Abstract
Summary
The successful destruction of rabbit decapacitation factor by beta-amylase is reported. The finding of a level of amylase 4 times the level found in blood serum suggests that enzymatic removal of decapacitation factor from the surface of the spermatozoa head constitutes one step of the capacitation process. Decapacitation factor appears to be a polysaccharide since it is destroyed by amylolytic but not by proteolytic enzymes.
NOTE ADDED IN PROOF: Following the preliminary report that beta-amylase may be involved in capacitation (4), successful in vitro capacitation was described (Kirton, K. T., and Hafs, H. D., Science, 1965, v150, 618). Current experiments using their experimental conditions have been unsuccessful to date in obtaining in vitro capacitation with beta-amylase.
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