| sing the hemizona assay (HZA), a in vitro sperm-egg binding assay, we show that specific glycoconjugates known to inhibit immune cell interactions mediated by the selectins, potently block human sperm-egg binding. The selectin ligand sialyl Lewis;Periodate oxidation under conditions that affect only the terminal sugar residues results in a 30-40% loss in sperm binding. Treatment of the ZP with neuraminidase and endo-;In this study we provide preliminary evidence that human gametes express the bisecting type glycans. Our studies indicate that these glycans potently inhibit natural killer (NK) cells, the predominant cell type expressed in the uterus during pregnancy. Other glycoconjugates like... |
