Department of Biological Sciences, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA.
Biol Reprod. 2010 Mar;82(3):572-9. doi: 10.1095/biolreprod.109.076695. Epub 2009 Sep 30.
Sperm-associated alpha-L-fucosidases have been identified in diverse organisms. Their wide phylogenetic distribution and known properties support the likelihood that L-fucose and alpha-L-fucosidase have fundamental function(s) during gamete interaction. This is consistent with the substantial evidence in the literature documenting the importance of carbohydrate moieties during fertilization. Direct enzyme assays were employed to evaluate the functional distribution of alpha-L-fucosidase in preparations of hamster sperm. In vitro fertilization was performed using Syrian hamster sperm and eggs to identify the functional role of hamster sperm-associated alpha-L-fucosidase during zona pellucida binding/penetration, sperm-egg membrane fusion, and postfusion events. Results reported here document the presence of hamster sperm-associated alpha-L-fucosidase and demonstrate that it functions during fertilization at the stage of sperm-oocyte membrane interaction and/or postfusion events within the zygote. Understanding the role of alpha-L-fucosidase during human fertilization could lead to development of improved infertility treatments.
已在多种生物中鉴定出与精子相关的α-L-岩藻糖苷酶。它们广泛的系统发生分布和已知的特性支持这样一种可能性，即 L-岩藻糖和α-L-岩藻糖苷酶在配子相互作用过程中具有基本功能。这与文献中大量记录糖基在受精过程中重要性的证据是一致的。采用直接酶测定法评估了仓鼠精子制剂中α-L-岩藻糖苷酶的功能分布。使用叙利亚仓鼠精子和卵进行体外受精，以确定仓鼠精子相关α-L-岩藻糖苷酶在透明带结合/穿透、精子-卵膜融合以及融合后事件中的功能作用。这里报道的结果证明了仓鼠精子相关α-L-岩藻糖苷酶的存在，并表明它在受精过程中在精子-卵母细胞膜相互作用和/或受精卵中的融合后事件阶段发挥作用。了解α-L-岩藻糖苷酶在人类受精过程中的作用可能会导致开发出改进的不孕治疗方法。
