Effects of acrosin inhibitors on the soluble and membrane-bound forms of ram acrosin, and a reappraisal of the role of the enzyme in fertilization.

When denuded ram spermatozoa were suspended in weakly buffered 0.25M sucrose, the acrosin remained bound to the acrosomal membranes of the sperm heads. Media containing CaCl2 caused complete solubilization of the enzyme. Effects of acrosin inhibitors on soluble and bound enzyme were studied in Tris HCl(pH 8.2) containing sucrose. Denuded spermatozoa were used as a preparation of bound acrosin. Trasylol (Kunitz basic pancreatic trypsin inhibitor) acted more strongly on bound scrosin than on soluble acrosin, but soya-bean trypsin inhibitor acted more strongly on soluble acrosin. At concentrations 0.5 - 2.0muM, the inhibitors isolated from ram acrosomes and from ram seminal plasma inhibited soluble acrosin but had negligible effects on bound acrosin. However, bound acrosin was sensitive to high concentrations of the acrosomal inhibitor. The two forms of acrosin were inhibited to about the same degree by p-aminobenzamidine and also by Tos-Lys-CH2Cl. It is proposed that membrane-bound acrosin is the form that functions in penetration of the zona pellucida, and that a role for acrosin inhibitors is suppression of an antifertility effect of soluble acrosin on mammalian eggs. This hypothesis is supported by 1) the results of work on the impaired fertilizing capacity of rabbit spermatozoa that have been treated with acrosin inhibitors, 2) the anti-fertility effects on hamster eggs of solutions of acrosin and of bovine trypsin, and 3) the results in this paper.