Application of Raman spectroscopy to the evaluation of F-actin changes in sea urchin eggs at fertilization

The actin filaments on the surface of echinoderm oocytes and eggs readily undergo massive reorganization during meiotic maturation and fertilization. In sea urchin eggs, the actin cytoskeletal response to the fertilizing sperm is fast enough to accompany Ca2+ signals and to guide sperm's entry into the egg. Although recent work using live cell imaging technology confirmed changes in the actin polymerization status in fertilized eggs, as was previously shown using light and electron microscopy, it failed to provide experimental evidence of F-actin depolymerization a few seconds after insemination, which is concurrent with the sperm-induced Ca2+ release. In the present study, we applied Raman microspectroscopy to tackle this issue by examining the spectral profiles of the egg's subplasmalemmal regions before and after treating the eggs with actin drugs or fertilizing sperm. At both early (15 s) and late (15 min) time points after fertilization, specific peak shifts in the Raman spectra revealed change in the actin structure, and Raman imaging detected the cytoskeletal changes corresponding to the F-actin reorganization visualized with LifeAct-GFP in confocal microscopy. Our observation suggests that the application of Raman spectroscopy, which does not require microinjection of fluorescent probes and exogenous gene expression, may serve as an alternative or even advantageous method in disclosing rapid subtle changes in the subplasmalemmal actin cytoskeleton that are difficult to resolve.

Dithiothreitol Affects the Fertilization Response in Immature and Maturing Starfish Oocytes

Immature starfish oocytes isolated from the ovary are susceptible to polyspermy due to the structural organization of the vitelline layer covering the oocyte plasma membrane, as well as the distribution and biochemical properties of the actin cytoskeleton of the oocyte cortex. After the resumption of the meiotic cycle of the oocyte triggered by the hormone 1-methyladenine, the maturing oocyte reaches fertilizable conditions to be stimulated by only one sperm with a normal Ca2+ response and cortical reaction. This cytoplasmic ripening of the oocyte, resulting in normal fertilization and development, is due to the remodeling of the cortical actin cytoskeleton and germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD). Since disulfide-reducing agents such as dithiothreitol (DTT) are known to induce the maturation and GVBD of oocytes in many species of starfish, we analyzed the pattern of the fertilization response displayed by Astropecten aranciacus oocytes pre-exposed to DTT with or without 1-MA stimulation. Short treatment of A. aranciacus immature oocytes with DTT reduced the rate of polyspermic fertilization and altered the sperm-induced Ca2+ response by changing the morphology of microvilli, cortical granules, and biochemical properties of the cortical F-actin. At variance with 1-MA, the DTT treatment of immature starfish oocytes for 70 min did not induce GVBD. On the other hand, the DTT treatment caused an alteration in microvilli morphology and a drastic depolymerization of the cortical F-actin, which impaired the sperm-induced Ca2+ response at fertilization and the subsequent embryonic development.

Species-Specific Gamete Interaction during Sea Urchin Fertilization: Roles of the Egg Jelly and Vitelline Layer

In sea urchins, the sequence of the cellular and molecular events characterizing the fertilization process has been intensively studied. We have learned that to activate the egg, the fertilizing sperm must undergo morphological modifications (the acrosome reaction, AR) upon reaching the outer gelatinous layer enveloping the egg (egg jelly), which triggers the polymerization of F-actin on the sperm head to form the acrosomal process. The AR exposes bindin, an adhesive sperm protein essential for the species-specific interaction with the cognate receptor on the egg vitelline layer. To investigate the specific roles of the egg jelly and vitelline layer at fertilization of sea urchin eggs, Paracentrotus lividus eggs were incubated in acidic seawater, which removes the egg jelly, i.e., experimental conditions that should prevent the occurrence of the AR, and inseminated in the same medium. At variance with the prevailing view, our results have shown that these dejellied P. lividus eggs can still interact with sperm in acidic seawater, albeit with altered fertilization responses. In particular, the eggs deprived of the vitelline layer reacted with multiple sperm but with altered Ca2+ signals. The results have provided experimental evidence that the plasma membrane, and not the vitelline layer, is where the specific recognition between gametes occurs. The vitelline layer works in unfertilized eggs to prevent polyspermy.

Hexagonal Voronoi pattern detected in the microstructural design of the echinoid skeleton

Repeated polygonal patterns are pervasive in natural forms and structures. These patterns provide inherent structural stability while optimizing strength-per-weight and minimizing construction costs. In echinoids (sea urchins), a visible regularity can be found in the endoskeleton, consisting of a lightweight and resistant micro-trabecular meshwork (stereom). This foam-like structure follows an intrinsic geometrical pattern that has never been investigated. This study aims to analyse and describe it by focusing on the boss of tubercles—spine attachment sites subject to strong mechanical stresses—in the common sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus. The boss microstructure was identified as a Voronoi construction characterized by 82% concordance to the computed Voronoi models, a prevalence of hexagonal polygons, and a regularly organized seed distribution. This pattern is interpreted as an evolutionary solution for the construction of the echinoid skeleton using a lightweight microstructural design that optimizes the trabecular arrangement, maximizes the structural strength and minimizes the metabolic costs of secreting calcitic stereom. Hence, this identification is particularly valuable to improve the understanding of the mechanical function of the stereom as well as to effectively model and reconstruct similar structures in view of future applications in biomimetic technologies and designs.

Effects of Dithiothreitol on Fertilization and Early Development in Sea Urchin

The vitelline layer (VL) of a sea urchin egg is an intricate meshwork of glycoproteins that intimately ensheathes the plasma membrane. During fertilization, the VL plays important roles. Firstly, the receptors for sperm reside on the VL. Secondly, following cortical granule exocytosis, the VL is elevated and transformed into the fertilization envelope (FE), owing to the assembly and crosslinking of the extruded materials. As these two crucial stages involve the VL, its alteration was expected to affect the fertilization process. In the present study, we addressed this question by mildly treating the eggs with a reducing agent, dithiothreitol (DTT). A brief pretreatment with DTT resulted in partial disruption of the VL, as judged by electron microscopy and by a novel fluorescent polyamine probe that selectively labelled the VL. The DTT-pretreated eggs did not elevate the FE but were mostly monospermic at fertilization. These eggs also manifested certain anomalies at fertilization: (i) compromised Ca2+ signaling, (ii) blocked translocation of cortical actin filaments, and (iii) impaired cleavage. Some of these phenotypic changes were reversed by restoring the DTT-exposed eggs in normal seawater prior to fertilization. Our findings suggest that the FE is not the decisive factor preventing polyspermy and that the integrity of the VL is nonetheless crucial to the egg's fertilization response.

