Isolation and proteomic characterization of the mouse sperm acrosomal matrix.

ABSTRACT: A critical step during fertilization is the sperm acrosome reaction in which the acrosome releases its contents allowing the spermatozoa to penetrate the egg investments. The sperm acrosomal contents are composed of both soluble material and an insoluble material called the acrosomal matrix (AM). The AM is thought to provide a stable structure from which associated proteins are differentially released during fertilization. Because of its important role during fertilization, efforts have been put toward isolating the AM for biochemical study and to date AM have been isolated from hamster, guinea pig, and bull spermatozoa. However, attempts to isolate AM from mouse spermatozoa, the species in which fertilization is well-studied, have been unsuccessful possibly because of the small size of th

SUBMITTER: Guyonnet B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3434786 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature