Fertilization in Monotreme, Marsupial and Eutherian Mammals

Mate, Karen E.; Harris, M. S.; Rodger, John C.

doi:10.1007/978-3-642-58301-8_6

Cited by 7 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 170 publications

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“…12). While the details of penetration also may differ somewhat according to the marsupial group (Breed, 1996 ;Mate, Harris & Rodger, 2000), the organisation of the marsupial sperm head permits maximal application of the reacting acrosome content against a zona that is not only thinner but highly sensitive to proteases (Bedford, 1996). As depicted in Fig.…”

Section: (6 ) the Cumulus Oophorusmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…One unresolved issue concerns a peripheral acrosomal region that possibly equates to the ' equatorial segment ' in eutherian spermatozoa. While this may prove to be a preferential site of fusion with the oolemma in Monodelphis domestica (Taggart et al, 1993), such a zone is not represented in the possum Trichosurus vulpecula, tammar wallaby Macropus eugenii, or the opossum Didelphis virginiana (see Mate et al, 2000).…”

Section: (6 ) the Cumulus Oophorusmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Nonetheless, it is interesting that spermatozoa can be observed bound to the zona in the intact state since the maturation and storage functions of the epididymis are comparable in marsupials. Furthermore, the fact that only spermatozoa from the upper oviduct seem able to react and fertilise (Rodger & Bedford, 1982a ;Bedford & Breed, 1994 ;Mate et al, 2000) indicates a need for capacitation in marsupials, consistent with there being a regulated sperm storage function in the epididymis. Marsupials display an androgen-regulated sperm storage function in the cauda (Chaturapanich, Jones & Clulow, 1992), and sometimes the same anatomical strategies for its preferential cooling (Cummins et al, 1986 ;Jones, 1989).…”

Section: (6 ) the Cumulus Oophorusmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Enigmas of mammalian gamete form and function

Bedford¹

2004

Biological Reviews

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The gametes of man and some other Eutheria have been manipulated successfully for practical reasons, but many gaps remain in our basic understanding of the way that they function. This situation stems not least from a failure to recognize the extent to which eutherian spermatozoa and eggs, and elements related to their operation, have come to differ from those of other groups. Novel features in the male that reflect this include a radical design of the sperm head with the acrosome seeming to function primarily in egg-coat binding rather than its lysis, a multifaceted post-testicular sperm maturation and an androgen/low-temperature-regulated system of sperm storage--both tied to the epididymis, a variable male accessory sex gland complex, and descent of the testis and epididymis to a scrotum. In the female, such novelties are represented in a need for sperm capacitation, in an unusual regulation of sperm transport within the oviduct, in the cumulus oophorus and character of the zona pellucida around the small egg, and in a unique configuration of gamete fusion. The collective evidence now suggests that many of these features reflect a new fertilisation strategy or its consequences, with most being causally linked. One initial 'domino' in this regard appears to be the small yolkless state of the egg and its intolerance for polyspermy, as determinants of the unusual mode of oviductal sperm transport and possibly the existence and form of the cumulus oophorus. However, a particularly influential first 'domino' appears to be the physical character of the eutherian zona pellucida. This differs from the egg coats of other animal groups by virtue of a resilient elasticity and thickness. These qualities allow this primary and often only coat to stretch and so persist during later expansion of the blastocyst, usually until close to implantation. At the same time, the dimensions, physical character, and particularly the relative protease-insensitivity of the zona appear to have had profound effects on sperm form and function and, more indirectly, on sperm-related events in the male and the female tract. Marsupials display some similarities and also some strikingly different features, against which the enigmas of the eutherian situation can be evaluated.

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Section: (6 ) the Cumulus Oophorusmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: (6 ) the Cumulus Oophorusmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: (6 ) the Cumulus Oophorusmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Enigmas of mammalian gamete form and function

Bedford¹

2004

Biological Reviews

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“…The zona pellucida plays several crucial roles during fertilization in eutherian mammals; it is responsible for specific binding between the sperm and egg, a block to polyspermy and protection of the early embryo (Yanagimachi, 1994, review). Although generally thinner than in eutherians, the marsupial ZP is morphologically and biochemically similar to that of eutherian mammals and probably performs similar functions during fertilization and early development (Mate et al, 2000a;Breed et al, 2002, review).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Expression in Escherichia coli and immunological characterization of three zona pellucida proteins (ZP1, ZP2, and ZP3) from a marsupial, the brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula)

