Sperm–Egg Interactions: Sperm–Egg Binding in Invertebrates

David J Carroll, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, Florida, USA

Published online: March 2003

DOI: 10.1038/npg.els.0003298

During fertilization, spermatozoa undergo a series of responses (including chemoattraction and the acrosome reaction) to egg-derived factors before they contact the egg proper. Specific cell surface proteins direct the interactions between the sperm and the egg that lead to fusion and egg activation.

Keywords: fertilization; reproduction; egg; sperm; gamete

Figure 1. Schematic drawing of a sea urchin sperm and egg. Note that they are not drawn to the same scale. (a) Sea urchin sperm. The head of sperm contains the acrosome and nucleus, the midpiece contains the mitochondria and centrioles, and the tail/flagellum contains the axoneme. Following the acrosome reaction, the acrosomal process extends from the tip of the sperm due to the polymerization of actin. (b) Sea urchin egg. During fertilization, the factors from the egg jelly are thought to activate and attract the sperm. Polysaccharides from the egg jelly induce the acrosome reaction in the sperm, which must then pass through the egg jelly and vitelline envelope to reach the egg plasma membrane. Following sperm binding/fusion with the egg, an increase of cytoplasmic free  Ca2+ causes the cortical granules to fuse with the egg plasma membrane and the vitelline envelope lifts away from the egg and converts into the fertilization envelope.
close
 References
    Alves AP, Mulloy B, Diniz JA and Mourao PA (1997) Sulfated polysaccharides from the egg jelly layer are species-specific inducers of acrosomal reaction in sperms of sea urchins. Journal of Biological Chemistry 272: 6965–6971.
    Cho C, Bunch DO, Faure JE et al. (1998) Fertilization defects in sperm from mice lacking fertilin beta. Science 281: 1857–1859.
    Correa LM and Carroll EJ Jr (1997) Characterization of the vitelline envelope of the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus. Development, Growth and Differentiation 39: 69–85.
    Giusti AF, Carroll DJ, Abassi YA, Terasaki M, Foltz KR and Jaffe LA (1999) Requirement of a Src family kinase for initiating calcium release at fertilization in starfish eggs. Journal of Biological Chemistry 274: 29318–29322.
    Gould M, Stephano JL and Holland LZ (1986) Isolation of protein from Urechis sperm acrosomal granules that binds sperm to eggs and initiates development. Developmental Biology 117: 306–318.
    Jaffe LA (1976) Fast block to polyspermy in sea urchin eggs is electrically mediated. Nature 261: 68–71.
    book Lillie FR (1919) Problems of Fertilization. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.
    Singson A, Mercer KB and L¢Hernault SW (1998) The C. elegans spe-9 gene encodes a sperm transmembrane protein that contains EGF-like repeats and is required for fertilization. Cell 93: 71–79.
    Stricker SA (1997) Intracellular injections of a soluble sperm factor trigger calcium oscillations and meiotic maturation in unfertilized oocytes of a marine worm. Developmental Biology 186: 185–201.
    Ulrich AS, Otter M, Glabe CG and Hoekstra D (1998) Membrane fusion is induced by a distinct peptide sequence of the sea urchin fertilization protein bindin. Journal of Biological Chemistry 273: 16748–16755.
    Vacquier VD and Moy GW (1997) The fucose sulfate polymer of egg jelly binds to sperm REJ and is the inducer of the sea urchin sperm acrosome reaction. Developmental Biology 192: 125–135.
 Further Reading
    de Nadai C, Fenichel P, Donzeau M, Epel D and Ciapa B (1996) Characterisation and role of integrins during gametic interaction and egg activation. Zygote 4: 31–40.
    Eisenbach M (1999) Sperm chemotaxis. Reviews of Reproduction 4: 56–66.
    Foltz KR (1995) Sperm-binding proteins. International Review of Cytology 163: 249–303.
    Green JD and Summers RG (1982) Effects of protease inhibitors on sperm-related events in sea urchin fertilization. Developmental Biology 93: 139–144.
    book Jaffe LA (1996) "Egg membranes during fertilization". In: Schultz SG, Andreoli T, Brown A, Fambrough D, Hoffman J and Welsh M (eds) Molecular Biology of Membrane Transport Disorders, pp. 367–378. New York: Plenum.
    Myles DG (1993) Molecular mechanisms of sperm-egg membrane binding and fusion in mammals. Developmental Biology 158: 35–45.
    Stricker SA (1999) Comparative biology of calcium signaling during fertilization and egg activation in animals. Developmental Biology 211: 157–176.
    Wassarman PM (1999) Fertilization in animals. Developmental Genetics 25: 83–86.

Related Sub-Topics:

Gametogenesis and Fertilisation
Contact Editor close
Submit a note to the editor about this article by filling in the form below.

* Required Field

Article Title: Sperm–Egg Interactions: Sperm–Egg Binding in Invertebrates
 
How to Cite close
Carroll, David J(Mar 2003) Sperm–Egg Interactions: Sperm–Egg Binding in Invertebrates. In: eLS. John Wiley & Sons Ltd, Chichester. http://www.els.net [doi: 10.1038/npg.els.0003298]