Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
1
pubmed:dateCreated
2000-9-25
pubmed:abstractText
During fertilization, sperm and egg plasma membranes adhere and then fuse by a mechanism that is not well understood. Zinc metalloproteases are necessary for some intercellular fusion events, for instance, cell-cell fusion in yeast. In this study we tested the effects of class-specific and family-specific protease inhibitors on mouse gamete fusion. Capacitated, acrosome-reacted sperm and zona-free eggs were used in assays designed to define the effects of inhibitors on sperm-egg plasma membrane binding or fusion. Inhibitors of the aspartic, cysteine, and serine protease classes had no effect on sperm-egg binding or fusion. Both a synthetic metalloprotease substrate (succinyl-Ala-Ala-Phe-amidomethylcoumarin) and the zinc chelator 1,10-phenanthroline inhibited sperm-egg fusion but did not decrease sperm-egg binding. The fusion-inhibition effect of phenanthroline was reversible and activity of the inhibitable zinc metalloprotease was shown to be required during a short time window, the first 15 min after insemination. Tissue inhibitor of metalloprotease-3 and Ro 31-9790, specific inhibitors of zinc metalloproteases in the matrixin and adamalysin families, also inhibited sperm-egg fusion but not sperm-egg binding. These data indicate a role in gamete fusion for one or more zinc metalloproteases of the matrixin and/or adamalysin families that act after plasma membrane binding and before sperm-egg membrane fusion.
pubmed:grant
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Sep
pubmed:issn
0012-1606
pubmed:author
pubmed:copyrightInfo
Copyright 2000 Academic Press.
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:day
1
pubmed:volume
225
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
124-34
pubmed:dateRevised
2007-11-14
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
2000
pubmed:articleTitle
A role for a TIMP-3-sensitive, Zn(2+)-dependent metalloprotease in mammalian gamete membrane fusion.
pubmed:affiliation
Section of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California at Davis, 95616, USA.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.