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The morphological and molecular susceptibility of sheep and mouse zona pellucida to acrosin

Summary. The effect of acrosin on the gross morphology and macromolecular constituents of the mouse and sheep zona pellucida has been examined by light microscopy and SDS-PAGE following labelling of the zona with ¹²⁵I. Ram and boar acrosin had similar effects on the sheep zona in that while there was no discernible alteration in the gross morphology of the investment it was proteolysed to the same limited extent by both enzymes; during 1 h major polypeptides of M_r 180 000 (present on the zona pellucida of eggs but absent from that of oocytes) and 80 000 were hydrolysed, giving rise to polypeptides of M_r 68 000, 54 000 and 46000, of which the last accumulated and represented the lowest molecular weight hydrolysis product. By contrast, the mouse zona pellucida was completely dissolved from the egg by ram acrosin and the investment's macromolecules were extensively hydrolysed.