAGA Kazuya UNIVERSITY OF MIYAZAKI, FACULTY OF MEDICINE, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, 医学部, 助教授 (50136719)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
TANII Ichiro UNIVERSITY OF MIYAZAKI, FACULTY OF MEDICINE, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, 医学部, 助手 (40207171)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2005 – 2006
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| Keywords | acrosomal protein / egg zona pellucida / sperm-egg interaction / fertilization / in vitro fertilization / monoclonal antibody / immunohistochemistry / electron microscopy |
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| Research Abstract |
In this study, we have investigated the behavior and role of an acrosomal matrix protein, MC41, in the process of hamster fertilization using immunoelectron microscopy techniques and an in vitro fertilization (IVF) system. IVF was carried out by incubating mature hamster oocytes with capacitated sperm. The hamster sperm acrosome has two ultrastructurally distinct matrix regions (M1 and M2 domains). MC41 was localized mainly to the M1 domain in the acrosomal cap of cauda epididymal sperm. Following the acrosome reaction, sperm attached to the ZP by remnants of their acrosomal caps (the so-called acrosomal ghost). MC41 was distributed on the entire surface of the acrosomal ghost including the vesiculated plasma and outer acrosome membranes along with matrix M1. MC41 was also present on the ZP adjacent to the ghost, but was not located on the inner acrosomal membrane or the equatorial segment. IVF experiments revealed that anti-MC41 antibody inhibited binding of hamster sperm to the ZP following the acrosome reaction. The present study shows that the acrosomal matrix MC41 is compartmentalized within the hamster acrosome and localized in the acrosomal ghost after the acrosome reaction, and suggests that MC41 has a significant role in maintenance of the binding of acrosome-reacted sperm to ZP during fertilization.
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