TITLE:
Expression of α6 integrin subunit in bovine oocyte and its potential role during fertilization
AUTHORS:
Roseli Fernandes Gonçalves, Ricardo Pimenta Bertolla, Cássia Maria Barroso Orlandi, Valquiria Hyppolito Barnabe
KEYWORDS:
Integrins; Bovine Oocytes; Fertilization; Sperm-Oocyte Binding
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Bioscience and Biotechnology,
Vol.4 No.5,
May
27,
2013
ABSTRACT: Fertilization in mammals requires the successful completion
of a sequence of steps, starting with the transport of gametes in the
reproductive tract and ending with sperm-egg
membrane fusion to produce a zygote. Although some integrin subunits are
known to be associated with the plasma membrane of some mammalian oocytes
and spermatozoa, the presence of α6 integrin on bovine oocytes with intact zona pellucida has not been reported.
The present study was undertaken to evaluate the expression of α6 integrin subunit in bovine
oocyte and to determine if in vitro binding to the zona pellucida and
fertilization were affected by treating oocytes with α6 integrin subunit antibody.
The α6 integrin subunit
was identified on the bovine oocyte by
immunocytochemistry. In vitro fertilization was significantly decreased when in vitro matured bovine oocytes were pre-incubated with α6 integrin subunit antibody at concentration 5 and 20 μg/mL, and
spermoocyte binding increased. These studies demonstrated the presence
of α6 integrin subunit on
bovine oocyte, and its importance in fertilization and polyspermy.