title: Acrosome Reaction as a Preparation for Gamete Fusion.
abstract: The acrosome reaction (AR) is a universal requisite for sperm-egg fusion. However, whereas through the animal kingdom fusion of spermatozoa with the egg plasma membrane occurs via the inner acrosomal membrane exposed after the AR, in eutherian mammals, gamete fusion takes place through a specialized region of the acrosome known as the equatorial segment (ES) which becomes fusogenic only after the AR is completed. This chapter focuses on the different molecular mechanisms involved in the acquisition of the fusogenicity of the ES after the AR. We provide an update of the knowledge about the proteins proposed to have a role in this process either by modifying cytoskeletal and/or membrane molecules or by relocalizing to the ES after the AR to subsequently participate in gamete fusion.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME-CONICET), Vuelta de Obligado 2490, C1428ADN, Buenos Aires, Argentina. pcuasnicu@ibyme.conicet.gov.ar.
authors.forename: Patricia S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Cuasnicú
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME-CONICET), Vuelta de Obligado 2490, C1428ADN, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Vanina G
authors.initials: VG
authors.lastname: Da Ros
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME-CONICET), Vuelta de Obligado 2490, C1428ADN, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Mariana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Weigel Muñoz
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME-CONICET), Vuelta de Obligado 2490, C1428ADN, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Débora J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Cohen
mesh_terms: D000176:Acrosin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000177:Acrosome / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D020101:Acrosome Reaction / Q000235:genetics*; D000818:Animals; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008561:Membrane Fusion / Q000235:genetics*; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D029589:Seminal Plasma Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013075:Sperm Capacitation / Q000235:genetics*; D015044:Zona Pellucida / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; C486321:Crisp1 protein, mouse; D007136:Immunoglobulins; C498177:Izumo1 protein, mouse; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C550669:SPESP1 protein, mouse; D029589:Seminal Plasma Proteins; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; C501083:Tssk6 protein, mouse; D000176:Acrosin