Making embryos Flashcards
What are the three steps of fertilization?
Penetration through the cumulus cell matrix
Penetration through the zona pellucida
Fusion with the egg plasma membrane
How is the cumulus cell matrix tightly bound?
Cell adhesion proteins and hyaluronic acid
What triggers the release of EGF receptor ligands by mural granulosa cells?
LH
How is hyaluronic acid released?
Pro-factors and ligands upregulate the transcription of genes
What is the role of sperm-specific hyaluronidases?
They surround the surface of the sperm and digest the hyaluronic acid, allowing the sperm to get through the matrix
How many proteins are found in the zona pellucida in primates?
Four
Deletion of which zp proteins prevents assembly of zona?
zp2 and zp3
What test can be done to observe the role of zp2 in fertilization?
Replace mouse zp gene by human homologue; mix transgenic mouse egg with human sperm -> sperm doesn’t stick to the zona of mouse egg BUT sticks to zp2 of human egg
What sperm membrane protein is required for sperm-egg fusion?
Izumo
Izumo gene activation leads to _____________ males and _____________ females
Infertile; fertile
True or false: Izumo knockout leads to the inability for sperm to stick to the membrane
False, it disables sperm from fusing into the membrane while still being able to stick to the membrane
What egg membrane protein is required for sperm-egg fusion?
Juno
Juno binds to ___________
Izumo
Fluorescent Izumo no longer binds to __________ because anti-_____________ antibody covers ____________
Juno; Juno; Juno
Deleting Juno from males led to no _____________ and deleting Juno from females led to no _______________
Effect; fertilization
What is another membrane protein required for sperm-egg fusion?
CD9
CD9 is a member of ________________ cell surface protein family
Tetraspanin
CD9 gene inactivation leads to ____________ males and severely sub-fertile _______________
Fertile; females
What is the role of CD9 in fertilization?
CD9 aggregates Juno proteins on the cell surface for easier targeting of Izumo on the sperm
Which of the following is part of the activation of the egg?
a) Initiation of mitotic cell cycles of embryo
b) Completion of the first meiotic division
a)
How is the increase of intracellular calcium linked to the mechanism of activation?
Sperm penetration induces repetitive release of calcium ions
Parthenogenetic stimuli induce calcium release
Inhibiting release of calcium prevents activation of the egg
How does the sperm trigger calcium release in the egg?
Sperm acts as a ligand to activate intracellular signaling pathway
Sperm component enters oocyte cytoplasm, triggers calcium release
How are G-protein coupled receptors and phospholipase C linked to calcium release?
G-protein binds to GPCR and triggers phospholipase C to break down PIP3 into IP3 and diacylglycerol
IP3 triggers the calcium release
True or false: Sperm specific phospholipase C is required for release in the egg
True