Biomaterial Database

Post-fertilization changes in the zona pellucida glycoproteins of rat eggs. 1996

T Raz, and E Skutelsky, and R Shalgi

Department of Embryology, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Israel.

The zona pellucida (ZP) is the extracellular coat surrounding the mammalian egg. Numerous evidence supports the role of ZP carbohydrate residues as the specific sperm receptors. In this study we used lectins to study different distribution patterns of carbohydrate residues in the rat ZP, and to follow changes at fertilization. ZP were collected from follicular, ovulated, and fertilized eggs, incubated with one of 11 different biotin-labeled lectins, followed by avidin-fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) complex, and visualized by epifluorescent microscopy. For electron microscope (EM) histochemistry, eggs were embedded in LR white and ultrathin sections were stained with the complex Ricinus communis lectin (RCA-1)-colloidal gold. Some lectins (RCA-I, Glycine max) bound to the entire ZP while others were restricted to the inner or outer zones [Griffonia simplicifolia, Concanovalia ensiformis, Triticum vulgaris (WGA), succinyl-WGA]. Other lectins (Lens culinaris, Ulex europhaeus) were totally excluded. The RCA-1 binding pattern changed following sperm penetration, from homogeneous in ZP of ovulated eggs (57%) to uneven in ZP of fertilized (71%) or activated (68%) eggs. Our results demonstrate an uneven distribution of different sugar residues in the rat ZP, and a post-fertilization change in the distribution of beta-galactose, which is specifically recognized by RCA-I, presumably correlated with other changes in the ZP that lead to the block to polyspermy.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007150	Immunohistochemistry	Histochemical localization of immunoreactive substances using labeled antibodies as reagents.	Immunocytochemistry,Immunogold Techniques,Immunogold-Silver Techniques,Immunohistocytochemistry,Immunolabeling Techniques,Immunogold Technics,Immunogold-Silver Technics,Immunolabeling Technics,Immunogold Silver Technics,Immunogold Silver Techniques,Immunogold Technic,Immunogold Technique,Immunogold-Silver Technic,Immunogold-Silver Technique,Immunolabeling Technic,Immunolabeling Technique,Technic, Immunogold,Technic, Immunogold-Silver,Technic, Immunolabeling,Technics, Immunogold,Technics, Immunogold-Silver,Technics, Immunolabeling,Technique, Immunogold,Technique, Immunogold-Silver,Technique, Immunolabeling,Techniques, Immunogold,Techniques, Immunogold-Silver,Techniques, Immunolabeling
D008854	Microscopy, Electron	Microscopy using an electron beam, instead of light, to visualize the sample, thereby allowing much greater magnification. The interactions of ELECTRONS with specimens are used to provide information about the fine structure of that specimen. In TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY the reactions of the electrons that are transmitted through the specimen are imaged. In SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY an electron beam falls at a non-normal angle on the specimen and the image is derived from the reactions occurring above the plane of the specimen.	Electron Microscopy
D009865	Oocytes	Female germ cells derived from OOGONIA and termed OOCYTES when they enter MEIOSIS. The primary oocytes begin meiosis but are arrested at the diplotene state until OVULATION at PUBERTY to give rise to haploid secondary oocytes or ova (OVUM).	Ovocytes,Oocyte,Ovocyte
D010063	Ovum	A mature haploid female germ cell extruded from the OVARY at OVULATION.	Egg,Egg, Unfertilized,Ova,Eggs, Unfertilized,Unfertilized Egg,Unfertilized Eggs
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D015044	Zona Pellucida	A tough transparent membrane surrounding the OVUM. It is penetrated by the sperm during FERTILIZATION.
D015053	Zygote	The fertilized OVUM resulting from the fusion of a male and a female gamete.	Fertilized Ovum,Ovum, Fertilized,Fertilized Egg,Egg, Fertilized,Eggs, Fertilized,Fertilized Eggs,Zygotes
D017208	Rats, Wistar	A strain of albino rat developed at the Wistar Institute that has spread widely at other institutions. This has markedly diluted the original strain.	Wistar Rat,Rat, Wistar,Wistar Rats
D051381	Rats	The common name for the genus Rattus.	Rattus,Rats, Laboratory,Rats, Norway,Rattus norvegicus,Laboratory Rat,Laboratory Rats,Norway Rat,Norway Rats,Rat,Rat, Laboratory,Rat, Norway,norvegicus, Rattus
D037102	Lectins	Proteins that share the common characteristic of binding to carbohydrates. Some ANTIBODIES and carbohydrate-metabolizing proteins (ENZYMES) also bind to carbohydrates, however they are not considered lectins. PLANT LECTINS are carbohydrate-binding proteins that have been primarily identified by their hemagglutinating activity (HEMAGGLUTININS). However, a variety of lectins occur in animal species where they serve diverse array of functions through specific carbohydrate recognition.	Animal Lectin,Animal Lectins,Isolectins,Lectin,Isolectin,Lectin, Animal,Lectins, Animal