PMID: 18952059

 

    Legend: Sugar

Title : Putative sperm fusion protein IZUMO and the role of N-glycosylation

Abstract :
  1. IZUMO is the mouse sperm protein proven to be essential for fusion with eggs
  2. It contains one immunoglobulin-like domain with a conserved glycosylation site within
  3. In the present paper, we produced transgenic mouse lines expressing unglycosylated IZUMO (N204Q -IZUMO ) in Izumo1 -/- background
  4. The expression of N204Q -IZUMO rescued the infertile phenotype of IZUMO disrupted mice, indicating glycosylation is not essential for fusion-facilitating activity of IZUMO
  5. The N204Q -IZUMO was produced in testis in comparable amounts to wild-type IZUMO , but the amount of N204Q -IZUMO on sperm was significantly decreased by the time sperm reached the cauda epididymis
  6. These data suggest that glycosylation is not essential for the function of IZUMO , but has a role in protecting it from fragmentation in cauda epididymis