Fertilization

(Sperm-Oocyte interaction)
Objectives of the session:

•Describe the major events in sperm-

oocyte interaction
•Describe the process of activation of
spermatozoa and oocyte
•Describe the process of sperm-oocyte
fusion
Important differences between mitosis and meiosis
are:

•The products of mitosis •The products of meiosis

are diploid are haploid
•The products of mitosis •The products of meiosis
are genetically identical are genetically different
•Involves single turn of cell •Involves two turns of cell
cycle cycle
•Occurs predominantly in •Occurs in ovary and
somatic cells testis only and produces
gametes
 Prophase –
Interphase
Mitosiscondense and
Chromosomes
become visible
Prophase Bipolar spindle develops
Metaphase
Chromosomes fully
Prometaphase condensed
Located at metaphase plate
Metaphase Anaphase
Each centromere splits
Two chromatids pulled to
Anaphase opposite poles
Telophase
Chromosomes reach poles
Telophase
and start to de- condense
Nuclear membrane reforms

Cytokinesis
Meiosis
Difference between meiosis in males and females

•Meiosis in females initiates prenatally (in 1st trimester),

gets arrested at Prophase I
•It is resumed at puberty but is again arrested at
Metaphase II stage to resume only if the sperm enters
the oocyte
•Meiosis in females produces unequal daughter cells,
i. e. egg and polar bodies
•Meiosis in males starts at puberty, it is a continuous
process
•Each meiotic division gives rise to four equal
spermatozoa
Natural Fertilization:
•Complex process of cell-cell interaction
• Includes:
•Specific recognition and binding of
spermatozoa to oocyte
•Fusion of male and female pronucleii
•Depends on:
•Acrosome of the spermatozoon
•Zona Pellucida of oocyte
Spermatozoal Maturation:
Capacitation:
•Spermatozoa gain capacity to fertilize oocyte
while passing through cervix
•Glycoproteins are removed from sperm surface
and expose receptor sites that will respond to

oocyte signals
•Biochemical process – temperature dependant,
0 0
Acrosome Reaction:

Acrosome
•A membrane bound cap
covering anterior portion of the
sperm head
•Contains large array of
hydorlytic enzymes –
hyaluronidase, acrosin,
proacrosin phosphatases etc.
Acrosome Reaction (contd):
•Final requisite step in activation of spermatozoa
•Activated when spermatozoa approaches the Zona
Pellucida
•Zona Pellucida - Contains three major glycoproteins –
ZP1, ZP2 and ZP3
•The membrane surrounding acrosome fuses with
plasma membrane of the sperm, releasing the contents
of the acrosome
•ZP3 is said to trigger acrosome reaction
 Acrosome Reaction (contd):

Acrosome
reaction in
progress: fusion
Acrosome
of plasma and
reacted
acrosomal
spermatozoon
membrane allows
the release of
acrosomal
contents
(hydrolytic
enzymes)
 Sperm-oocyte fusion:
•During penetration – sperm looses acrosomal
contents, leaving the inner acrosomal membrane
in direct contact with zona pellucida
 Sperm-oocyte fusion:
•Sperm-head plasma
membrane fuses with
oocyte plasma
membrane (at post-
acrosomal region)
•The mitochondria and
tail also enter oocyte but
later degenerate
•Fusion is temperature,
pH and Ca++ dependant
1- Postacrosomal region, 2-Oocyte plasma membrane
3- Perivitelline space, 4- Zona Pellucida,
5- Corticle granule
 Centrosome
•Centosome is paternal in origin
•Composed of centrioles
•Divides during Interphase to form the poles of
the mitotic spindle 1 – Oocyte plasma membrane
2 – Plasma membrane of
spermatozoon
3 – Mid piece and tail of
spermatozoon
4 – Nucleus of the spermatozoon
5 – Centrosome of the
spermatozoon
Centrosome
•After sperm incorporation, mitochondria are
displaced from sperm midpiece and sperm
centriole is exposed to oocyte cytoplasm
•A small “aster” of microtubules grows from the
centriole which directs the migration of the
sperm pronucleus to the centre of the oocyte to
make contact the maternal pronucleus
•Also initiates the migration of maternal
pronucleus towards paternal pronucleus
 Oocyte Activation
Cortical Reaction:
•Cortical granules originate as vesicle in the Golgi
complex, contain enzymes and mucopolysaccharides
•After fusion of sperm-oocyte membranes cortical
granules undergo Exocytosis
•Break upon releasing their contents into perivitelline
space
•Periviatelline space increases in volume
•Zona is transformed into thick, hard projective
structure
Purpose of Cortical Reaction
Oocyte Plasma
Zona Pellucida membrane
•Protection of
developing embryo Perivitelline
space

•To keep the dividing

blastomeres in close
contact
•Avoid polyspermy
Cortical Granule
 Oocyte Activation

•Oocyte cytoplasm rises up in protuberance

around spermatozoal nucleus to form the
fertilization cone
•Releasing meiotic arrest:
•Meiosis in the oocyte is reinitiated

•Oocyte transits from metaphase II to

telophase II releasing the second polar
body
Initiation of Meiosis in oocyte
1 – Meiotic spindle with chromatids
2 – 1st Polar body
3 – Zona Pellucida
4 – Perivitelline space
5 – Plasma membrane of
spermatozoon
6 – midpiece and tail
7 – Nucleus of the spermatozoon
(compact)
8 – Centrosome of spermatozoon
Termination of Meiosis in oocyte
1 – 1st Polar body
2 – Nucleus (decondensing)
of the spermatozoon
3 – Centrosome of
spermatozoon
4 – Second polar Body being
formed
5 – Remainder of the spindle
with maternal chromosome –
Haploid (1n,1c)
Pronucleus formation
•On entering oocyte cytoplasm – sperm nuclear
envelope breaks down
•Protamines are lost and pronuclear
decondensation occurs
•New nuclear membrane forms around
decondensed male and female chromatin to
produce pronucleii
•During pronuclear development both DNA
synthesis and RNA transcription occur
Pronucleus formation

1 – Paternal Pronucleus
2 – Maternal Pronucleus
3 – Centrosome
4 – Polar bodies
 Formation of Zygote
•Male and female pronuclei migrate towards
each other
•Subsequently move towards the centre of
oocyte
•Sperm aster is involved in this movement
•Nuclear membrane of the pronuclei dissolve
•Mitotic spindle is formed after chromosomes
align themselves on the spindle at the equator
•Zygote (first cell of the new organism) is created
 Oocyte with two pronuclei

1 – Nucleic membranes of pronuclei (Dissolving),

2 – Microtubules of the mitotic spindle
 The Sun in the egg
•The movement of the
pronuclei directed by the
microtubules of the aster
•Dozens of microtubules
of this aster bind to the
maternal and paternal
pronucli
•When the two pronuclei
merge together, it looks
like an radiating figure
which looks like rays of
the Sun
The mitotic spindle divides the chromosomes in
to the “two first cells” of the embryo

Beginning of a new life………

Thank you..

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