Santella Luigia, Puppo Agostina, Chun Jong Tai
Cell Signaling Laboratory, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Napoli, Italy.
Int J Dev Biol. 2008;52(5-6):571-84. doi: 10.1387/ijdb.072560ls.
Ca2+ is the most universal second messenger in cells from the very first moment of fertilization. In all animal species, fertilized eggs exhibit massive mobilization of intracellular Ca2+ to orchestrate the initial events of development. Echinoderm eggs have been an excellent model system for studying fertilization and the cell cycle due to their large size and abundance. In preparation for fertilization, the cell cycle-arrested oocytes must undergo meiotic maturation. Studies of starfish oocytes have shown that Ca2+ signaling is intimately involved in this process. Our knowledge of the molecular mechanism of meiotic maturation and fertilization has expanded greatly in the past two decades due to the discovery of cell cycle-related kinases and Ca2+-mobilizing second messengers. However, the molecular details of their actions await elucidation of other cellular elements that assist in the creation and transduction of Ca2+ signals. In this regard, the actin cytoskeleton, the receptors for second messengers and the Ca2+-binding proteins also require more attention. This article reviews the physiological significance and the mechanism of intracellular Ca2+ mobilization in starfish oocytes during maturation and fertilization.
从受精的最初时刻起，钙离子（Ca2+）就是细胞中最普遍的第二信使。在所有动物物种中，受精卵都会出现细胞内钙离子的大量动员，以协调发育的初始事件。由于海胆卵体积大且数量丰富，一直是研究受精和细胞周期的优秀模型系统。为准备受精，细胞周期停滞的卵母细胞必须经历减数分裂成熟。对海星卵母细胞的研究表明，钙离子信号密切参与这一过程。在过去二十年中，由于发现了与细胞周期相关的激酶和钙离子动员的第二信使，我们对减数分裂成熟和受精的分子机制的认识有了极大的扩展。然而，它们作用的分子细节仍有待阐明其他有助于钙离子信号产生和转导的细胞成分。在这方面，肌动蛋白细胞骨架、第二信使的受体和钙离子结合蛋白也需要更多关注。本文综述了海星卵母细胞在成熟和受精过程中细胞内钙离子动员的生理意义及机制。
