Evolution and Nomenclature of the Zona Pellucida Gene Family

• Published in: Biology of reproduction Vol. 68; no. 2; pp. 358 - 362
• Main Authors: Spargo, Scott C, Hope, Rory M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Madison, WI Society for the Study of Reproduction 01.02.2003
• Subjects: Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Biological evolution; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; gamete biology; General aspects; Genetics of eukaryotes. Biological and molecular evolution; Humans; Minireview; Multigene Family; Phylogeny; Terminology as Topic; Vertebrates: general zoology, morphology, phylogeny, systematics, cytogenetics, geographical distribution; Zona Pellucida - physiology; Human; Nucleotide sequence; Taxonomy; Interspecific comparison; Biological evolution; Chemotaxonomy; Phylogeny; Germinal cell; Zona pellucida; Vertebrata; Complementary DNA; Animal; Oocyte

Three subfamilies of genes are acknowledged within the zona pellucida (ZP) gene family. At present, these subfamilies each have two names that are used interchangeably: ZPA or ZP2, ZPB or ZP1, and ZPC or ZP3. The ZPA genes encode the longest protein sequences and the ZPC genes the shortest. Recently...