Impaired sperm aggregation in Adam2 and Adam3 null mice.

Previous studies have shown that sperm from Adam2 and Adam3 knockout mice have defective migration in the female reproductive tracts and cannot bind to the egg's zona pellucida (ZP), which leads to infertility. Here, we report that Adam2 and Adam3 knockout sperm have severely impaired sperm aggregation and that this defect is not restored over time during in vitro cultivation, suggesting the requirement of ADAM2 and ADAM3 in normal sperm association. Copyright 2010 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.