[Fertilization in mammals].
The mechanisms involved in gamete recognition and gamete fusion are identical to those allowing the fixation of somatic cells to a basal lamina and cell or viral fusion. Therefore specificity of the fertilization process only derives from the cytological originality of both gametes : acrosomal reaction and egg activation are two typical examples. Mitochondria, ARNs, proteins and metabolic reserves are brought by the oocyte. Sperm contributions to zygote development are essentially an oscillatory calcium protein, oscilline, and, the sperm proximal centrosome. In mammals, once the pronuclei are formed, paternal and maternal genomes never mix. A better knowledge of the female genital tract milieu, allowing long or very long sperm survival, is primordial to improve in vitro fertilization procedure.
Thibault
C
C
INRA, Jouy-en-Josas.
D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D005306:Fertilization / Q000502:physiology*; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008322:Mammals / Q000502:physiology*; D009865:Oocytes / Q000502:physiology; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000502:physiology