Molecular analysis of a novel fertilization-regulatory protein in the egg-coating envelope.

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25440035
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Structural biochemistry
• Research Institution: Toho University
• Principal Investigator: MIWA Naofumi 東邦大学, 医学部, 准教授 (40255427)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): TAKAMATSU Ken 東邦大学, 医学部, 教授 (90154898)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 受精 / 糖鎖

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Fertilization begins with species-restricted interaction of sperm and the egg-coating envelope that internalizes a three-dimensional meshwork of filaments constituted by glycoproteins (called ZP proteins). Dicalcin, a novel ZP protein-binding protein in Xenopus egg envelope, suppresses the fertilization rate through its binding to gp41, a frog counterpart of mammalian ZP3. We identified the interactive amino-acid regions between dicalcin and gp41 by using a series of truncated mutants. We next clamped the egg envelope at fertilization competent or incompetent status by extrinsic treatment with synthetic peptides corresponding to interactive regions, and found that there is a striking nanoscale-structural difference between two statuses of mature unfertilized eggs.

Free Research Field

生殖生理学