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PROGRESSION OF SPERMATIAL NUCLEAR DIVISION REQUIRES CALCIUM INFLUX DURING FERTILIZATION OF THE RED ALGA PALMARIA SP. 1
Author(s) -
Mine Ichiro,
Tatewaki Masakazu
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
journal of phycology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.85
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1529-8817
pISSN - 0022-3646
DOI - 10.1111/j.0022-3646.1994.00853.x
Subject(s) - biology , prophase , mitosis , human fertilization , botany , metaphase , microbiology and biotechnology , calcium , cell division , biochemistry , anatomy , meiosis , cell , gene , chromosome , chemistry , organic chemistry
During fertilization of the red alga Palmaria sp. (Palmariales), the prophase‐arrested nucleus of the uninucleate spermatium resumes its division after direct attachment of the spermatium to the trichogyne of a carpogonium. Treatments that reduce Ca 2+ influx inhibit the progression of spermatial nuclear division. The ratio of the number of spermatia released from prophase arrest (those in meta‐phase to binucleate stages) to the total spermatia attached to trichogynes was significantly reduced by incubating the spermatia in the culture solution having low Ca 2+ concentration. Similar inhibition was observed by addition of either inorganic (La 3+ and Co 2+ ) or organic (nifedipine and tetramethrin) Ca 2+ channel inhibitors to the culture solution containing 10 mM Ca 2+ . These results indicate that the prophase/metaphase transition of spermatial nuclear division requires an influx of Ca 2+ and suggest that Ca 2+ acts as a second messenger to the mechanical or chemical stimulus that initiates mitotic progression of spermatia in this alga.