Premium
The molecular complexity of fertilization: Introducing the concept of a fertilization synapse
Author(s) -
Krauchunas Amber R.,
Marcello Matthew R.,
Singson Andrew
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
molecular reproduction and development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.745
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1098-2795
pISSN - 1040-452X
DOI - 10.1002/mrd.22634
Subject(s) - biology , human fertilization , context (archaeology) , immunological synapse , sperm , synapse , microbiology and biotechnology , neuroscience , immune system , genetics , t cell , t cell receptor , paleontology
SUMMARY The details of sperm–egg interactions remain a relative mystery despite many decades of research. As new molecular complexities are being discovered, we need to revise the framework in which we think about fertilization. As such, we propose that fertilization involves the formation of a synapse between the sperm and egg. A cellular synapse is a structure that mediates cell adhesion, signaling, and secretion through specialized zones of interaction and polarity. In this review, we draw parallels between the immune synapse and fertilization, and argue that we should consider sperm–egg recognition, binding, and fusion in the context of a “fertilization synapse.” Mol. Reprod. Dev. 83: 376–386, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc .