The role of spermatozoa-zona pellucida interaction in selecting fertilization-competent spermatozoa in humans.

ABSTRACT: Human fertilization begins when a capacitated spermatozoon binds to the zona pellucida (ZP) surrounding a mature oocyte. Defective spermatozoa-ZP interaction contributes to male infertility and is a leading cause of reduced fertilization rates in assisted reproduction treatments (ARTs). Human ejaculate contains millions of spermatozoa with varying degrees of fertilization potential and genetic quality, of which only thousands of motile spermatozoa can bind to the ZP at the fertilization site. This observation suggests that human ZP selectively interacts with competitively superior spermatozoa characterized by high fertilizing capability and genetic integrity. However, direct evidence for ZP-mediated sperm selection process is lacking. This study aims to demonstrate that spermatozoa-ZP inte

SUBMITTER: Leung ETY 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10067631 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature