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Current Topics in Developmental Biology 2018All fish eggs are surrounded by an envelope, called the zona pellucida (ZP), that plays various roles during oogenesis, egg deposition, fertilization, and embryogenesis.... (Review)
Review
All fish eggs are surrounded by an envelope, called the zona pellucida (ZP), that plays various roles during oogenesis, egg deposition, fertilization, and embryogenesis. The fish egg ZP consists of only a few proteins that are homologs of mammalian ZP proteins ZP1, ZP3, and ZP4. Unlike the situation in mammals, in fishes there are often multiple copies of ZP genes, perhaps a consequence of ancient polyploidization, gene amplification, and mutation. Like mammalian ZP proteins, fish egg ZP1-like proteins exhibit conserved organization with distinct domains and motifs, but unlike mammalian ZP1 and ZP4 have a glutamine (Q)- and/or proline (P)-rich stretch as an N-terminal extension. Such extensions may play a role in assembly of ZP fibrils and/or account for certain properties of the fish egg ZP, such as elasticity. Recent proposals suggest that fish egg ZP proteins can adopt amyloid-like structures, serve as antifreeze proteins in Antarctic icefishes, and protect eggs subjected to desiccating conditions in small shallow pools. In this chapter, these and other aspects of fish egg ZP proteins are presented.
Topics: Animals; Egg Proteins; Female; Fishes; Oogenesis; Ovum; Zona Pellucida
PubMed: 29853180
DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2018.01.002 -
Nature Cell Biology Feb 2001Fertilization is defined as the process of union of two gametes, eggs and sperm. When mammalian eggs and sperm come into contact in the female oviduct, a series of steps... (Review)
Review
Fertilization is defined as the process of union of two gametes, eggs and sperm. When mammalian eggs and sperm come into contact in the female oviduct, a series of steps is set in motion that can lead to fertilization and ultimately to development of new individuals. The pathway begins with species-specific binding of sperm to eggs and ends a relatively short time later with fusion of a single sperm with each egg. Although this process has been investigated extensively, only recently have the molecular components of egg and sperm that participate in the mammalian fertilization pathway been identified. Some of these components may participate in gamete adhesion and exocytosis, whereas others may be involved in gamete fusion. Here we describe selected aspects of mammalian fertilization and address some of the latest experimental evidence that bears on this important area of research.
Topics: Animals; Female; Fertilization; Humans; Male; Membrane Proteins; Ovum; Protein Structure, Tertiary; Species Specificity; Sperm-Ovum Interactions; Spermatozoa; Zona Pellucida
PubMed: 11175768
DOI: 10.1038/35055178 -
International Journal of Molecular... Mar 2021Mammalian oocytes are surrounded by an extracellular coat called the zona pellucida (ZP), which, from an evolutionary point of view, is the most ancient of the coats... (Review)
Review
Mammalian oocytes are surrounded by an extracellular coat called the zona pellucida (ZP), which, from an evolutionary point of view, is the most ancient of the coats that envelope vertebrate oocytes and conceptuses. This matrix separates the oocyte from cumulus cells and is responsible for species-specific recognition between gametes, preventing polyspermy and protecting the preimplantation embryo. The ZP is a dynamic structure that shows different properties before and after fertilization. Until very recently, mammalian ZP was believed to be composed of only three glycoproteins, ZP1, ZP2 and ZP3, as first described in mouse. However, studies have revealed that this composition is not necessarily applicable to other mammals. Such differences can be explained by an analysis of the molecular evolution of the ZP gene family, during which ZP genes have suffered pseudogenization and duplication events that have resulted in differing models of ZP protein composition. The many discoveries made in recent years related to ZP composition and evolution suggest that a compilation would be useful. Moreover, this review analyses ZP biosynthesis, the role of each ZP protein in different mammalian species and how these proteins may interact among themselves and with other proteins present in the oviductal lumen.
Topics: Animals; Biomarkers; Cell Communication; Evolution, Molecular; Female; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; Male; Mammals; Oocytes; Ovum; Protein Transport; Spermatozoa; Zona Pellucida; Zona Pellucida Glycoproteins
PubMed: 33806989
DOI: 10.3390/ijms22063276 -
Biology of Reproduction Jun 1970
Review
Topics: Amino Acids; Animals; Blood Proteins; Cell Membrane; Cell Nucleus; Chick Embryo; Chickens; Chromosomes; Cytoplasm; Egg Yolk; Fatty Acids; Female; Genetics; Lipids; Macromolecular Substances; Microscopy, Electron; Ovum; Oxidoreductases; RNA, Messenger; Rats
PubMed: 4939238
DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod2.supplement_2.14 -
International Review of Cytology 2001An egg-that took weeks to months to make in the adult-can be extraordinarily transformed within minutes during its fertilization. This review will focus on the molecular... (Review)
Review
An egg-that took weeks to months to make in the adult-can be extraordinarily transformed within minutes during its fertilization. This review will focus on the molecular biology of the specialized secretory vesicles of fertilization, the cortical granules. We will discuss their role in the fertilization process, their contents, how they are made, and the molecular mechanisms that regulate their secretion at fertilization. This population of secretory vesicles has inherent interest for our understanding of the fertilization process. In addition, they have import because they enhance our understanding of the basic processes of secretory vesicle construction and regulation, since oocytes across species utilize this vesicle type. Here, we examine diverse animals in a comparative approach to help us understand how these vesicles function throughout phylogeny and to establish conserved themes of function.