Fertilization and development of Arbacia lixula eggs are affected by osmolality conditions

The sea urchin Arbacia lixula coexist with Paracentrotus lividus in the Mediterranean, but the two sea urchin species are quite different from each other. Concerning the female gamete, A. lixula eggs are much darker than those of P. lividus due to the characteristic pigmentation. Upon insemination, the fertilization envelope formed by A. lixula eggs is remarkably thinner than that of P. livius eggs, which implies that the cortical organization of the eggs in the two species may be quite different. In this communication, we examined the phenotypic plasticity of A. lixula eggs in the changing osmolality. The plasma membrane, cortical actin cytoskeleton and vesicles are extensively altered in the eggs exposed to 40% seawater for 15 min. When fertilized, the Ca²⁺ response in these eggs was significantly compromised and the sperm often failed to enter the eggs. Remarkably, the pattern of the Ca²⁺ response was restored when these eggs were transferring back to the natural seawater before fertilization, while the actin cytoskeleton partially reverted to the original state. Nonetheless, these eggs restored in seawater failed to regain the innate sperm receptivity that allows only one sperm to enter in natural seawater. Thus, the ability to guide monospermic fertilization is lost by water entry into the eggs, and the eggs incorporated either multiple or no sperm. On the other hand, eggs briefly exposed to hypertonic seawater exhibited no evident morphological anomaly. Nonetheless, the monospermic eggs that experienced a brief exposure (15 min) to hypertonic seawater prior to fertilization in natural seawater displayed a subtly altered sperm-induced Ca²⁺ response and morpho-functional anomaly around the pluteus stage. Our results suggest that A. lixula eggs attain only a limited extent of cytological plasticity, and that the osmolality shock affects the physical nature of the egg surface which in turn affects the developmental programming.

Effects of Salinity and pH of Seawater on the Reproduction of the Sea Urchin Paracentrotus lividus

AbstractFertilization and early development are usually the most vulnerable stages in the life of marine animals, and the biological processes during this period are highly sensitive to the environment. In nature, sea urchin gametes are shed in seawater, where they undergo external fertilization and embryonic development. In a laboratory, it is possible to follow the exact morphological and biochemical changes taking place in the fertilized eggs and the developing embryos. Thus, observation of successful fertilization and the subsequent embryonic development of sea urchin eggs can be used as a convenient biosensor to assess the quality of the marine environment. In this paper, we have examined how salinity and pH changes affect the normal fertilization process and the following development of Paracentrotus lividus. The results of our studies using confocal microscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, and time-lapse Ca²⁺ image recording indicated that both dilution and acidification of seawater have subtle but detrimental effects on many aspects of the fertilization process. They include Ca²⁺ signaling and coordinated actin cytoskeletal changes, leading to a significantly reduced rate of successful fertilization and, eventually, to abnormal or delayed embryonic development.

Oxygen supersaturation mitigates the impact of the regime of contaminated sediment reworking on sea urchin fertilization process

Dismissed industrial plants with chronic environmental contamination globally affect all levels of biological organization in concert with other natural and anthropogenic perturbations. Assessing the impact of such perturbations and finding effective ways to mitigate them have clear ecological and societal implications. Through indoor manipulative experiments, we assessed here the effects of the temporal regime of reworking of contaminated sediment from the Bagnoli-Coroglio brownfield (Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy) on the fertilization process in Paracentrotus lividus. Adult sea urchins were kept for one month in tanks containing contaminated sediment that was re-suspended according to two temporal patterns of water turbulence differing in the time intervals between consecutive events of agitation (mimicking the storms naturally occurring in the study area) in seawater with natural vs. supersaturated oxygenation levels. At the end of the treatment, gametes were collected and used to test the hypothesis that the regime of contaminated sediment reworking negatively, but reversibly, affects morphological and physiological traits of the fertilized eggs. We found that aggregated events of sediment re-suspension had profound negative effects on gamete interactions and Ca²⁺ signaling at fertilization. The same experimental condition also inflicted marked ultrastructural changes in eggs. Importantly, however, such detrimental effects were inhibited by increased oxygenation. By contrast, the regime of sediment re-working with a longer interval between consecutive turbulent events had only marginal effects. Thus, the current and predicted changes of climate-related disturbance appear to modulate the biological effects of chronic contamination in post-industrial areas, suggesting that environmental rehabilitation via restoration of habitat-forming primary producers such as seagrasses or algal canopies could alleviate the pollutants' effects on resident biota.

Cellular and molecular aspects of oocyte maturation and fertilization: a perspective from the actin cytoskeleton

ABSTRACT

Much of the scientific knowledge on oocyte maturation, fertilization, and embryonic development has come from the experiments using gametes of marine organisms that reproduce by external fertilization. In particular, echinoderm eggs have enabled the study of structural and biochemical changes related to meiotic maturation and fertilization owing to the abundant availability of large and transparent oocytes and eggs. Thus, in vitro studies of oocyte maturation and sperm-induced egg activation in starfish are carried out under experimental conditions that resemble those occurring in nature. During the maturation process, immature oocytes of starfish are released from the prophase of the first meiotic division, and acquire the competence to be fertilized through a highly programmed sequence of morphological and physiological changes at the oocyte surface. In addition, the changes in the cortical and nuclear regions are essential for normal and monospermic fertilization. This review summarizes the current state of research on the cortical actin cytoskeleton in mediating structural and physiological changes during oocyte maturation and sperm and egg activation in starfish and sea urchin. The common denominator in these studies with echinoderms is that exquisite rearrangements of the egg cortical actin filaments play pivotal roles in gamete interactions, Ca2+ signaling, exocytosis of cortical granules, and control of monospermic fertilization. In this review, we also compare findings from studies using invertebrate eggs with what is known about the contributions made by the actin cytoskeleton in mammalian eggs. Since the cortical actin cytoskeleton affects microvillar morphology, movement, and positioning of organelles and vesicles, and the topography of the egg surface, these changes have impacts on the fertilization process, as has been suggested by recent morphological studies on starfish oocytes and eggs using scanning electron microscopy. Drawing the parallelism between vitelline layer of echinoderm eggs and the zona pellucida of mammalian eggs, we also discuss the importance of the egg surface in mediating monospermic fertilization.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

Contributions of suboolemmal acidic vesicles and microvilli to the intracellular Ca2+ increase in the sea urchin eggs at fertilization

