Pinto M R, Hoshi M, Marino R, Amoroso A, De Santis R
Institute of Protein Biochemistry and Enzymology, CNR, Napoli, Italy.
Mol Reprod Dev. 1990 Aug;26(4):319-23. doi: 10.1002/mrd.1080260405.
In Ciona intestinalis, sperm penetration through the egg vitelline coat is an essential event of fertilization. We investigated whether trypsin- and chymotrypsin-like enzymes are involved in this event. Inhibitors and peptide substrates for chymotrypsin-like enzymes blocked the overall process of fertilization in a concentration-dependent manner. The inhibitory activity was specifically exerted on the step of sperm penetration. Chymotrypsin-like protease activity was identified in spermatozoa with the fluorogenic synthetic substrate Suc-Ala-Ala-Phe-AMC, which was the most effective substrate in blocking sperm penetration. These data indicate that a chymotrypsin-like protease activity is a sperm lysin of Ciona intestinalis.
在玻璃海鞘中，精子穿透卵黄膜是受精过程中的一个关键事件。我们研究了胰蛋白酶样和胰凝乳蛋白酶样酶是否参与这一事件。胰凝乳蛋白酶样酶的抑制剂和肽底物以浓度依赖的方式阻断了受精的整个过程。抑制活性特异性地作用于精子穿透步骤。用荧光合成底物琥珀酰-丙氨酰-丙氨酰-苯丙氨酸-7-氨基-4-甲基香豆素在精子中鉴定出胰凝乳蛋白酶样蛋白酶活性，该底物是阻断精子穿透最有效的底物。这些数据表明，胰凝乳蛋白酶样蛋白酶活性是玻璃海鞘的一种精子溶素。
