We have investigated the changes in the mechanical properties of the zona pellucida (ZP), a multilayer glycoprotein coat that surrounds mammalian eggs, that occur after the maturation and fertilization process of the bovine oocyte by using atomic force spectroscopy. The response of the ZP to mechanical stress has been recovered according to a modified Hertz model. ZP of immature oocytes shows a pure elastic behavior. However, for ZPs of matured and fertilized oocyte, a transition from a purely elastic behavior, which occurs when low stress forces are applied, towards a plastic behavior has been observed. The high critical force necessary to induce deformations, which supports the noncovalent long interaction lifetimes of polymers, increases after the cortical reaction. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) images show that oocyte ZP surface appears to be composed mainly of a dense, random meshwork of nonuniformly arranged fibril bundles. More wrinkled surface characterizes matured oocytes compared with immature and fertilized oocytes. From a mechanical point of view, the transition of the matured ZP membrane toward fertilized ZP, through the hardening process, consists of the recovery of the elasticity of the immature ZP while maintaining a plastic transition that, however, occurs with a much higher force compared with that required in matured ZP.

Mechanical properties of zona pellucida hardening / Massimiliano, Papi; Brunelli, Roberto; Lakamy, Sylla; Tiziana, Parasassi; Maurizio, Monaci; Giuseppe, Maulucci; Mauro, Missori; Giuseppe, Arcovito; Fulvio, Ursini; M., De Spirito. - In: EUROPEAN BIOPHYSICS JOURNAL WITH BIOPHYSICS LETTERS. - ISSN 0175-7571. - 39:6(2010), pp. 987-992. (Intervento presentato al convegno 19th Meeting of the Italian-Society-of-Pure-and-Applied-Biophysics tenutosi a Rome, ITALY nel SEP 17-20, 2008) [10.1007/s00249-009-0468-3].

Mechanical properties of zona pellucida hardening

BRUNELLI, Roberto;
2010

Abstract

We have investigated the changes in the mechanical properties of the zona pellucida (ZP), a multilayer glycoprotein coat that surrounds mammalian eggs, that occur after the maturation and fertilization process of the bovine oocyte by using atomic force spectroscopy. The response of the ZP to mechanical stress has been recovered according to a modified Hertz model. ZP of immature oocytes shows a pure elastic behavior. However, for ZPs of matured and fertilized oocyte, a transition from a purely elastic behavior, which occurs when low stress forces are applied, towards a plastic behavior has been observed. The high critical force necessary to induce deformations, which supports the noncovalent long interaction lifetimes of polymers, increases after the cortical reaction. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) images show that oocyte ZP surface appears to be composed mainly of a dense, random meshwork of nonuniformly arranged fibril bundles. More wrinkled surface characterizes matured oocytes compared with immature and fertilized oocytes. From a mechanical point of view, the transition of the matured ZP membrane toward fertilized ZP, through the hardening process, consists of the recovery of the elasticity of the immature ZP while maintaining a plastic transition that, however, occurs with a much higher force compared with that required in matured ZP.
2010
zona pellucida; cortical reaction; atomic force spectroscopy
01 Pubblicazione su rivista::01a Articolo in rivista
Mechanical properties of zona pellucida hardening / Massimiliano, Papi; Brunelli, Roberto; Lakamy, Sylla; Tiziana, Parasassi; Maurizio, Monaci; Giuseppe, Maulucci; Mauro, Missori; Giuseppe, Arcovito; Fulvio, Ursini; M., De Spirito. - In: EUROPEAN BIOPHYSICS JOURNAL WITH BIOPHYSICS LETTERS. - ISSN 0175-7571. - 39:6(2010), pp. 987-992. (Intervento presentato al convegno 19th Meeting of the Italian-Society-of-Pure-and-Applied-Biophysics tenutosi a Rome, ITALY nel SEP 17-20, 2008) [10.1007/s00249-009-0468-3].
File allegati a questo prodotto
Non ci sono file associati a questo prodotto.

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11573/41868
 Attenzione

Attenzione! I dati visualizzati non sono stati sottoposti a validazione da parte dell'ateneo

Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? 20
  • Scopus 63
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 59
social impact