Sperm penetration in parthenogenetic mouse embryos triggers a plasma membrane block to polyspermy.
Mouse oocytes activated parthenogenetically do not generate a plasma membrane block against spermatozoa over the first three cell cycles. We show that they lose this fusibility spontaneously at the 8-cell stage. Insemination of 1-cell parthenogenetic embryos induces loss of fusibility earlier, at the 2-cell stage. This observation suggests that incorporation of the sperm cell membrane components into the oolemma may be responsible for the development of the membrane block.
Maleszewski
M
M
Institute of Zoology, University of Warsaw, Poland.
Bielak
A
A
D000818:Animals; D002455:Cell Division; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000502:physiology; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D008561:Membrane Fusion / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D009865:Oocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D010312:Parthenogenesis / Q000502:physiology*; D013084:Sperm-Ovum Interactions / Q000502:physiology*; D015053:Zygote / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology