The soluble sperm factor that causes Ca2+ release from sea-urchin (Lytechinus pictus) egg homogenates also triggers Ca2+ oscillations after injection into mouse eggs.
Cytosolic extracts of boar sperm contain a soluble phospholipase C (PLC) activity that induces Ca2+ release in sea-urchin (Lytechinus pictus) egg homogenates and an uncharacterized protein factor that causes Ca2+ oscillations when injected into mammalian eggs. In the present study we fractionated boar sperm extracts on three different FPLC chromatographic columns and found that the fractions that caused maximal Ca2+ release in sea-urchin egg homogenates were also the ones that triggered Ca2+ oscillations in mouse eggs. Our data suggests that the sperm factor which triggers Ca2+ oscillations in eggs contains a PLC and not the 33 kDa glucosamine deaminase previously suggested to be one its components.
Parrington
J
J
Department of Anatomy, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK.
Jones
K T
KT
Lai
A
A
Swann
K
K
D000818:Animals; D020013:Calcium Signaling; D002474:Cell-Free System / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D010063:Ovum / Q000187:drug effects*; D012617:Sea Urchins; D013045:Species Specificity; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000201:enzymology*; D013552:Swine; D010738:Type C Phospholipases / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*
D010738:Type C Phospholipases