Overdue Calcium Oscillation Causes Polyspermy but Possibly Permits Normal Development in Mouse Eggs.

ABSTRACT: In some non-mammalian eggs, the fusion of one egg and multiple sperm (polyspermy) induces a robust rise in intracellular calcium ion (Ca²⁺) concentration due to a shortage of inducers carried by a single sperm. Instead, one of the sperm nuclei is selected inside the egg for normal embryogenesis. Polyspermy also occurs during the in vitro fertilization of human eggs; however, the fate of such eggs is still under debate. Hence, the relationship between polyspermy and repetitive Ca²⁺ increases (Ca²⁺ oscillation) in mammals remains unknown. To address this issue, we used mouse sperm lacking extramitochondrial citrate synthase (eCS), which functions as a Ca²⁺ oscillation inducer; its lack causes retarded Ca²⁺ oscillation initiation (eCs-KO sperm). Elevated sperm concentrations normalize Ca²⁺ oscillation initiation. As expected, eCS deficiency enhanced polyspermy in both zona pellucida (ZP)-free and ZP-intact eggs despite producing the next generation of eCs-KO males. In conclusion, similarly to non-mammalian eggs, mouse eggs may develop normally under polyspermy conditions caused by problematic Ca²⁺ oscillation.

SUBMITTER: Fukuoka M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10779150 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature