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Characterization of antibodies generated against a conserved portion of oviductal glycoprotein (OGP) and endogenous
A Schmidt1, P A Mavrogianis, M B O'Day-Bowman
1Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Illinois at Chicago 60612, USA.
Problem:
The effect of antibodies generated against hamster oviductal glycoprotein (OGP) on sperm binding to the zona pellucida (ZP) was evaluated.
Method Of Study:
Antibodies against a 17-amino-acid sequence of the OGP core protein (amino acids 52-68) and the denatured hamster OGP protein were generated, characterized, and tested in an in vitro sperm binding assay.
Results:
Sperm binding was significantly decreased (P < 0.05) when oviductal oocytes were incubated for 2 hr with 4 or 8 mg/ml of immune IgG of both antibodies when compared with normal rabbit IgG. A fluorescence assay showed binding of both antibodies to the endogenous OGP associated with the ZP of ovulated hamster oocytes.
Conclusions:
These results suggest that OGP may be a potential immunocontraceptive target because both antibodies significantly decreased sperm binding to the ZP of oviductal oocytes. Immunocontraception may be accomplished by attempting to generate active immunity to a recombinant OGP, to the region selected in this study (amino acids 52-68) or to some other region of the core protein.