Glycosidase and cumulus dispersal activities of acrosomal extracts from opossum (marsupial) and rabbit (eutherian) spermatozoa

Opossum and rabbit sperm sonicates dispersed the mouse cumulus oophorus in vitro at the same rate on a per sperm basis, despite much higher activities of the glycosidic acrosomal enzymes N‐acetylhexosaminidase (350 ×) and arylsulphatase (40 ×) in the opossum preparation. Activities of another glycosidase, hyaluronidase, and the protease acrosin where similar in sperm extracts from both species. However, specific inhibitors of N‐acetylhexosaminidase (iodoacetate) and arylsulphatase (SO 4 2− , PO 4 3− ) markedly reduced the rate of cumulus dispersal by rabbit sperm sonicates. These findings suggest that, while hyaluronidase action probably represents the rate‐limiting (slow) step, several glycosidases act together to disperse the cumulus and in the passage of the fertilizing spermatozoon through it in eutherian mammals. The likely role of these acrosomal enzymes in the marsupial, where the ovulated oocytes lack a cumulus oophorus, is more uncertain.