The onset of fertilization in echinoderms is characterized by instantaneous increase of Ca²⁺ in the egg cortex, which is called 'cortical flash', and the subsequent Ca²⁺ wave. While the cortical flash is due to the ion influx through L-type Ca²⁺ channels in starfish eggs, its amplitude was shown to be affected by the integrity of the egg cortex. Here, we investigated the contribution of cortical granules (CG) and yolk granules (YG) to the sperm-induced Ca²⁺ signals in sea urchin eggs. To this end, prior to fertilization, Paracentrotus lividus eggs were treated with agents that disrupt or relocate CG beneath the plasma membrane: namely, glycyl-L-phenylalanine 2-naphthylamide (GPN), procaine, urethane, and NH₄Cl. All these pretreatments consistently suppressed the cortical flash in the fertilized eggs, and accelerated the decay kinetics of the subsiding Ca²⁺ wave in most cases. By contrast, centrifugation of the eggs, which stratifies organelles but not the CG, did not exhibit such changes except that the CF was much enhanced in the centrifugal pole where YG are localized. Surprisingly, we noted that pretreatment of the eggs with these CG-disrupting agents or with the inhibitors of L-type Ca²⁺ channels all drastically reduced the density of the microvilli and their individual shapes on the egg surface. Taken together, our results suggest that the integrity of the egg cortex ensures successful generation of the Ca²⁺ responses at fertilization, and that modulation of microvilli shape and density may serve as a mechanism of controlling ion flux across the plasma membrane.

Disassembly of Subplasmalemmal Actin Filaments Induces Cytosolic Ca2+ Increases in Astropecten aranciacus Eggs

Background/Aims: Eggs of all animal species display intense cytoplasmic Ca2+ increases at fertilization. Previously, we reported that unfertilized eggs of Astropecten aranciacus exposed to an actin drug latrunculin A (LAT-A) exhibit similar Ca2+ waves and cortical flashes after 5-10 min time lag. Here, we have explored the molecular mechanisms underlying this unique phenomenon. Methods: Starfish eggs were pretreated with various agents such as other actin drugs or inhibitors of phospholipase C (PLC), and the changes of the intracellular Ca2+ levels were monitored by use of Calcium Green in the presence or absence of LAT-A. The concomitant changes of the actin cytoskeleton were visualized with fluorescent F-actin probes in confocal microscopy. Results: We have shown that the LAT-A-induced Ca2+ increases are related to the disassembly of actin flaments: i) not only LAT-A but also other agents depolymerizing F-actin (i.e. cytochalasin B and mycalolide B) induced similar Ca2+ increases, albeit with slightly lower efficiency; ii) drugs stabilizing F-actin (i.e. phalloidin and jasplakinolide) either blocked or significantly delayed the LAT-A-induced Ca2+ increases. Further studies utilizing pharmacological inhibitors of PLC (U-73122 and neomycin), dominant negative mutant of PLC-ɣ, specific sequestration of PIP2 (RFP-PH), InsP3 uncaging, and quantitation of endogenous InsP3 all indicated that LAT-A induces Ca2+ increases by stimulating PLC rather than sensitizing InsP3 receptors. In support of the idea, it bears emphasis that LAT-A timely increased intracellular contents of InsP3 with concomitant decrease of PIP2 levels in the plasma membrane. Conclusion: Taken together, our results suggest that suboolemmal actin filaments may serve as a scaffold for cell signaling and modulate the activity of the key enzyme involved in intracellular Ca2+ signaling.

Fertilization in Starfish and Sea Urchin: Roles of Actin

Marine animals relying on "external fertilization" provide advantageous opportunities to study the mechanisms of gamete activation and fusion, as well as the subsequent embryonic development. Owing to the large number of eggs that are easily available and handled, starfish and sea urchins have been chosen as favorable animal models in this line of research for over 150 years. Indeed, much of our knowledge on fertilization came from studies in the echinoderms. Fertilization involves mutual stimulation between eggs and sperm, which leads to morphological, biochemical, and physiological changes on both sides to ensure successful gamete fusion. In this chapter, we review the roles of actin in the fertilization of starfish and sea urchin eggs. As fertilization is essentially an event that takes place on the egg surface, it has been predicted that suboolemmal actin filaments would make significant contributions to sperm entry. A growing body of evidence from starfish and sea urchin eggs suggests that the prompt reorganization of the actin pools around the time of fertilization plays crucial regulatory roles not only in guiding sperm entry but also in modulating intracellular Ca²⁺ signaling and egg activation.

New insights into negative effects of lithium on sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus embryos

The diffuse use of lithium in a number of industrial processes has produced a significant contamination of groundwater and surface water with it. The increased use of lithium has generated only scarce studies on its concentrations in ambient waters and on its effects on aquatic organisms. Only few contributions have focused on the toxicity of lithium in marine organisms (such as marine animals, algae and vegetables), showing that the toxic effect depends on the animal species. In the present study we describe the morphological and the molecular effects of lithium chloride (LiCl), using the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus as a model organism. We show that LiCl, if added to the eggs before fertilization, induces malformations in the embryos in a dose-dependent manner. We have also followed by RT qPCR the expression levels of thirty seven genes (belonging to different classes of functional processes, such as stress, development, differentiation, skeletogenesis and detoxifications) to identify the molecular targets of LiCl. This study opens new perspectives for the understanding of the mechanism of action of lithium on marine organisms. The findings may also have relevance outside the world of marine organisms since lithium is widely prescribed for the treatment of human bipolar disorders.

Calcium and actin in the saga of awakening oocytes

The interaction of the spermatozoon with the egg at fertilization remains one of the most fascinating mysteries of life. Much of our scientific knowledge on fertilization comes from studies on sea urchin and starfish, which provide plenty of gametes. Large and transparent, these eggs have served as excellent model systems for studying egg activation and embryo development in seawater, a plain natural medium. Starfish oocytes allow the study of the cortical, cytoplasmic and nuclear changes during the meiotic maturation process, which can also be triggered in vitro by hormonal stimulation. These morphological and biochemical changes ensure successful fertilization of the eggs at the first metaphase. On the other hand, sea urchin eggs are fertilized after the completion of meiosis, and are particularly suitable for the study of sperm-egg interaction, early events of egg activation, and embryonic development, as a large number of mature eggs can be fertilized synchronously. Starfish and sea urchin eggs undergo abrupt changes in the cytoskeleton and ion fluxes in response to the fertilizing spermatozoon. The plasma membrane and cortex of an egg thus represent "excitable media" that quickly respond to the stimulus with the Ca(2+) swings and structural changes. In this article, we review some of the key findings on the rapid dynamic rearrangements of the actin cytoskeleton in the oocyte/egg cortex upon hormonal or sperm stimulation and their roles in the modulation of the Ca(2+) signals and in the control of monospermic fertilization.

