Regulatory mechanisms of fertilizability of animal sperm by the surface glycans

为了了解表面多糖在动物精子受精性调节中的作用，我们重点研究了富含多糖的糖蛋白，这些糖蛋白的多糖含量超过90%(重量比)。获得了以下两个新发现：(1)在猪和海胆中发现了富含葡聚糖的鞭毛糖蛋白，并发现它们通过控制细胞内钙离子来调节精子的运动；(2)另一种强烈附着在精子表面的富含糖蛋白来自精浆。获能过程中精子表面糖蛋白的脱落与精子受精率的提高有关。

To understand roles of the surface glycans in regulation of fertilizability of animal sperm, we focused on the glycan-rich glycoproteins whose glycan content was more than 90% by weight. The following two new findings were obtained : (1) Glycan-rich flagellar glycoproteins were discovered in pig and sea urchin, and found to regulate sperm motility through controlling the intracellular calcium ions ; (2) Another type of glycan-rich glycoproteins strongly sticking on the sperm surface was found to be originated from seminal plasma. The detachment of the glycoprotein from the surface during capacitation was related with the higher fertilizability of sperm.