Novel two-step Ca2+ increase and its mechanisms and functions at fertilization in oocytes of the annelidan worm Pseudopotamilla occelata

Modulators of calcium signalling at fertilization

Calcium (Ca2+) signals initiate egg activation across the animal kingdom and in at least some plants. These signals are crucial for the success of development and, in the case of mammals, health of the offspring. The mechanisms associated with fertilization that trigger these signals and the molecules that regulate their characteristic patterns vary widely. With few exceptions, a major contributor to fertilization-induced elevation in cytoplasmic Ca2+ is release from endoplasmic reticulum stores through the IP3 receptor. In some cases, Ca2+ influx from the extracellular space and/or release from alternative intracellular stores contribute to the rise in cytoplasmic Ca2+. Following the Ca2+ rise, the reuptake of Ca2+ into intracellular stores or efflux of Ca2+ out of the egg drive the return of cytoplasmic Ca2+ back to baseline levels. The molecular mediators of these Ca2+ fluxes in different organisms include Ca2+ release channels, uptake channels, exchangers and pumps. The functions of these mediators are regulated by their particular activating mechanisms but also by alterations in their expression and spatial organization. We discuss here the molecular basis for modulation of Ca2+ signalling at fertilization, highlighting differences across several animal phyla, and we mention key areas where questions remain.

Soluble sperm extract specifically recapitulates the initial phase of the Ca2+ response in the fertilized oocyte of P. occelata following a G-protein/ PLCβ signaling pathway

Matured oocytes of the annelidan worm Pseudopotamilla occelata are fertilized at the first metaphase of the meiotic division. During the activation by fertilizing spermatozoa, the mature oocyte shows a two-step intracellular Ca2+ increase. Whereas the first Ca2+ increase is localized and appears to utilize the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3)-sensitive Ca2+ stores, the second Ca2+ increase is global and involves Ca2+ influx via voltage-gated Ca2+ channels on the entire surface of the oocyte. To study how sperm trigger the Ca2+ increases during fertilization, we prepared soluble sperm extract (SE) and examined its ability to induce Ca2+ increases in the oocyte. The SE could evoke a Ca2+ increase in the oocyte when it was added to the medium, but not when it was delivered by microinjection. However, the second-step Ca2+ increase leading to the resumption of meiosis did not follow in these eggs. Local application of SE induced a non-propagating Ca2+ increase and formed a cytoplasmic protrusion that was similar to that created by the fertilizing sperm at the first stage of the Ca2+ response, important for sperm incorporation into the oocyte. Our results suggest that the fertilizing spermatozoon may trigger the first-step Ca2+ increase before it fuses with the oocyte in a pathway that involves the G-protein-coupled receptor and phospholipase C. Thus, the first phase of the Ca2+ response in the fertilized egg of this species is independent of the second phase of the Ca2+ increase for egg activation.

Intracellular calcium signaling in the fertilized eggs of Annelida

Fertilization is such a universal and indispensable step in sexual reproduction, but a high degree of variability exists in the way it takes place in the animal kingdom. As discussed in other reviews in this issue, recent works on this subject clarified many points. However, important results on the mechanisms of fertilization are obtained mainly from a few restricted model organisms. In this sense, it is utterly important to collect more information from various phyla. In this review, we have re-introduced Annelida as one of the most suitable models for the analysis of fertilization process. We have briefly reviewed the historical works on the fertilization of Annelida. Then, we have described recent findings on the two independent Ca(2+) increases in the fertilized eggs of Annelida, which arise from two different mechanisms and may have distinct physiological roles toward sperm entry and egg activation. We propose that the Ca(2+) increase in the fertilized eggs reflect the specific needs of the zygote in a given species.

Comparative biology of sperm factors and fertilization-induced calcium signals across the animal kingdom

Fertilization causes mature oocytes or eggs to increase their concentrations of intracellular calcium ions (Ca²⁺) in all animals that have been examined, and such Ca²⁺ elevations, in turn, provide key activating signals that are required for non-parthenogenetic development. Several lines of evidence indicate that the Ca²⁺ transients produced during fertilization in mammals and other taxa are triggered by soluble factors that sperm deliver into oocytes after gamete fusion. Thus, for a broad-based analysis of Ca²⁺ dynamics during fertilization in animals, this article begins by summarizing data on soluble sperm factors in non-mammalian species, and subsequently reviews various topics related to a sperm-specific phospholipase C, called PLCζ, which is believed to be the predominant activator of mammalian oocytes. After characterizing initiation processes that involve sperm factors or alternative triggering mechanisms, the spatiotemporal patterns of Ca²⁺ signals in fertilized oocytes or eggs are compared in a taxon-by-taxon manner, and broadly classified as either a single major transient or a series of repetitive oscillations. Both solitary and oscillatory types of fertilization-induced Ca²⁺ signals are typically propagated as global waves that depend on Ca²⁺ release from the endoplasmic reticulum in response to increased concentrations of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP₃). Thus, for taxa where relevant data are available, upstream pathways that elevate intraoocytic IP3 levels during fertilization are described, while other less-common modes of producing Ca²⁺ transients are also examined. In addition, the importance of fertilization-induced Ca²⁺ signals for activating development is underscored by noting some major downstream effects of these signals in various animals.

Comparative biology of cAMP-induced germinal vesicle breakdown in marine invertebrate oocytes

During maturation, oocytes must undergo a process of nuclear disassembly, or "germinal vesicle breakdown" (GVBD), that is regulated by signaling pathways involving cyclic AMP (cAMP). In vertebrate and starfish oocytes, cAMP elevation typically prevents GVBD. Alternatively, increased concentrations of intra-oocytic cAMP trigger, rather than inhibit, GVBD in several groups of marine invertebrates. To integrate what is known about the stimulation of GVBD by intra-oocytic cAMP, this article reviews published data for ascidian, bivalve, brittle star, jellyfish, and nemertean oocytes. The bulk of the review concentrates on the three most intensively analyzed groups known to display cAMP-induced GVBD-nemerteans, ascidians, and jellyfish. In addition, this synopsis also presents some previously unpublished findings regarding the stimulatory effects of intra-oocytic cAMP on GVBD in jellyfish and the annelid worm Pseudopotamilla occelata. Finally, factors that may account for the currently known distribution of cAMP-induced GVBD across animal groups are discussed.