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1 Department of Urology, Washington University School of Medicine,
St. Louis, Missouri
2 Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology, Washington University School of Medicine,
St. Louis, Missouri
Glycosaminoglycans obtained from shark cartilage, whale cartilage, porcine intestinal mucosa, porcine skin, and human umbilical cord
were found to accelerate the in vitro conversion
of highly purified boar sperm proacrosin into
m
-acrosin. Since none of the glycosaminoglycan preparations demonstrated esterase activity (BzArgOEt), general proteinase activity
(Azocoll), or stimulation of acrosin activity, the
glycosaminoglycan stimulation of proacrosin
conversion into acrosin results from a direct
interaction between proacrosin and the
glycosaminoglycans. These results demonstrate that the glycosaminoglycan stimulation
of proacrosin conversion into acrosin is a general phenomenon that is not species- or organ-specific and indicate that glycosaminoglycans
could function in the regulation of the in vivo
conversion of proacrosin into acrosin.
Note:
Acknowledgments
We are indebted to Dr. Billy Day for generously donating the
boar semen. This research was supported by National Institutes of Health Grants HD 09422, HD 12863, and HD 00379, and
by grants from the Rockefeller Foundation and the National
Science Foundation.
Key words: acrosomal enzymes, acrosome reaction, proacrosin, acrosin, glycosaminoglycan
Submitted on June 24, 1979
Revised on August 15, 1979
Accepted on August 15, 1979
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