In the beginning: lessons from fertilization in mice and worms.
Sexual reproduction proceeds by fertilization; formation of new individuals by the union of haploid gametes. Recent reports in Cell and in Developmental Cell may provide new insights as to how this process begins and is regulated.
Jungnickel
Melissa K
MK
Department of Cell Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA.
Sutton
Keith A
KA
Florman
Harvey M
HM
D000818:Animals; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D013084:Sperm-Ovum Interactions / Q000502:physiology*; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000502:physiology*; D015044:Zona Pellucida / Q000378:metabolism*