Immunogenicity of a 92kDa component of porcine zona pellucida isolated using a monoclonal antibody (3A4-2G1) exclusively cross-reactive with porcine and human zonae pellucidae.

Three monoclonal antibodies (Mabs) to solubilized porcine zona pellucida (s-PZP) were produced. They reacted exclusively to porcine and human zonae pellucidae (ZPe) and two of them blocked sperm penetration of ZP in humans by collaborating with goat anti-mouse gamma-globulin serum as a second antibody. The antigen corresponding to one of these Mabs (Mab 3A4-2G1) was fractionated from s-PZP by immunoaffinity chromatography bound Mab 3A4-2G1. The antigen corresponding to Mab 3A4-2G1 was further fractionated by SDS-PAGE and the protein band corresponding to 92kDa was found to react to Mab 3A4-2G1, as demonstrated by Western blotting. The 92kDa fraction of s-PZP was isolated and injected into mice with complete and incomplete Freund's adjuvants to obtain an antiserum. It was shown that the antiserum to the 92kDa molecule reacted in a tissue-specific manner to human ZP and exhibited a strong inhibitory effect on sperm penetration of ZP of human oocytes.