A newly identified zona pellucida glycoprotein, ZPD, and dimeric ZP1 of chicken egg envelope are involved in sperm activation on sperm-egg interaction.

ABSTRACT: Fertilization begins with interaction between the sperm and the egg. The surface of the vertebrate oocyte is covered with the egg envelope, which is composed of ZP (zona pellucida) glycoproteins. We have identified two glycoproteins, ZP1/gp97 and ZPC/gp42, as the major components of the chicken egg envelope. In the present study, another 42 kDa protein, designated ZPD, has been found as a new major component of the chicken egg envelope. ZPD was specifically released from the egg envelope by ultrasonication treatment without urea. ZPD cDNA was cloned using a chicken granulosa cell cDNA pool. The deduced amino acid sequence showed that preproprotein of ZPD is composed of 418 amino acid residues with four potential N-glycosylation sites and includes a ZP domain, common in vertebrate ZP glycop

SUBMITTER: Okumura H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1134102 | biostudies-literature | 2004 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature