Human sperm-egg binding is inhibited by peptides corresponding to core region of an acrosomal serine protease inhibitor.

An antiserum, designated R4 and raised against denatured hamster acrosomes, was shown to localize specifically to the acrosomal region of hamster, rat, mouse, and human spermatozoa, and to inhibit both hamster and human sperm-oocyte binding in vitro. Following screening of a human testis lambda gt11 cDNA expression library with the antiserum R4, a series of cDNA clones were isolated. One (cDNA 134) was selected based on the ability of the beta-galactosidase fusion protein to inhibit human and hamster sperm-zona binding in vitro. The fusion protein was also shown to inhibit the penetration of zona-free hamster oocytes by human spermatozoa. Sequence analysis revealed that cDNA 134 coded for a portion of a serine protease inhibitor (serpin) closely related to plasma Protein C inhibitor. Sequencing of an additional cDNA clone (261) and Northern blot analysis confirmed that a Protein C inhibitor-like mRNA is synthesised in the human testis. Affinity-purified anti-134 antibody specifically localized to the acrosomal region of both hamster and human sperm. Synthetic peptides corresponding to the conserved core region responsible for the interaction of the serpin with its cognate protease also blocked human sperm-zona binding in vitro. The results suggest that this acrosomally located inhibitor plays an important role in the series of binding events that results in human fertilization.