Ca²⁺ influx-linked protein kinase C activity regulates the β-catenin localization, micromere induction signalling and the oral-aboral axis formation in early sea urchin embryos

Sea urchin embryos initiate cell specifications at the 16-cell stage by forming the mesomeres, macromeres and micromeres according to the relative position of the cells in the animal-vegetal axis. The most vegetal cells, micromeres, autonomously differentiate into skeletons and induce the neighbouring macromere cells to become mesoendoderm in the β-catenin-dependent Wnt8 signalling pathway. Although the underlying molecular mechanism for this progression is largely unknown, we have previously reported that the initial events might be triggered by the Ca2+ influxes through the egg-originated L-type Ca2+ channels distributed asymmetrically along the animal-vegetal axis and through the stretch-dependent Ca2+channels expressed specifically in the micromere at the 4th cleavage. In this communication, we have examined whether one of the earliest Ca2+ targets, protein kinase C (PKC), plays a role in cell specification upstream of β-catenin. To this end, we surveyed the expression pattern of β-catenin in early embryos in the presence or absence of the specific peptide inhibitor of Hemicentrotus pulcherrimus PKC (HpPKC-I). Unlike previous knowledge, we have found that the initial nuclear entrance of β-catenin does not take place in the micromeres, but in the macromeres at the 16-cell stage. Using the HpPKC-I, we have demonstrated further that PKC not only determines cell-specific nucleation of β-catenin, but also regulates a variety of cell specification events in the early sea urchin embryos by modulating the cell adhesion structures, actin dynamics, intracellular Ca2+ signalling, and the expression of key transcription factors.

Fertilization in echinoderms

For more than 150 years, echinoderm eggs have served as overly favored experimental model systems in which to study fertilization. Sea urchin and starfish belong to the same phylum and thus share many similarities in their fertilization patterns. However, several subtle but fundamental differences do exist in the fertilization of sea urchin and starfish, reflecting their phylogenetic bifurcation approximately 500 million years ago. In this article we review some of the seminal and recent findings that feature similarities and differences in sea urchin and starfish at fertilization.

Effects of ionomycin on egg activation and early development in starfish

Ionomycin is a Ca²⁺-selective ionophore that is widely used to increase intracellular Ca²⁺ levels in cell biology laboratories. It is also occasionally used to activate eggs in the clinics practicing in vitro fertilization. However, neither the precise molecular action of ionomycin nor its secondary effects on the eggs' structure and function is well known. In this communication we have studied the effects of ionomycin on starfish oocytes and zygotes. By use of confocal microscopy, calcium imaging, as well as light and transmission electron microscopy, we have demonstrated that immature oocytes exposed to ionomycin instantly increase intracellular Ca²⁺ levels and undergo structural changes in the cortex. Surprisingly, when microinjected into the cells, ionomycin produced no Ca²⁺ increase. The ionomycin-induced Ca²⁺ rise was followed by fast alteration of the actin cytoskeleton displaying conspicuous depolymerization at the oocyte surface and in microvilli with concomitant polymerization in the cytoplasm. In addition, cortical granules were disrupted or fused with white vesicles few minutes after the addition of ionomycin. These structural changes prevented cortical maturation of the eggs despite the normal progression of nuclear envelope breakdown. At fertilization, the ionomycin-pretreated eggs displayed reduced Ca²⁺ response, no elevation of the fertilization envelope, and the lack of orderly centripetal translocation of actin fibers. These alterations led to difficulties in cell cleavage in the monospermic zygotes and eventually to a higher rate of abnormal development. In conclusion, ionomycin has various deleterious impacts on egg activation and the subsequent embryonic development in starfish. Although direct comparison is difficult to make between our findings and the use of the ionophore in the in vitro fertilization clinics, our results call for more defining investigations on the issue of a potential risk in artificial egg activation.

[An unusual pneumomediastinum case in a child caused by spontaneous bronchial rupture]

We report a case of spontaneous pneumomediastinum (SPM) in a 3 year-old child, admitted to the emergency department because he presented dyspnea for a few hours, after a paroxysm of cough. The SPM is rare in children; the term "spontaneous" is reserved for cases of pneumomediastinum that haven't a traumatic cause. SPM is seen most commonly in asthmatics and in any patient who induces a Valsalva maneuver. The clinical diagnosis is confirmed by chest radiograph. When the diagnosis is uncertain, the chest CT scan is considered the gold standard of imaging tests, capable of detecting pneumomediastinum even in patients with small amounts of mediastinal air. In this case CT images showed the cause: spontaneous bronchial rupture. The direct sign of bronchial injury is the contiguity of the luminal air with that in the mediastinum. In the literature SPM cases are very rare, at least in health patients without tracheobronchial anomalies. The SPM is generally a benign entity that requires supportive care, and resolution occurs spontaneously, such as in our patient. In this article we want to explain the main clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of SPM, because, even if it's rare in children, it must be considered in the differential diagnosis of dyspnea; then we want to demonstrate as, in this case, a TC scan was important to identifying the SPM cause: a bronchial rupture.

Mechanisms of Calcium Elevation in the Micromeres of Sea Urchin Embryos

The micromeres, the first cells to be specified in sea urchin embryos, are generated by unequal cleavage at the fourth cell division. The micromeres differentiate autonomously to form spicules and dispatch signals to induce endomesoderm in the neighbouring macromeres cells in the embryo. Using a calcium indicator Fura-2/AM and a mixture of dextran conjugated Oregon green-BAPTA 488 and Rhodamine red, the intracellular calcium ion concentration ([Ca2+]i) was studied in embryos at the 16-cell stage. [Ca2+]i was characteristically elevated in the micromeres during furrowing at the 4th cleavage. Subsequently, Ca2+ oscillated for about 10 min in the micromeres, resulting in episodic high levels of [Ca2+]i. High [Ca2+]i regions were associated with regional localizations of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), though not with ER accumulated at the vegetal pole of the micromeres during the 4th division. Pharmacological studies, using a blocker of IP3-mediated Ca2+ release (Xestospongin), a store-operated Ca2+ entry inhibitor (2 aminoethoxydiphenyl borate (2-APB)) and an inhibitor of stretch-dependent ion channels (gadolinium), suggest that the high [Ca2+]i and oscillations in the micromeres are triggered by calcium influx caused by the activation of stretch-dependent calcium channels, followed by the release of calcium ions from the endoplasmic reticulum. On the basis of these new findings, a possible mechanism for autonomous formation of the micromeres is discussed.

