STUDIES ON SPERM FERTILIZING ABILITY

总体目标是提供有关生理学的关键信息 以及精子与卵子投资（卵丘）相互作用的生物化学 卵（CO）和透明卵（ZP）。 具体目标是（1）确定 在那里，精子经历顶体反应（AR）， 与鸡蛋投资的渗透有关。 该问题将被 研究使用视频显微照相术记录精子顶体变化（AR） 因为它们渗透到体外的卵子中。 (2)阐明本 CO和ZP的功能意义和相对作用 精子中的AR。 这将使用一个高度定义的 体外受精程序 (3)来描述化学性质 在配子中发现的顶体反应诱导因子（ARIF） 在低精子：卵子比例的相互作用，以探测渗透 体外完整CO;（B）检查卵的功能作用 （c）对支持精子可再生性的投资; ZP的AR诱导的功能意义与 （d）评价ZP-ARIF的可能增效作用， CO-ARIF。 此外，（e）我们能够使精子获能， 完全化学限定的条件，即，在没有 生物活性蛋白，如血清白蛋白，这可能会混淆 试图研究自然发生的ARIF来源。 总之，这些实验将填补一些基本的空白， 目前关于卵子投资与 精子，特别强调其在调节精子中的作用 兼容性。

The overall objective is to provide critical information on the physiology and biochemistry of sperm interactions with the egg investments (cumulus oophorus (CO) and zona pellucida (ZP)). Specific aims are (1) to determine where the fertilizing spermatozoon undergoes the acrosome reaction (AR) in relation to penetration of the egg investments. This question will be studied using video-micrography to record acrosomal changes (AR) in sperm as they penetrate egg investments in vitro. (2) To elucidate the functional significance and relative roles of the CO and ZP in stimulating the AR in fertilizing sperm. This will be done using a highly defined in vitro fertilization procedure. (3) To characterize the chemical nature of the acrosome reaction-inducing factor (ARIF) found in the gamete interactions at low sperm:egg ratios in order to probe the penetration of intact CO in vitro; (b) examination of the functional roles of egg investments in supporting sperm fertilizing ability; (c) investigation of the functional significance for AR-induction of the ZP separately from that of the CO; and (d) evaluation of the possible potentiation of ZP-ARIF by CO-ARIF. In addition, (e) we are able to capacitate spermatozoa under completely chemically-defined conditions, i.e., in the absence of biologically-active proteins such as serum albumin, which can confound attempts to examine naturally-occurring sources of ARIF. Taken together, the experiments will fill in some fundamental gaps in present knowledge about the interactions of the egg investments with spermatozoa, with particular emphasis on their roles in regulating sperm fertilizing ability.