[Gamete interactions: which sperm ligands for the oocyte membrane?].

Fertilization includes sperm-oocyte recognition, adhesion, binding, fusion and egg activation. Integrin receptors which are adhesion molecules are expressed on unfertilized oocytes. By comparing to several cell-cell interactions such as lymphocyte activation, viral fusion, bacterial infection or macrophage phagocytosis, potential sperm ligands have been identified.