INCREASE IN INTRACELLULAR CALCIUM IONS UPON FERTILIZATION IN ANIMAL EGGS

• Published in: ACTA HISTOCHEMICA ET CYTOCHEMICA Vol. 22; no. 1; pp. 153 - 156
• Main Authors: HIRAMOTO, YUKIO, YOSHIMOTO, YASUAKI, IWAMATSU, TAKASHI
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Sendai JAPAN SOCIETY OF HISTOCHEMISTRY AND CYTOCHEMISTRY 1989; Japan Science and Technology Agency
• ISSN: 0044-5991; 1347-5800
• DOI: 10.1267/ahc.22.153

A transient rise in the concentration of Ca2+ in the cortex upon ferttilization was demonstrated in echinoderm, teleost, amphlian and mammalian eggs by the luminescence of aequorin which had been microinjected into the egg, with a high sensitivity video-microscopic system. The Ca2+ increase started near the site of sperm entry and was propagated as a wave along the cortex toward the antipode of the egg. The wave occurred once and the propagation velocity of the wave was about 10μn/sec in echinoderm, teleost and amphibian eggs at room temperatures, while a series of Ca2+ waves with a higher propagation velocity were observed in golden hamster eggs in a warmed condition. Possible involvement of Ca2+ and inositol 1, 4, 5-triphosphate in the activation upon fertilization was investigated.