FIG. 1. Schematic working model of fertilization. Acrosome-intact sperm complete capacitation and bind to the zona pellucida. ZP3 binds mouse sperm through a receptor or receptor complex that includes GalT-I (upper panel, see text). GalT-I binding activates heterotrimeric G proteins and perhaps other signaling proteins in a complex and triggers the exocytosis of the sperm acrosome. Once the fertilizing sperm completes the acrosome reaction, it migrates through the zona pellucida and binds and fuses with the oocyte plasma membrane, using ADAM family members on sperm that interact with integrins in a complex with tetraspanins on the oocyte plasma membrane (lower panel). Fusion activates the oocyte, releasing cortical granules whose secretion modifies the zona pellucida so that additional sperm do not bind the zona.
