The role of carbohydrates in mammalian sperm-egg interactions: how important are carbohydrate epitopes?

Evidence implicating the involvement of carbohydrates in fertilization has been reported for decades in species which span the phylogenetic scale. The exact nature and role of these ligands in fertilization, however, has eluded investigators. Here, such investigations are reviewed as they relate to mammalian fertilization, with the principle focus on reviewing the role of carbohydrates involved in the primary binding event between sperm cell and egg.