Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, USA.
Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol. 2011 Apr 1;3(4):a006767. doi: 10.1101/cshperspect.a006767.
Changes in the intracellular concentration of calcium (Ca(2+)) represent a vital signaling mechanism enabling communication among cells and between cells and the environment. The initiation of embryo development depends on a Ca(2+) increase(s) in the egg, which is generally induced during fertilization. The Ca(2+) increase signals egg activation, which is the first stage in embryo development, and that consist of biochemical and structural changes that transform eggs into zygotes. The spatiotemporal patterns of Ca(2+) at fertilization show variability, most likely reflecting adaptations to fertilizing conditions and to the duration of embryonic cell cycles. In mammals, the focus of this review, the fertilization Ca(2+) signal displays unique properties in that it is initiated after gamete fusion by release of a sperm-derived factor and by periodic and extended Ca(2+) responses. Here, we will discuss the events of egg activation regulated by increases in Ca(2+), the possible downstream targets that effect these egg activation events, and the property and identity of molecules both in sperm and eggs that underpin the initiation and persistence of the Ca(2+) responses in these species.
细胞内钙离子浓度 (Ca(2+)) 的变化代表了一种重要的信号机制，使细胞之间以及细胞与环境之间能够进行通讯。胚胎发育的启动依赖于卵子中 Ca(2+) 的增加，通常在受精过程中诱导。Ca(2+) 的增加信号引发卵子激活，这是胚胎发育的第一阶段，包括生化和结构变化，使卵子转化为受精卵。受精时 Ca(2+) 的时空模式具有变异性，这很可能反映了对受精条件和胚胎细胞周期持续时间的适应。在哺乳动物中，即本综述的重点，受精 Ca(2+) 信号具有独特的特性，因为它是在配子融合后由精子衍生因子的释放以及周期性和延长的 Ca(2+) 反应引发的。在这里，我们将讨论由 Ca(2+) 增加调节的卵子激活事件、可能影响这些卵子激活事件的下游靶标，以及精子和卵子中启动和维持这些物种中 Ca(2+) 反应的分子的特性和身份。
