Identification of a binding site in the disintegrin domain of fertilin required for sperm-egg fusion

  1. D G Myles,
  2. L H Kimmel,
  3. C P Blobel,
  4. J M White, and
  5. P Primakoff
  1. Department of Physiology, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington 06030.

Abstract

Fertilization and certain later stages in mammalian embryonic development require fusion between membranes of individual cells. The mechanism of eukaryotic cell-cell fusion is unknown, and no surface molecules required for this process have been unequivocally identified. The role of the sperm surface protein fertilin in sperm-egg fusion was tested by using peptide analogues of a potential integrin binding site in the fertilin beta subunit. Peptide analogues that include a TDE sequence from the disintegrin region of fertilin beta are able to bind to the egg plasma membrane and strongly inhibit sperm-egg fusion. These results show that the disintegrin domain of fertilin beta binds to the egg plasma membrane and that this binding is required for membrane fusion.

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  1. PNAS May 10, 1994 vol. 91 no. 10 4195-4198
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