The zona pellucida is an extracellular matrix that surrounds the oocyte and early embryo. It is composed primarily of three or four glycoproteins with various functions during fertilization and preimplantation development. The protein encoded by ZP3 is a structural component of the zona pellucida and functions in primary binding and induction of the sperm acrosome reaction. The nascent protein contains a N-terminal signal peptide sequence, a conserved ZP domain, a C-terminal consensus furin cleavage site, and a transmembrane domain. It is hypothesized that furin cleavage results in release of the mature protein from the plasma membrane for subsequent incorporation into the zona pellucida matrix. However, the requirement for furin cleavage in this process remains controversial based on mouse studies.