Studies on sulfhydryl groups during cell division of sea urchin egg. II. Mass isolation of the egg cortex and change in its--SH groups during cell division.

Masses of cortices of both unfertilized and fertilized sea urchin eggs can be isolated by crushing eggs in hypotonic MaCl(2) (0.1 M) solution. The amount of cortical material in terms of protein-N increases steadily after fertilization until the monaster stage and thereafter remains almost constant until well into the two-cell stage. The amount of bound-SH per protein-N of the egg cortex also increases after fertilization, reaches a maximum value at the amphiaster stage and thereafter decreases rapidly as the cleavage of the cell proceeds.