I Stetson, M Avilés, C Moros, F A García-Vázquez, L Gimeno, A Torrecillas, C Aliaga, M V Bernardo-Pisa, J Ballesta, M J Izquierdo-Rico
The mammalian oocyte is surrounded by a matrix called the zona pellucida (ZP). This envelope participates in processes such as acrosome reaction induction, sperm binding and may be involved in speciation. In cat (Felis catus), this matrix is composed of at least three glycoproteins called ZP2, ZP3, and ZP4. However, recent studies have pointed to the presence of a fourth protein in several mammals (rat, human, hamster or rabbit), meaning that a reevaluation of cat ZP is needed. For this reason, the objective of this research was to analyze the protein composition of cat ZP by means of proteomic analysis...
April 15, 2015: Theriogenology