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Characterization of equine zona pellucida glycoproteins by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and immunological techniques

Summary. This study was designed to explore the composition of the equine zona pellucida (EZP) by one- and two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (1D- and 2D-PAGE), silver staining and immunoblotting techniques. Antral follicles palpable on frozen–thawed equine ovaries were aspirated with a needle and syringe, and the resultant follicular fluid, cellular material and oocytes were pooled. Oocytes were placed in Petri dishes, moved by narrow-bore pipette to droplets of phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) and mechanically cleaned of cumulus cells. The EZP from these collected oocytes was solubilized, and then analysed by 1D- and 2D-PAGE. Silver stained 2D-PAGE of the EZP revealed the presence of three EZP glycoprotein families of apparent molecular mass ranges of 93–120 kDa, 73–90 kDa and 45–80 kDa. Immunoblot analysis of EZP glycoproteins resolved by 2D-PAGE using rabbit antisera against pig zonae pellucidae (RHSPZ) confirmed the presence of three EZP glycoprotein families and established the existence of common epitopes between equine and porcine ZP glycoproteins. Further immunodetection using 2D-PAGE-separated glycoproteins illustrated that the 45–80 kDa family is recognized by the monoclonal antibody R5, developed against the porcine ZP glycoprotein of molecular mass 55–120 kDa. Guinea-pig antiserum against endo-β-galactosidase-treated rabbit ZP 55 kDa glycoprotein (R55K), which specifically recognizes the rabbit ZP glycoprotein with the lowest molecular mass, also recognized the EZP 45–80 kDa glycoprotein family. Guinea-pig polyclonal antisera developed against total heat-solubilized rabbit ZP (GPHSRZ) recognized the 73–90 kDa EZP glycoprotein family exclusively. After heat solubilization and treatment of EZP with endo-β-galactosidase to remove polylactosaminoglycans, silver stained 1D-PAGE again demonstrated the presence of three glycoproteins with apparent molecular masses of 60, 75 and 90 kDa. The partially deglycosylated 60 kDa equine glycoprotein is recognized on immunoblot by the monoclonal antibody R5; the 75 kDa EZP glycoprotein is recognized by GPHSRZ; and all three EZP glycoproteins separated by 1D-PAGE are recognized by RHSPZ. These data add further support to the concept of cross-species zona pellucida glycoprotein antigenicity.

Keywords: horse; zona pellucida; polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis; antigenicity; glycoproteins

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