Glycoproteins from Bufo arenarum vitelline envelope with fertility-impairing effect on homologous spermatozoa.

When spermatozoa from Bufo arenarum are incubated with molecules extracted from the vitelline envelopes of homologous oocytes, they lose their fertilizing capacity. Those molecules are glycoproteins, and the elimination of mannoside residues from them results in activity loss, while digestion of the proteic moiety did not alter their biological effect. Sepharose-concanavalin A columns were used to purify the glycoproteins, since the active fraction binds to the column. The fertility-impairing effect observed does not seem to be mediated by an acrosome reaction-inducing effect.