Trypsin-like Hatching Enzyme of Mouse Blastocysts: Evidence for Its Participation in Hatching Process before Zona Shedding of Embryos : (embryo/hatching enzyme/protease/trypsin/strypsin).

Effects of twelve protease inhibitors on hatching of mouse embryos were investigated. Mouse hatching was strongly or moderately inhibited by trypsin inhibitors including p-toluenesulfonyl-Lys-CH Cl (TLCK) and chicken ovomucoid, while inhibitors for chymotrypsin and elastase showed weak or no inhibition. These results indicate the participation of a trypsin-like protease in the hatching of mouse embryos as a hatching enzyme.