Roles of the actin-binding proteins in intracellular Ca2+ signalling

Starfish oocytes undergo massive intracellular Ca2+ signalling during meiotic maturation and fertilization. Although the igniting stimulus of Ca2+ mobilization may differ in different cell contexts, its final leverage is usually the Ca2+-releasing second messengers such as InsP3, cADPr and NAADP. The general scheme of intracellular Ca2+ release is that the corresponding receptors for these molecules serve as ion channels to release free Ca2+ from its internal stores such as the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum. However, a growing body of evidence has suggested that intracellular Ca2+ release can be strongly modulated by the actin cytoskeleton. Although it is known that Ca2+ contributes to remodelling of the actin cytoskeleton, whether the actin cytoskeleton modulates Ca2+ signalling in return has not been much explored. An emerging candidate to answer to this reciprocal causality of Ca2+ and the actin cytoskeleton may be actin-binding proteins. In this review, we discuss how the actin cytoskeleton may fit into the known mechanisms of intracellular Ca2+ release, and propose two models to explain the experimental data.

The role of the actin cytoskeleton in calcium signaling in starfish oocytes

Ca2+ is the most universal second messenger in cells from the very first moment of fertilization. In all animal species, fertilized eggs exhibit massive mobilization of intracellular Ca2+ to orchestrate the initial events of development. Echinoderm eggs have been an excellent model system for studying fertilization and the cell cycle due to their large size and abundance. In preparation for fertilization, the cell cycle-arrested oocytes must undergo meiotic maturation. Studies of starfish oocytes have shown that Ca2+ signaling is intimately involved in this process. Our knowledge of the molecular mechanism of meiotic maturation and fertilization has expanded greatly in the past two decades due to the discovery of cell cycle-related kinases and Ca2+-mobilizing second messengers. However, the molecular details of their actions await elucidation of other cellular elements that assist in the creation and transduction of Ca2+ signals. In this regard, the actin cytoskeleton, the receptors for second messengers and the Ca2+-binding proteins also require more attention. This article reviews the physiological significance and the mechanism of intracellular Ca2+ mobilization in starfish oocytes during maturation and fertilization.

Alteration of the cortical actin cytoskeleton deregulates Ca2+ signaling, monospermic fertilization, and sperm entry

BACKGROUND

When preparing for fertilization, oocytes undergo meiotic maturation during which structural changes occur in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) that lead to a more efficient calcium response. During meiotic maturation and subsequent fertilization, the actin cytoskeleton also undergoes dramatic restructuring. We have recently observed that rearrangements of the actin cytoskeleton induced by actin-depolymerizing agents, or by actin-binding proteins, strongly modulate intracellular calcium (Ca2+) signals during the maturation process. However, the significance of the dynamic changes in F-actin within the fertilized egg has been largely unclear.

METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

We have measured changes in intracellular Ca2+ signals and F-actin structures during fertilization. We also report the unexpected observation that the conventional antagonist of the InsP(3) receptor, heparin, hyperpolymerizes the cortical actin cytoskeleton in postmeiotic eggs. Using heparin and other pharmacological agents that either hypo- or hyperpolymerize the cortical actin, we demonstrate that nearly all aspects of the fertilization process are profoundly affected by the dynamic restructuring of the egg cortical actin cytoskeleton.

CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE

Our findings identify important roles for subplasmalemmal actin fibers in the process of sperm-egg interaction and in the subsequent events related to fertilization: the generation of Ca2+ signals, sperm penetration, cortical granule exocytosis, and the block to polyspermy.

NAADP: a new second messenger comes of age

Nicotinic acid adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NAADP) is one of the most potent stimulators of intracellular Ca(2+) mobilization in a variety of cell types. Its role in physiological processes is increasingly demonstrated by NAADP increases following cellular stimulation. As a second messenger NAADP shows unique features such as the ability to mobilize Ca(2+) from stores that are physically distinct from those connected to the Ca(2+) channels located in the endoplasmic reticulum, namely, the inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate and the cyclic-ADP-ribose/ ryanodine receptors. Furthermore, the NAADP-induced self-inactivation mechanism is suggestive of an irreversible binding of NAADP to its putative receptor.

Modulation of calcium signalling by the actin-binding protein cofilin

Cofilin is a small protein that belongs to the family of actin-depolymerizing factors (ADF). The main cellular function of cofilin is to change cytoskeletal dynamics and thus to modulate cell motility and cytokinesis. We have recently demonstrated that the actin cytoskeleton is involved in the modulation of Ca(2+) signalling in starfish oocytes. To extend these observations, we have explored whether cofilin influences Ca(2+) signalling in the oocytes. Here we show that microinjection of the functionally active cofilin alters the Ca(2+) signalling mediated by the three major second messengers, InsP(3), NAADP, and cADPr. Cofilin intensifies the Ca(2+) signals induced by InsP(3) and NAADP, and delays those induced by cADPr. Furthermore, the injection of cofilin increases the Ca(2+) signals during hormone-induced oocyte maturation and fertilization. The results suggest that the dynamic regulation of F-actin by its binding proteins may play an important role in the modulation of intracellular Ca(2+) signalling.

Pharmacological characterization of NAADP-induced Ca2+ signals in starfish oocytes

The recently discovered second messenger nicotinic acid adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NAADP) is central to the onset of intracellular Ca2+ signals induced by several stimuli, including fertilization. The nature of the Ca2+ pool mobilized by NAADP is still controversial. Depending on the cell type, NAADP may target either an acidic compartment with lysosomal properties or ryanodine receptors (RyRs) on endoplasmic reticulum. In addition, NAADP elicits a robust Ca2+ influx into starfish oocytes by activating a Ca2+-mediated current across the plasma membrane. In the present study, we employed the single-electrode intracellular recording technique to assess the involvement of either acidic organelles or RyRs in NAADP-elicited Ca2+ entry. We found that neither drugs which interfere with acidic compartments nor inhibitors of RyRs affected NAADP-induced depolarization. These data further support the hypothesis that a yet unidentified plasma membrane Ca2+ channel is the target of NAADP in starfish oocytes.

