Evidence that peptides derived from the disintegrin domain of primate fertilin and containing the ECD motif block the binding of human spermatozoa to the zona‐free hamster oocyte

Abstract

The binding of human spermatozoa to, and penetration of, zona‐free hamster oocytes were significantly inhibited in the presence of (i) a 28‐residue peptide corresponding to part of the disintegrin‐like domain of monkey fertilin β, or (ii) a hexapeptide containing the ECD motif found in the disintegrin‐like domain of monkey and human fertilin β, or (iii) a hexapeptide containing an RGD motif, implicated in integrin recognition. Polyclonal antibodies raised against the 28‐residue peptide were used in conjunction with immunobeads to demonstrate that this peptide bound to the oolemma of zona‐free hamster oocytes. These data support the view that the ECD motif is involved in the recognition of the oolemma receptor by human fertilin.