biostudies-literatureKageyama AJapan Science SocietyMishima Kaiun Memorial FoundationJapan Society for the Promotion of ScienceRP106616https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC12698087biostudies-literatureUnknown14In all vertebrates studied to date, a rise(s) in intracellular calcium is indispensable for successful fertilization and further embryonic development. Recent studies demonstrated that zinc is ejected to the extracellular milieu, the 'zinc spark', and follows the first few calcium rises of fertilization. However, the role of the zinc sparks in fertilization and development, as well as the supporting influx mechanism(s), remains unknown. In this study, we focused on zinc transporters <i>Slc39a10/Zip10</i> which were expressed in mouse oocytes through follicular development and investigated the oocyte-specific deficient mice for <i>Slc39a10/Zip10</i> (<i>Slc39a10</i> cKO: <i>Slc39a10^flox/flox Gdf9^Cre/+</i>). <i>Slc39a10</i> mRNA or SLC39A10/ZIP10 protein was expressed teLifeThe oocyte zinc transporter &lt;i&gt;Slc39a10/Zip10&lt;/i&gt; is a regulator of zinc sparks during fertilization in mice.PMC1269808720H0537321H0238422H0492215H0458422H0426824H0260124K232142019-4044A-135Fukada TNamiki TKawata YOzawa MKageyama AIto JWakai TOgura AOgonuki NYamada YFissore RKashiwazaki NfalseThe oocyte zinc transporter &lt;i&gt;Slc39a10/Zip10&lt;/i&gt; is a regulator of zinc sparks during fertilization in mice.In all vertebrates studied to date, a rise(s) in intracellular calcium is indispensable for successful fertilization and further embryonic development. Recent studies demonstrated that zinc is ejected to the extracellular milieu, the 'zinc spark', and follows the first few calcium rises of fertilization. However, the role of the zinc sparks in fertilization and development, as well as the supporting influx mechanism(s), remains unknown. In this study, we focused on zinc transporters <i>Slc39a10/Zip10</i> which were expressed in mouse oocytes through follicular development and investigated the oocyte-specific deficient mice for <i>Slc39a10/Zip10</i> (<i>Slc39a10</i> cKO: <i>Slc39a10^flox/flox Gdf9^Cre/+</i>). <i>Slc39a10</i> mRNA or SLC39A10/ZIP10 protein was expressed t2025-01-01T00:00:00Z2025 Dec2026-07-15T07:47:37.12Z2026-07-01T03:08:04.062ZS-EPMC126980874137877610.7554/eLife.106616