Mate

Buist

Duckworth

2002

Molecular Reproduction Devel

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The brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) zona pellucida (ZP) is composed of three major glycoproteins, designated ZP1, ZP2, and ZP3 based on their size and homology with eutherian ZP proteins. These proteins are candidate antigens for the development of an immunocontraceptive vaccine to control the fertility of the brushtail possum in New Zealand, where it is an introduced pest. In order to further their immunological and functional characterization, recombinant possum ZP proteins were produced in Escherichia coli (E. coli) strain JM109, M15, SG13009, or BL21 codon plus. Each of the proteins produced possessed a N-terminal six histidine tag (His)(6) to facilitate purification and consisted of amino acid (aa) residues 18-471 of possum ZP1, aa residues 40-311 of ZP2 (ZP2-N), aa residues 305-634 of ZP2 (ZP2-C), and aa residues 23-342 of ZP3. Immunoblot using anti-RGS(His)(4) antibodies and polyclonal rabbit anti-porcine ZP antibodies detected major bands at 54 kDa for ZP1, 32 kDa for ZP2-N, 39 kDa for ZP2-C, and 40 kDa for ZP3. Immunization of male and female rabbits with ZP2-N, ZP2-C, and ZP3 purified on Ni-NTA resin under denaturing conditions generated antibodies reactive with recombinant ZP proteins on Western blot and with native ZP proteins in possum ovarian sections using immunofluorescence. Antibodies generated against ZP1 in the same way were reactive with recombinant ZP proteins on Western blot only. The recombinant possum ZP proteins and specific antibodies produced in this study give an indication of the antigenic relationship of the possum ZP proteins and are vital tools for future studies of sperm-ZP binding in marsupials and for the evaluation of ZP-based contraceptive vaccines in possums and other marsupials.

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“…Together these studies indicate that whilst marsupial reproductive mechanisms are generally similar to that in eutherian mammals, there are distinct differences in the post-testicular maturation of sperm and the fertilisation process (reviewed by Mate et al, 2000b). For example, the acrosome of macropodid, phalangerid and some petaurid marsupials undergoes significant morphological change during epididymal maturation (Harding et al,'79;Lin and Rodger,'99) and the fertilising spermatozoon, in some marsupials at least, digests a large hole in the zona pellucida (Rodger and Bedford, '82;Taggart et al, '93;Mate et al, 2000a).…”

mentioning

confidence: 97%

Characterisation of an epitope shared by an acrosomal acrosin-like protein and the surface of tammar wallaby (Macropus eugenii) spermatozoa

Harris

Rodger

2005

J. Exp. Zool.

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Monoclonal antibodies (mAb) have been raised against marsupial sperm proteins to provide insights into the molecular nature of marsupial spermatozoa, and the proteins that mediate sperm maturation and interaction with the oocyte. This study reports the production of a mAb, designated WSA-1, which bound acrosomal and surface determinants on tammar wallaby spermatozoa. The acrosomal antigen was first detected in the wallaby testis; however, ejaculated spermatozoa demonstrated whole cell WSA-1 immunoreactivity as a result of binding an epididymal protein. Ultrastructural and agglutination analyses localised the WSA-1 epitope to the acrosomal matrix and the whole sperm plasmalemma. The WSA-1 mAb bound three polypeptides with relative molecular weights of 35, 31 and 15 kDa on western blots under reducing conditions. The N-terminal amino acid sequence obtained for the 35 kDa wallaby sperm polypeptide demonstrated identity with the eutherian acrosomal protein acrosin. The 31 kDa polypeptide was of epididymal origin and will be the subject of a separate study. Further studies of the WSA-1 antigens are likely to provide useful insights into the function and maturation of marsupial sperm since proacrosin has a number of putative roles in eutherian fertilisation, and epididymal proteins are thought to mediate sperm maturation and storage.

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Fertilization in Monotreme, Marsupial and Eutherian Mammals

Cited by 7 publications

References 170 publications

Enigmas of mammalian gamete form and function

Enigmas of mammalian gamete form and function

Expression in Escherichia coli and immunological characterization of three zona pellucida proteins (ZP1, ZP2, and ZP3) from a marsupial, the brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula)

Characterisation of an epitope shared by an acrosomal acrosin-like protein and the surface of tammar wallaby (Macropus eugenii) spermatozoa

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