Role of Calcium Influx During the Latent Period in Sea Urchin Fertilization

Overview

Journal Dev Growth Differ

Specialties Biology
Reproductive Medicine

Date 2023 Jun 7

PMID 37282329

Authors

Robbert Creton

Lionel F Jaffe

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

After ∼7-40 s following gamete fusion, a steadily increasing fraction of a sea urchin's zygotes initiate an activating calcium wave. The fertilization membrane then rises, the cell cycle resumes and development begins. This study focuses on the so-called latent period that occurs between the time that gamete fusion occurs and the initiation of the activating calcium wave. We inhibited calcium influx during this period by adding lanthanum or by reducing external calcium with a buffer at various time points after insemination. Both of these treatments blocked the activation of eggs that had not yet started a wave at the time of treatment. This indicates that an influx of calcium is needed during the latent period to induce egg activation. These results support the sperm conduit model of egg activation in the sea urchin, where calcium flows from the sea through the fused sperms' acrosomal process into a cortical region of the eggs' endoplasmic reticulum.

Citing Articles

Regulation of the Actin Cytoskeleton-Linked Ca Signaling by Intracellular pH in Fertilized Eggs of Sea Urchin.

Limatola N, Chun J, Santella L Cells. 2022; 11(9).

PMID: 35563801 PMC: 9100012. DOI: 10.3390/cells11091496.

Cellular and molecular aspects of oocyte maturation and fertilization: a perspective from the actin cytoskeleton.

Santella L, Limatola N, Chun J Zoological Lett. 2020; 6:5.

PMID: 32313685 PMC: 7158055. DOI: 10.1186/s40851-020-00157-5.

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