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Structure and Function of Mammalian Zonae Pellucidae

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Introduction to Mammalian Reproduction

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Abstract

The zona pellucida (ZP) is the unique extracellular matrix surrounding the mammalian oocyte. During the fertilization process, sperm must first bind to and penetrate the zona before it comes into contact with its plasma membrane and fuses with the oocyte. While the association of the sperm with the ZP is thought to be a species-specific event in some species, this specificity has been shown to be limited in other mammalian species. After binding, the sperm must penetrate the ZP matrix through limited proteolytic digestion by sperm enzymes. The ZP of some species has also been shown to be modified following fertilization resulting in a block to polyspermy, a process referred to as the “zona reaction”. The zona reaction has been attributed to chemical modifications of the ZP presumably due to the release of components from cortical granules initiated by fertilization (1). The ZP matrix remains intact after fertilization in order to support the cleaving cells of the blastocyst. It has also been thought to aid in the movement of embryo in the oviduct, and to ensure proper embryonic development as well as to prevent embryo fusion in the oviduct.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA

    Sarvamangala V. Prasad & Bonnie S. Dunbar

  2. National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, India

    Gautam Kaul

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  1. Sarvamangala V. Prasad
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  2. Gautam Kaul
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  3. Bonnie S. Dunbar
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Cell Biology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA

    Daulat R. P. Tulsiani Ph.D.

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Prasad, S.V., Kaul, G., Dunbar, B.S. (2003). Structure and Function of Mammalian Zonae Pellucidae. In: Tulsiani, D.R.P. (eds) Introduction to Mammalian Reproduction. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-0273-9_12

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-0273-9_12

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