NAADP and InsP3 play distinct roles at fertilization in starfish oocytes

NAADP participates in the response of starfish oocytes to sperm by triggering the fertilization potential (FP) through the activation of a Ca2+ current which depolarizes the membrane to the threshold of activation of the voltage-gated Ca2+ channels. The aim of this study was to investigate whether this Ca2+ influx is linked to the onset of the concomitant InsP3-mediated Ca2+ wave by simultaneously employing Ca2+ imaging and single-electrode intracellular recording techniques. In control oocytes, the sperm-induced membrane depolarization always preceded by a few seconds the onset of the Ca2+ wave. Strikingly, the self-desensitization of NAADP receptors either abolished the Ca2+ response or resulted in abnormal oocyte activation, i.e., the membrane depolarization followed the Ca2+ wave and the oocyte was polyspermic. The inhibition of InsP3 signaling only impaired the propagation of the Ca2+ wave and shortened the FP. The duration of FP was also reduced in low-Na+ sea water. Finally, uncaged InsP3 produced a Ca2+ increase, which depolarized the membrane upon the activation of a Ca2+-sensitive cation current. These results support the hypothesis that Ca2+ entry during the NAADP-triggered FP is required for the onset of the Ca2+ wave at fertilization. The InsP3-mediated Ca2+ wave, in turn, may interact with the NAADP-evoked depolarization by activating a Ca2+-dependent Na+ entry.

The cell cycle: a new entry in the field of Ca2+ signaling

Ca2+ signaling plays a crucial role in virtually all cellular processes, from the origin of new life at fertilization to the end of life when cells die. Both the influx of external Ca2+ through Ca2+-permeable channels and its release from intracellular stores are essential to the signaling function. Intracellular Ca2+ is influenced by mitogenic factors which control the entry and progression of the cell cycle; this is a strong indication for a role of Ca2+ in the control of the cycle, but surprisingly, the possibility of such a role has only been paid scant attention in the literature. Substantial progress has nevertheless been made in recent years in relating Ca2+ and the principal decoder of its information, calmodulin, to the modulation of various cycle steps. The aim of this review is to critically discuss the evidence for a role of Ca2+ in the cell cycle and to discuss Ca2+-dependent pathways regulating cell growth and differentiation.

NAADP triggers the fertilization potential in starfish oocytes

In invertebrates oocytes or eggs, the fertilization or activation potential establishes the fast electrical block to polyspermy and, in some species, provides the Ca2+ influx which contributes to the following intracellular Ca2+ wave. In echinoderms, the molecule triggering the activation potential is still unknown. The aim of this study was to assess whether nicotinic acid-adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NAADP) elicited the fertilization potential in starfish oocytes. The changes in membrane potential induced by the sperm were measured in oocytes held at a low resting potential, so that the Ca2+-action potential was inactivated and only the initial slower depolarization caused by the sperm could be studied. Decreasing extracellular Na+ concentration did not prevent the onset of the fertilization potential, while removal of external Ca2+ abolished it. The pre-incubation with SK&F 96365 and verapamil and the pre-injection of BAPTA inhibited the fertilization potential, while the injection of heparin only reduced its duration. The biophysical and pharmacological properties of the sperm-elicited depolarization were similar to those displayed by the NAADP-activated Ca2+-mediated current recently described in starfish oocytes. Indeed, the desensitization of NAADP-receptors prevented the onset of the fertilization potential. Taken together, these data suggest that NAADP could trigger the fertilization potential in starfish oocytes.

Calcium and fertilization: the beginning of life

The explosive increase in Ca2+ that occurs in the cytosol at fertilization is brought about by the activation of Ca2+-release channels in the intracellular stores. Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (InsP3) is traditionally considered to be the messenger that initiates the increase and spreading of the activating Ca2+ wave. In line with this hypothesis, recent evidence suggests that the penetrating sperm delivers into mammalian eggs a novel isoform of phospholipase C (PLC), which promotes the formation of InsP3. By contrast, data from echinoderms studies indicate that the newly discovered second messenger nicotinic adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NAADP) promotes an initial, localized increase in Ca2+, which is then followed by the InsP3-mediated globalization of the Ca2+ wave. The mechanism by which the interacting sperm triggers the production of NAADP and subsequently that of InsP3 remains obscure.

The M-phase-promoting factor modulates the sensitivity of the Ca2+ stores to inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate via the actin cytoskeleton

The resumption of the meiotic cycle (maturation) induced by 1-methyladenine in prophase-arrested starfish oocytes is indicated by the breakdown of the germinal vesicle and is characterized by the increased sensitivity of the Ca2+ stores to inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (InsP3) to InsP3 starting at the animal hemisphere (where the germinal vesicle was originally located) and propagating along the animal/vegetal axis of the oocyte. This initiates Ca2+ signals around the germinal vesicle before nuclear envelope breakdown. Previous studies have suggested that the final activation of the maturation-promoting factor (MPF), a cyclin-dependent kinase, which is the major element controlling the entry of eukaryotic cells into the M phase, occurs in the nucleus. MPF is then exported to the cytoplasm where its activity is autocatalytically amplified following a similar animal/vegetal spatial pattern. We have investigated whether activated MPF was involved in the increased sensitivity of the Ca2+ response to InsP3. We have found that the development of increased sensitivity of the Ca2+ stores to InsP3 receptors together with the Ca2+ signals in the perinuclear region was blocked in oocytes treated with the specific MPF inhibitor roscovitine. That the nuclear MPF activation is indeed required for changes of the InsP3 receptors sensitivity was shown by enucleating or by dissecting oocytes into vegetal and animal hemispheres prior to the addition of 1-MA. MPF activity 50 min after 1-methyladenine addition was much lower in the enucleated oocytes and in the vegetal hemisphere, which did not contain the germinal vesicle, as compared with the animal hemisphere, which did contain it. The Ca2+ increase induced by InsP3 under these experimental conditions correlated with the changes in actin cytoskeleton induced by MPF.

NAADP activates a Ca2+ current that is dependent on F-actin cytoskeleton

Nicotinic acid adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NAADP) is involved in the Ca2+ response observed at fertilization in several species, including starfish. In this study, we have employed Ca2+ imaging and the single-electrode voltage-clamp technique to investigate whether the NAADP-mediated Ca2+ entry discovered in our laboratory in starfish oocytes was underlain by a membrane current and whether the response to NAADP required an intact cytoskeleton. Uncaging of preinjected NAADP evoked a cortical Ca2+ flash that was followed by the spreading of the wave to the remainder of the cell. No Ca2+ increase was detected in Ca2+-free sea water. Under voltage-clamp conditions, the photoliberation of NAADP activated an inward rectifying membrane current, which reversed at potentials more positive than +50 mV and was abolished by removal of Ca2+ but not of Na+. The current was affected by preincubation with verapamil, SKF 96356, and thapsigargin but not by preinjection of heparin, 8-NH2- cyclic ADP-ribose, or both antagonists. The membrane current and the Ca2+ wave were inhibited by latrunculin-A and jasplakinolide, which depolymerize and stabilize actin cytoskeleton, respectively. These data offer the first demonstration that NAADP initiates a Ca2+ sweep by activating a Ca2+-permeable membrane current that requires an intact F-actin cytoskeleton as other Ca2+-permeable currents, such as ICRAC and IARC.

