Acquisition of zona binding by ram spermatozoa during epididymal passage, as revealed by interaction with rat oocytes

To assess the ability of ram spermatozoa to bind to oocytes, spermatozoa (2.5–200 × 106/500μ1) taken from the rete testis, or from various regions of the epididymis (head, body, and tail) were mixed with cumulus-free heterologous oocytes obtained from immature superovulated rats. After incubation for 30–45 min in Parker 199 Hepes medium at 35°C, testicular spermatozoa were unable to bind to the zona at any of the concentrations used. However, spermatozoa from the middle body of the epididymus were able to bind to the zona and this binding reached a maximum in the distal body and in the tail of the epididymis. The spermatozoa were bound by their heads. Electron microscopy showed that the plasma membrane and the acrosome of the bound sperm remained intact, without any sign of an acrosome reaction.