SPERM-EGG INTERACTION--EXCITATION-ACTIVATION COUPLING

精子-卵子相互作用的细胞生物学将在海洋中进行检测 海胆卵，尤指关于激发海胆卵的过程 精子附着产生的卵子会导致激活。的性质 在表面施加的启动卵子兴奋的信号 精子-配基-卵子受体相互作用和/或精子和卵子的融合 膜)将被检查。传输的信号的性质 启动活化的表面将被研究。证据 到目前为止表明，这些信号涉及开机和 从特定离子通量中分离出来。这些将作为海流记录进行测量 精子附着后由电压夹住的卵子。一种组合 原子吸收、电子显微镜和电生理方法 (膜电位、电阻和电容测量、电流和 将使用电压钳分析和膜片钳技术)。

The cell biology of sperm-egg interaction will be examined in the sea urchin egg, especially with respect to the process whereby excitation of the egg resulting from sperm attachment leads to activation. The nature of the signals exerted at the surface which initiate excitation of the egg (sperm-ligand egg-receptor interaction and/or fusion of the sperm and egg membranes) will be examined. The nature of the signals transmitted from the surface which initiate activation will be investigated. The evidence up to the present indicate that these signals involve the turning on and off of specific ion fluxes. These will be meaasured as currents recorded from voltage clamped eggs following sperm attachment. A combination of atomic absorption, electron microscopic, and electrophysiological methods (membrane potential, resistance, and capacitance measurements, current and voltage clamp analysis, and patch clamp techniques) will be used.