Exam 2 Flashcards
General steps of fertilization
Contact and recognition between gametes, regulation of entry, fusion of pronuclei/membranes, and activation of the egg to start development of the new organism
What is the sperm’s main goal
Get it’s pronuclei to the egg’s
Sperm characteristics
Small, very little cytoplasm, haploid, contains acrosomal vesicle, 1 centromere (2 centrosomes) and dynein
Acrosomal vesicle
Formed during spermatogenesis from golgi, membrane bound pocket of enzymes that help sperm access the egg and digest the outer layer of the egg
Dynein
Motor proteins that move the tail of the sperm
Egg characteristics
Larger, haploid, contains everything zygote will need except the other half of the DNA, outer jelly layer
Purpose of outer jelly layer of egg
Regulates sperm binding, only sperm of the same species have enzymes that will digest the outer layer to get to the egg membrane
Vitelline membrane
Outer jelly layer of non-mammal eggs that regulates sperm binding
Zona pellucida
Outer jelly layer surrounding mammalian eggs
Cumulus layer
Cells surrounding the egg that help it develop and stay with the egg for some time
What is included in the egg cytoplasm
Maternal mRNA, ribosomes and tRNA, morphogenetic, nutrient proteins, and protective chemicals
Acrosomal process
Fingerlike structure that helps the sperm penetrate the egg jelly coat, surrounded by bindin, molecules that help sperm bind to egg membrane
Cortical granule
Membrane bound Golgi derived structures that prevents multiple sperm from fertilizing the egg
Steps of sperm recognition
Chemoattraction, binding of the sperm to egg ECM, exocytosis of acrosome, and fusion of the egg and sperm membranes
Chemoattraction of sperm
Occurs through chemical gradient, chemicals being released by egg cells, species specific
Acrosome reaction
Once the sperm reaches the egg outer layer, digestive enzymes are released to help the sperm get through the vitilline membrane, acrosomal process pushes membrane out to help the sperm bind to the egg
Fusion of gamete membranes
Fertilization cone is formed out of actin, sperm nucleus and centriole pass through
Monospermy
Only one sperm enters egg, how it is supposed to happen
Polyspermy
Multiple sperm enter the egg, usually not viable, prevented by fast and slow block mechanisms
Fast block mechanism
As a sperm binds to the membrane, Na+ is released and the membrane potential changes from -70mV to about +20mV (sperm cannot bind to membranes with a positive membrane potential), only lasts about a minute
Slow block mechanism
Cortical granule reaction, cortical granules fuse with the egg membrane and release contents into the extracellular membrane forming fertilization envelope and cleaving bindin connections from other sperm
Fertilization envelope
Jelly system after fertilization, space that prevents any sperm from getting into egg
Ca2+ role in fertilization
Release of calcium ions when sperm binds to egg membrane activates cortical granules, also activates egg’s metabolism and initiates development of the new organism, and attracts sperm to egg
Nuclear fusion
Egg kinases decondense sperm chromatin and recondense with egg histones, and then DNA polymerase begins replication
Difference between sea urchin and mammalian fertilization
Conditions are different (translocation), mammalian sperm go through capacitation before they can fertilize, and there’s a different mechanism to prevent polyspermy
Capacitation
Maturation of sperm while in the reproductive tract, induced by oviduct cells, likely triggered by cholesterol efflux, allow sperm to bind to zona pellucida
Translocation
Movement of sperm through the reproductive tract through sperm motility, uterine muscle contractions, and Soren rheotaxis
Rheotaxis
How sperm migrate against the flow using calcium channels to monitor the direction of calcium flow
Capacities induced by the oviduct
Sperm gains capacity to recognize signaling cues that guide them to the egg, undergoing acrosome reaction, and fusing with the egg cell membrane
Egg glycoproteins that make up the zona pellucida
ZP1, ZP2, and ZP3, sperm binds to these and continues through the egg membrane
Izumo
Protein exposed by the acrosomal reaction, interacts with egg’s Juno to create fusion complex for binding and membrane fusion
Juno
Egg protein that interacts with Izumo to create fusion complex for membrane fusion
Mammalian blocks to polyspermy
Egg release of ovastacin, zinc spark/shield, and release of Juno from egg membrane
Egg releasing ovastacin
Induced by cortical granules fusing with egg cell membrane, cleaves ZP2 protein, blocking any sperm from binding