Topics: Amino Acid Sequence; Animals; Egg Proteins; Female; Fertilization; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; Glycosaminoglycans; Humans; Male; Membrane Fusion; Models, Molecular; Molecular Sequence Data; Ovum; Protein Structure, Tertiary; Protein Transport; Reproductive Techniques, Assisted; Secretory Vesicles; Signal Transduction
PubMed: 11580200
DOI: 10.1016/s0074-7696(01)09012-x -
International Review of Cytology 2000The Drosophila eggshell is a specialized extracellular matrix that forms between the oocyte and overlaying somatic follicle cells during the latter stages of oogenesis.... (Review)
Review
The Drosophila eggshell is a specialized extracellular matrix that forms between the oocyte and overlaying somatic follicle cells during the latter stages of oogenesis. Largely proteinaceous, the eggshell is a highly organized multilayered structure with regional specializations designed to perform a variety of functions. Production of a functional eggshell features: (1) the differentiation of subsets of follicle cells in response to ovarian signals, (2) directed migrations of the follicle cells within the developing egg chamber, (3) expression of eggshell structural genes by the follicle cells in a defined temporal and spatial order, (4) postdepositional modifications of the eggshell proteins including several temporally regulated proteolytic cleavage events, and (5) regulated trafficking of several eggshell proteins in the assembling structure. By exploiting the genetic advantages of Drosophila and using evolution as a guide, the eggshell provides an excellent experimental system to study, in vivo, molecular mechanisms used to regulate protein-protein interactions throughout the assembly of a complex extracellular architecture in a developing organism.
Topics: Amino Acid Sequence; Animals; Drosophila; Genes, Insect; Insect Proteins; Molecular Sequence Data; Morphogenesis; Ovum; Protein Processing, Post-Translational
PubMed: 10804461
DOI: 10.1016/s0074-7696(00)98003-3 -
The Journal of Membrane Biology Apr 2017Complete elucidation of fertilization process at molecular level is one of the unresolved challenges in sexual reproduction studies, and understanding the molecular... (Review)
Review
Complete elucidation of fertilization process at molecular level is one of the unresolved challenges in sexual reproduction studies, and understanding the molecular mechanism is crucial in overcoming difficulties in infertility and unsuccessful in vitro fertilization. Sperm-oocyte interaction is one of the most remarkable events in fertilization process, and deficiency in protein-protein interactions which mediate this interaction is a major cause of unexplained infertility. Due to detection of how the various defects of sperm-oocyte interaction can affect fertilization failure, different experimental methods have been applied. This review summarizes the current understanding of sperm-egg interaction mechanism during fertilization and also accumulates the different types of sperm-egg interaction abnormalities and their association with infertility. Several detection approaches regarding sperm-egg protein interactions and the associated defects are reviewed in this paper.
Topics: Animals; Female; Humans; Infertility; Male; Oocytes; Ovum; Spermatozoa
PubMed: 28280854
DOI: 10.1007/s00232-017-9954-1 -
Seminars in Cell & Developmental Biology Apr 2006The mammalian egg appears to transduce the duration, amplitude, and temporal presentation of the increase in the intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca(2+)](i)) upon... (Review)
Review
The mammalian egg appears to transduce the duration, amplitude, and temporal presentation of the increase in the intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca(2+)](i)) upon fertilization. These Ca(2+) parameters have important short-term effects on the initiation and completion of early events of egg activation, as well as much later consequences for the extent of peri-implantation development. Recent studies have begun to shed light on how the egg quantitatively interprets the Ca(2+) signal (e.g., by summation of individual Ca(2+) rises) and the mechanisms by which down-stream Ca(2+) effectors, such as Ca(2+)/Calmodulin (CaM)-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII), utilize this ionic signal to promote biological events that initiate development.
Topics: Animals; Calcium Signaling; Cell Cycle; Fertilization; Models, Biological; Ovum
PubMed: 16580237
DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2006.02.010 -
The Journal of Reproduction and... Feb 2018Spawned unfertilized eggs have been found to die by apoptosis in several species with external fertilization. However, there is no necessity for the externally laid eggs... (Review)
Review
Spawned unfertilized eggs have been found to die by apoptosis in several species with external fertilization. However, there is no necessity for the externally laid eggs to degrade via this process, as apoptosis evolved as a mechanism to reduce the damaging effects of individual cell death on the whole organism. The recent observation of egg degradation in the genital tracts of some oviparous species provides a clue as to the physiological relevance of egg apoptosis in these animals. We hypothesize that egg apoptosis accompanies ovulation in species with external fertilization as a normal process to eliminate mature eggs retained in the genital tract after ovulation. Furthermore, apoptosis universally develops in ovulated eggs after spontaneous activation in the absence of fertilization. This paper provides an overview of egg apoptosis in several oviparous biological species, including frog, fish, sea urchin, and starfish.
Topics: Animals; Apoptosis; Female; Fertilization; Ovum
PubMed: 29081453
DOI: 10.1262/jrd.2017-100 -
Cell Differentiation and Development :... Nov 1988G-proteins are present in eggs, and experiments in which GTP-gamma-S, GDP-beta-S, cholera toxin and pertussis toxin have been injected into eggs have indicated the... (Review)
Review
G-proteins are present in eggs, and experiments in which GTP-gamma-S, GDP-beta-S, cholera toxin and pertussis toxin have been injected into eggs have indicated the involvement of G-proteins in egg activation at fertilization and in oocyte maturation. Eggs into which serotonin or muscarinic acetylcholine receptors have been introduced by mRNA injection produce fertilization-like responses when exposed to serotonin or acetylcholine; since these neurotransmitter receptors act by way of G-proteins, this observation further supports the conclusion that a G-protein is involved in the fertilization process.
Topics: Animals; Exocytosis; Female; Fertilization; GTP-Binding Proteins; Male; Oocytes; Ovum; Sea Urchins; Sperm-Ovum Interactions; Spermatozoa
PubMed: 3145113
DOI: 10.1016/0922-3371(88)90094-9