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Increasing intracellular pH of sea urchin sperm with NH 4 Cl induces Ca 2+ uptake and acrosome reaction in the absence of egg jelly
Author(s) -
Garcia-Soto J.,
de la Torre L.de,
Darszon A.
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/0014-5793(85)80421-x
Subject(s) - acrosome reaction , sperm , sea urchin , intracellular , intracellular ph , acrosome , chemistry , biophysics , human fertilization , biochemistry , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , anatomy , botany
Intracellular alkalinization and Ca 2+ uptake accompany the egg jelly‐induced acrosome reaction of sea urchin sperm. Here, sperm were incubated in NF 4 Cl‐containing seawater maintained at its physiological pH (8.0). Under these conditions, 20 mM NH 4 C1 induced intracellular alkalinization, Ca 2+ uptake and acrosome reaction in the absence of egg jelly. The NH 4 Cl‐triggered acrosome reaction required external Ca 2+ . Our results indicate that internal alkalinization activates Ca 2+ influx into sperm possibly through a pH sensitive Ca 2+ channel. Thus egg jelly could first stimulate the sperm plasma membrane Na + /H + exchanger inducing intracellular alkalinization which would then activate Ca 2+ uptake and acrosome reactions.