Ca2+ signalling and membrane current activated by cADPr in starfish oocytes

Cyclic ADP-ribose (cADPr) is a second messenger that regulates intracellular free [Ca2+] ([Ca2+](i)) in a variety of cell types, including immature oocytes from the starfish Astropecten auranciacus. In this study, we employed confocal laser scanning microscopy and voltage clamp techniques to investigate the source of the cADPr-elicited Ca2+ wave originating from the cortical Ca2+ patches we have described previously. The Ca2+ swing was accompanied by a membrane current with a reversal potential of approximately +20 mV. Decreasing external Na+ almost abolished the current without affecting the Ca2+ response. Removal of extracellular Ca2+ altered neither the Ca2+ transient nor the ionic current, nor did the holding potential exert any effect on the Ca2+ wave. Both the Ca2+ response and the membrane current were abolished when BAPTA, ruthenium red or 8-NH(2)-cADPr were preinjected into the oocytes, while perfusion with ADPr did not elicit any [Ca2+](i) increase or ionic current. However, elevating [Ca2+](i) by uncaging Ca2+ from nitrophenyl- (NP-EGTA) or by photoliberating inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (InsP(3)) induced an ionic current with biophysical properties similar to that elicited by cADPr. These results suggest that cADPr activates a Ca2+ wave by releasing Ca2+ from intracellular ryanodine receptors and that the rise in [Ca2+](i) triggers a non-selective monovalent cation current that does not seem to contribute to the global Ca2+ elevation.

Ca2+-dependent phosphatidylserine synthesis in immature and mature starfish oocytes

We found that in starfish oocytes two different enzymes, phosphatidylserine synthase-1 (PSS1) and -2 (PSS2), which synthesize phosphatidylserine by a base-exchange reaction, are present. We studied phosphatidylserine synthesis in immature oocytes which still contain the nucleus (germinal vesicles) and in mature cells, in which the re-initiation of the meiotic cycle induced by the hormone 1-methyladenine led to structural changes in the endoplasmic reticulum, to the disappearance of the nuclear envelope and to the intermixing of the nucleoplasm with the cytoplasm. It was found that the levels of PSS1 and PSS2 transcripts were higher in immature and mature oocytes, respectively. The level of the expressed PSS2 protein, higher than that of PSS1, was not influenced by the maturation process, whereas the level of PSS1 protein was higher in immature than in mature oocytes. Serine incorporation into phosphatidylserine was enhanced in immature oocytes. The depletion of calcium stores by thapsigargin resulted in 50% lowering of phosphatidylserine synthesis. We suggest that changes in phosphatidylserine synthesis may be affected by the release of calcium stored in the nuclear envelope and in the endoplasmic reticulum, the membranes that undergo disintegration and fragmentation during meiosis. The reason for the greater synthesis of PS may be the higher level of expression of PSS1 in immature oocytes.

Activated M-phase-promoting factor (MPF) is exported from the nucleus of starfish oocytes to increase the sensitivity of the Ins(1,4,5)P3 receptors

Starfish oocytes that are extracted from the ovaries are arrested at the prophase of the first meiotic division. At this stage of maturation, they are characterized by a large nucleus called the germinal vesicle. Meiosis resumption (maturation) can be induced in vitro by adding the hormone 1-methyladenine (1-MA) to the seawater in which the oocytes are suspended. Earlier work in our laboratory had detected Ca(2+) increases in both the cytoplasm and the nucleus of the oocytes approx. 2 min after the 1-MA challenge. The nuclear Ca(2+) increase was found to be essential for the continuation of the meiotic cycle, since the injection of bis-(o-aminophenoxy)ethane- N,N,N',N' -tetra-acetic acid (BAPTA) into the nuclear compartment completely blocked the re-initiation of the cell cycle. We have recently confirmed, using confocal microscopy, that the cytoplasmic and nuclear Ca(2+) pools are regulated independently and that the nuclear envelope in starfish oocytes is not freely permeated by the Ca(2+) wave that sweeps across the nuclear region. Studies by others have shown that the sensitivity of the Ins(1,4,5) P (3) (IP(3)) receptors (IP(3)Rs) to IP(3) increases during oocyte maturation, so that they release progressively more calcium in response to the injection of IP(3), as maturation proceeds. We have now shown that the increased sensitivity of the IP(3)Rs may depend on the activation of the cyclin-dependent kinase, MPF (M-phase-promoting factor) that occurs in the nucleus. MPF does not directly phosphorylate IP(3)Rs but phosphorylates instead the actin-binding protein actin depolymerization factor (ADF)/cofilin.

Ca2+-dependent phosphatidylserine synthesis in immature and mature starfish oocytes

We found that in starfish oocytes two different enzymes, phosphatidylserine synthase-1 (PSS1) and -2 (PSS2), which synthesize phosphatidylserine by a base-exchange reaction, are present. We studied phosphatidylserine synthesis in immature oocytes which still contain the nucleus (germinal vesicles) and in mature cells, in which the re-initiation of the meiotic cycle induced by the hormone 1-methyladenine led to structural changes in the endoplasmic reticulum, to the disappearance of the nuclear envelope and to the intermixing of the nucleoplasm with the cytoplasm. It was found that the levels of PSS1 and PSS2 transcripts were higher in immature and mature oocytes, respectively. The level of the expressed PSS2 protein, higher than that of PSS1, was not influenced by the maturation process, whereas the level of PSS1 protein was higher in immature than in mature oocytes. Serine incorporation into phosphatidylserine was enhanced in immature oocytes. The depletion of calcium stores by thapsigargin resulted in 50% lowering of phosphatidylserine synthesis. We suggest that changes in phosphatidylserine synthesis may be affected by the release of calcium stored in the nuclear envelope and in the endoplasmic reticulum, the membranes that undergo disintegration and fragmentation during meiosis. The reason for the greater synthesis of PS may be the higher level of expression of PSS1 in immature oocytes.

