Embryogenesis Flashcards
What do oviduct epithelial cells do?
Bind sperm
Make them briefly immobile
Stabilise sperm after capacitation
When do sperm reacquire mobility?
Ovulation
How is oocyte moved to the ampulla?
Swept along by cilia and muscle contractions
Where does fertilisation take place?
The ampulla
What three events does fertilisation require?
- Activation of sperm
- Establishment of diploidy
- Activation of ovum
What induces sperm activation?
- Progesterone from cumulus cells
2. Binding to zona proteins on oocyte
What does sperm activation cause?
- Hyperactive tail movement - whiplash
2. Acrosome reaction
What promotes hyperactive sperm tail movement?
Opening of calcium channels to activate PKC
What is the acrosome reaction?
- Fusion of outer acrosome and sperm plasma membranes
- Phospholipase C and SNARE proteins involved
- Release of hyaluronidase and exposure of acrosin on inner acrosome membrane
What are the zona pellucida proteins?
Glycoproteins
ZP1-4
What do ZP1, ZP3 and ZP4 do?
- Bind capacitated sperm
2. Induce acrosome reaction
What pathway does ZP3 activate?
Gi protein-coupled receptors on sperm
What does ZP2 do?
Weakly binds capacitated sperm to allow progression through zona
What allows sperm to burrow through zona pellucida?
- Acrosin - protease
2. Physical movement
What space does sperm enter once it penetrates zona?
Perivitelline space
Where does membrane fusion occur in the mouse?
Equatorial region away from female pronucleus
Enveloped by microvilli
What does the microvillus-free area of the oocyte signify?
Position of female pronucleus
What are the three proteins essential for binding?
- Izumo1 (sperm)
- Juno
- CD9
What is Izumo1?
Ligand on sperm essential for binding
What is Juno?
Izumo1 receptor on oocyte
What is CD9?
Tetraspanin on oocyte
Binding partner for Juno
What is syngamy?
Combining of chromosomes
How is the oocyte activated?
- Wave of calcium release across oocyte from site of sperm fusion
- Initiated by PLCζ enzyme from sperm
- Helps to prevent polyspermy
What is the cortical reaction?
Release of cortical granules stimulated by calcium waves
Fill perivitelline space
Ovastatin cleaves binding sites on ZP3/4 and ZP2 so that sperm can no longer bind
Zona proteins become cross-linked
Juno receptor exocytosed
When does the secondary oocyte re-enter meiosis?
After the cortical reaction
How is the sperm pronucleus formed?
- Nuclear envelope breaks down
2. Sperm protamines replaced with histones to decondense chromatin
How is the single diploid nucleus formed?
- Pronuclear membranes break down
2. Chromosomes become orientated on common mitotic spindle
What does the oocyte contribute to the zygote?
- Mitochondria
- Golgi apparatus
- Ribosomes
- Membrane
- Endoplasmic reticulum
- Maternal cytoplasm
- Centrosomes and mitotic spindles
- DNA
What does the sperm contribute to the zygote?
- DNA
- Centriole
- Small non-coding RNAs
- Proteins targeted for destruction once they enter the oocyte
Why are sperm mitochondria degraded?
More susceptible to mutation through oxidative stress
mtDNA not protected by histones and no DNA repair mechanisms in sperm
Where are sperm naturally exposed to ROS?
- Leukocytes in epididymis
- Transit to female tract
- Energetics of sperm movement
What is parthenogenesis?
Oocyte activation in absence of sperm fusion
Lacks male chromosomes and centriole
Gynogenetic diploid if polar body not expelled
At what point in human gestation do parthenogenetic embryos die?
During first cleavage as no centriole
What kind of development does a gynogenetic conceptus favour?
Embryo
What kind of development does an androgenetic conceptus favour?
Extraembryonic
What are imprinted genes?
Genes only expressed by one parental allele
Silenced by methylation on the other parental allele
What is a hydatidiform mole?
All chromosomes of paternal origin due to loss of female pronucleus and duplication of male pronucleus
Absence of fetal tissue and overgrowth of placental tissues
Placental villi are oedematous