Cross fertilization between sea urchin eggs and oyster spermatozoa

Abstract Interphylum crossing was examined between sea urchin eggs (Temnopleurus hardwicki) and oyster sperm (Crassostrea gigas). The eggs could receive the spermatozoa with or without cortical change. The fertilized eggs that elevated the fertilization envelope began their embryogenesis. Electron m...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Gamete Research
Main Authors: Osanai, Kenzi, Kyozuka, Keiā€ichiro
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Wiley 1982
Subjects:
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/mrd.1120050106
https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1002%2Fmrd.1120050106
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/mrd.1120050106
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Summary:Abstract Interphylum crossing was examined between sea urchin eggs (Temnopleurus hardwicki) and oyster sperm (Crassostrea gigas). The eggs could receive the spermatozoa with or without cortical change. The fertilized eggs that elevated the fertilization envelope began their embryogenesis. Electron microscopy revealed that oyster spermatozoa underwent acrosome reaction on the sea urchin vitelline coat, and their acrosomal membrane fused with the egg plasma membrane after the appearance of an intricate membranous structure in the boundary between the acrosomal process and the egg cytoplasm. Oyster spermatozoa penetrated sometimes into sea urchin eggs without stimulating cortical granule discharge and consequently without fertilization envelope formation. The organelles derived from oyster spermatozoa seemed to be functionally inactive in the eggs whose cortex remained unchanged.