Role of the actin cytoskeleton in store-mediated calcium entry in glioma C6 cells

The effects of actin cytoskeleton disruption by cytochalasin D and latrunculin A on Ca2+ signals evoked by ADP, UTP or thapsigargin were investigated in glioma C6 cells. Despite the profound alterations of the actin cytoskeleton architecture and cell morphology, ADP and UTP still produced cytosolic calcium elevation in this cell line. However, calcium mobilization from internal stores and Ca2+ influx through store-operated Ca2+ channels induced by ADP and UTP were strongly reduced. Cytochalasin D and latrunculin A also diminished extracellular Ca2+ influx in unstimulated glioma C6 cells previously incubated in Ca2+ free buffer. In contrast, the disruption of the actin cytoskeleton had no effect on thapsigargin-induced Ca2+ influx in this cell line. Both agonist- and thapsigargin-generated Ca2+ entry was significantly decreased by the blocker of store-operated Ca2+ channels, 2-aminoethoxydiphenylborate. The data reveal that two agonists and thapsigargin activate store-operated Ca2+ channels but the mechanism of activation seems to be different. While the agonists evoke a store-mediated Ca2+ entry that is dependent on the actin cytoskeleton, thapsigargin apparently activates an additional mechanism, which is independent of the disruption of the cytoskeleton.

Activation of oocytes by latrunculin A

Actin depolymerization by latrunculin A (LAT-A) in mature starfish oocytes induces a massive calcium mobilization that results in the discharge of the cortical granules and in the elevation of the fertilization envelope. The Ca2+ liberation starts as a circumscribed subplasma membrane hotspot, which is followed by a flash of Ca2+ increase restricted to the cortical layer. Ca2+ propagates rapidly from these peripheral regions to the center of the oocyte, initiating calcium oscillations. Blockade of the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors with heparin does not affect the liberation of Ca2+ at the initial hotspot or the cortical flash, but abolishes the centripetal spreading of the wave and the Ca2+ oscillations. In Ca2+-free medium, LAT-A also initiates Ca2+ release at a discrete cortical point, but then propagates throughout the cell without first forming the uniform cortical flash. The latter is thus linked to the influx of external Ca2+, somehow promoted by the depolymerization of cortical (microvillar) actin. The Ca2+ response to spermatozoa (i.e., peripheral hotspot, cortical flash, globalization of the signal) closely mimics that promoted by LAT-A. Thus, the initial cortical release of Ca2+ promoted by the sperm may be due to the depolymerization of actin.

Ca(2+) response to cADPr during maturation and fertilization of starfish oocytes

During the reinitiation of the meiotic cycle (maturation) induced by the hormone 1-methyladenine (1-MA), starfish oocytes undergo structural and biochemical changes in preparation for successful fertilization. Previous work has shown that the sensitivity of internal Ca(2+) stores to InsP(3) increases during maturation of the oocytes. Since Astropecten auranciacus oocytes also respond to cADPr, we have studied whether the response to cADPr also changes during maturation. We have found that the photoactivation of injected cADPr in immature oocytes immediately induces multiple patches of Ca(2+) release in the cortical region. The Ca(2+) signal then spreads from these initial points of increase to the entire cell. In mature oocytes, the uncaging of cADPr induces instead a single (or at most a dual) initial point of Ca(2+) release, which is immediately followed by the formation of a cortical Ca(2+) flash and then by the globalization of the wave and by the elevation of the fertilization envelope. External Ca(2+) plays a role in the Ca(2+) responses. Inhibition of L-type Ca(2+) channels does not affect the initial Ca(2+) release, but abolishes the cortical flash and impairs the elevation of the fertilization envelope. External Ca(2+) has other effects, as shown by the irregular appearance of the surface of oocytes incubated in Ca(2+)-free sea water. The sequence of Ca(2+) responses induced by cADPr in mature oocytes mimics those seen at fertilization, i.e., a first localized Ca(2+) increase followed by a cortical flash and by the globalization of the Ca(2+) signal. As in the case of maturation, L-type Ca(2+) channel blockers abolish the sperm induced cortical flash.

Generation, control, and processing of cellular calcium signals

In the course of evolution, Ca2+ has emerged as the most versatile intracellular messenger. Its concentration within cells is controlled by reversible binding to specific classes of proteins that act as Ca2+ sensors to decode its information before passing it on to targets. The decoding operation is based on specific conformational changes in the sensor proteins. Other proteins intrinsic to membranes simply control Ca2+ concentration without processing its message, by transporting it across membrane boundaries. They are located in the plasma membrane and in the membranes of the organelles (the endo(sarco)plasmic reticulum, the mitochondria, the nuclear envelope), which play distinctive roles in the cellular homeostasis of Ca2+. Ca2+ is an ambivalent signaling agent. It carries information to virtually all processes important to cell life (e.g., it couples excitation to contraction, secretion, gene transcription, and controls enzyme activity through protein phosphorylation-dephosphorylation), but also transmits signals that promote the programmed demise of cells. When escaping control, Ca2+ also precipitates toxic cell death.

NAADP+ initiates the Ca2+ response during fertilization of starfish oocytes

We have explored the role of the recently discovered second messenger nicotinic acid adenine nucleotide phosphate (NAADP+) in Ca2+ swings that accompany the fertilization process in starfish oocytes. The injection of NAADP+ deep into the cytoplasm of oocytes matured by the hormone 1-methyladenine (1-MA), mobilized Ca2+ exclusively in the cortical layer, showing that the NAADP+-sensitive Ca2+ pool is restricted to the subplasma membrane region of the cell. At variance with this, InsP3 initiated the liberation of Ca2+ next to the point of injection in the center of the cell. The initial cortical Ca2+ liberation induced by NAADP+ was followed by a spreading of the Ca2+ wave to the remainder of the cell and by a massive cortical granule exocytosis similar to that routinely observed on injection of InsP3. A striking difference in the responses to NAADP+ and InsP3 was revealed by the removal of the nucleus from immature oocytes, i.e., from oocytes not treated with 1-MA. Whereas the Ca2+ response and the cortical granule exocytosis induced by NAADP+ were unaffected by the removal of the nucleus, the Ca2+ response promoted by InsP3 was significantly slowed. In addition, the cortical granule exocytosis was completely abolished. When enucleated oocytes were fertilized, the spermatozoon still promoted the Ca2+ wave and normal cortical exocytosis, strongly suggesting that the Ca2+ response was mediated by NAADP+ and not by InsP3. InsP3-sensitive Ca2+ stores may mediate the propagation of the wave initiated by NAADP+ since its spreading was strongly affected by removal of the nucleus.