Germ Cells and Fertilization

Lecture 30 BSCI 420, 421 Nov 11, 2002

“The final aim of all love intrigues, be they comic or tragic,

is the composition of the next generation”
- A. Schopenhauer

1. Sexual reproduction
2. Meiosis
3. Oogenesis
4. Spermatogenesis
5. Fertilization
1. Sexual reproduction

Has an advantage over asexual reproduction:

Increases diversity by producing offspring that are a mixture

of the traits of the parents.

Is diversity an advantage?

If so,
Why is diversity an advantage?
1. Meiosis

A pair of nuclear divisions that produce four

different haploid cells, usually but not always gametes.

Gametes are haploid cells capable of fusing to produce

A diploid cell called a Zygote.

Gametes can be of identical size and shape (isogamy).

Or they can be different in size and or shape (anisogamy).
Meiosis vs mitosis
3. Oogenesis
Is gamatogenesis of the larger gamete called the egg or ovum.
Oogenesis
Mammalian (rabbit) oocytes (fig 24)
4. Spermatogenesis

Spermatozoon is a small,
highly streamlined cell,
specialized to deliver a
nucleus to an egg far
away, and to activate
development of the egg.
Spermatogenesis
5. Fertilization

Involves:
a. Activation of the sperm and the acrosomal reaction

b. Activation of the egg

1. The fast block to polyspermy

2. The slow block to polyspermy

3. Initiation of protein, RNA, & DNA synthesis

4. Fusion of the egg and sperm and male and female

pronuclei
a. Activation of the sperm and the acrosome reaction
Activation of the sperm:

Contact w
Zona
Pellucida

Aggregates
Receptors

Opens Na+
Channels
Release of
V change opens Exocytosis lytic enzymes
VS Ca2+ Ca2+ of Acrosomal
Channels influx vesicle Exposure
of fertilins
b. Egg Activation:
1. Fast block to polyspermy

Sperm binding to
Egg cell membrane
By fertilin and its receptor on egg

Receptor linked Na+ channels open

Na+ influx

Membrane potential change

0
Fast block to polyspermy
-70 1 2
(Discovered by mV time, min
E.E. Just contact
Afro-Amer Dev.Biologist)
Starfish egg injected with the dye aequorin that fluoresces
When the Ca2+ conc increases.

At time 0, the egg was fertilized, and a wave of Ca2+ sweeps

Over the egg in about 1 min. initiating cortical granule
Exocytosis and the slow block to polyspermy.
Slow Block to
polyspermy
2. Slow block to polyspermy

Binding of fertilin to receptor on egg

Tyrosine kinase activation (both IP3 gated

& Ca-Induced)
Phospholipase C-g activation IP3 Ca2+ release

DAG production PKC activation Cortical granule

exocytosis

Stimulation of Slow block to

3. protein syn polyspermy
RNA syn
DNA synthesis
4. Fusion of
pronuclei

(MTs green
Fl-aT;
DNA blue)
Fig 35
The merging of mammalian pronuclei after fertilization