Skip Navigation


Mol. Hum. Reprod. Advance Access originally published online on September 23, 2007
Molecular Human Reproduction 2007 13(11):759-770; doi:10.1093/molehr/gam068
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
13/11/759    most recent
gam068v1
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Van Blerkom, J.
Right arrow Articles by Davis, P.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Van Blerkom, J.
Right arrow Articles by Davis, P.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© The Author 2007. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

Mitochondrial signaling and fertilization

Jonathan Van Blerkom1 and Patrick Davis

Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA; Colorado Reproductive Endocrinology, Rose Medical Center, Denver, CO 80220, USA

1Correspondence address. E-mail: jonathan.vanblerkom{at}colorado.edu

The magnitude of the potential difference (polarity) across the inner mitochondrial membrane ({Delta}{Psi}m) determines levels of several mitochondrial activities, including ATP generation, focal regulate calcium homeostasis and organelle volume homeostasis. We investigated whether a domain of mitochondria in the mouse oocyte, characterized by high {Delta}{Psi}m and a unique location in the subplasmalemmal cytoplasm, is involved in the earliest events of fertilization: sperm attachment, penetration and cortical granule exocytosis. Experimental manipulations of the magnitude of {Delta}{Psi}m and the distribution of mitochondria in zona-free MII oocytes, followed by insemination and culture, indicate that high-polarized mitochondria (HPM) are required for penetration and cortical granule exocytosis, but not for persistent attachment to the oolemma. The capacity of subplasmalemmal mitochondria to undergo transient reductions (dissipations) of {Delta}{Psi}m appears necessary for penetration and cortical granule exocytosis. We suggest that the HPM normally establish a continuous circumferential circuit of ‘reactive’ organelles capable of responding to and propagating, triggering or activating signals across the subplasmalemmal cytoplasm, such as those initiated by the fertilizing sperm at the site of penetration. The HPM in the oocyte and early embryo may have functions similar to those of their somatic cell counterparts and promote the focal regulation of developmental activities that are themselves spatially localized. The establishment of high {Delta}{Psi}m in the subplasmalemmal cytoplasm may be among the first steps in the preovulatory maturation of the oocyte and defects in this domain may result in fertilization failure or abnormality.

Key words: oocyte/mitochondrial polarity/fertilization/cortical granule discharge/subplasmalemmal cytoplasm

Submitted on August 17, 2007; accepted on September 13, 2007.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Mol Hum ReprodHome page
J. Van Blerkom, P. Davis, and V. Thalhammer
Regulation of mitochondrial polarity in mouse and human oocytes: the influence of cumulus derived nitric oxide
Mol. Hum. Reprod., August 1, 2008; 14(8): 431 - 444.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer:
Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.