Reproduction Abstracts

Introduction: Primary binding of the sperm to the zona pellucida (ZP), or its analogues, is one of the many steps necessary for successful fertilization in all sexually reproducing species. Sperm bind ZP by means of membrane receptors which recognize carbohydrate moieties on ZP glycoproteins according to a well-precised sequential process. Primary-binding receptors are localized throughout the acrosomal region of the sperm surface of which many have been disclosed in various m...