Abstract
AbstractThe zona pellucida (ZP) or egg coat is an architecture that surrounds animal oocytes from fish to mammals. ZP is composed of three to four glycoproteins and plays several roles in reproduction. The ancestor gene arose about five million years ago and underwent mutation and variation over time in various animal species. The classical nomenclature of ZP proteins was derived from apparent molecular weight by migration in SDS-PAGE. The current nomenclature based on ZP genes is accepted for all vertebrate animals including mammals, birds, amphibians, and fish. Crystal structure analysis revealed that there is a common region (named ZP module) consisting of ~260 amino acids. ZP module is conserved in most animal species. ZP3, the smallest among all ZP genes, contains a single ZP module comprising the ZP-N and ZP-C regions. Other ZP genes contain several ZP-N regions and a single ZP-C region. ZP module is presumed to be a structural component of ZP. Sperm-ZP interaction is believed to have several steps involving different ZP proteins. According to a classical model, sperm initially just attach to ZP via ZP3 molecule and induce acrosome reaction. Subsequently, sperm tightly bind to ZP via ZP2 and penetrate through the ZP.
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