Porcine sperm bind to an oviduct glycan coupled to glass surfaces as a model of sperm interaction with the oviduct.

ABSTRACT: During transport through the oviduct, sperm interact with epithelial cells by attaching to specific glycans, a mechanism believed to select sperm and prolong their viability. An in vitro model of sperm-oviduct interactions was developed, consisting of a glass surface (either a slide or a coverslip) to which an oviduct glycan (sulfated Lewis X trisaccharide; suLe^X) is coupled. The ability of porcine sperm to attach to suLe^X-surfaces and detach in response to progesterone and mature cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) was validated. The suLe^X-coverslip was adapted for in vitro fertilization (IVF), termed glycan-IVF, by allowing porcine sperm to first bind suLe^X before transferring mature COCs. The glycan-IVF method produced a percentage of fertilized o

SUBMITTER: Soto-Heras S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11806115 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature