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Science 23 July 1993:
Vol. 261. no. 5120, pp. 484 - 486
DOI: 10.1126/science.8392753
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Articles

Science, Vol 261, Issue 5120, 484-486
Copyright © 1993 by American Association for the Advancement of Science

articles

A putative ATP-activated Na+ channel involved in sperm-induced fertilization

Y Kupitz and D Atlas

Department of Biological Chemistry, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel.

Extracellular application of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to defolliculated Xenopus laevis oocytes activated a saturating inward current with a maximal amplitude E(max) of 2.4 +/- 0.2 microamperes and an apparent Michaelis constant of 197.6 micromolar. The current was carried predominantly by sodium ions and potently inhibited by amiloride, guanosine triphosphate (GTP), and its nonhydrolyzable analogs guanosine 5'-[beta,gamma-imido]triphosphate (GppNHp) and guanosine 5'-O-(3-thiotriphosphate). Likewise, in vitro fertilization using mature eggs and Xenopus sperm was inhibited by amiloride, GTP, and GppNHp. Hence, an ATP receptor on the egg membrane may be the recipient target for ATP originating in sperm, suggesting that an ATP-induced increase in sodium permeability mediates the initial sperm to egg signal in the fertilization process.


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Heteromeric Assembly of Acid-sensitive Ion Channel and Epithelial Sodium Channel Subunits.
R. H. Meltzer, N. Kapoor, Y. J. Qadri, S. J. Anderson, C. M. Fuller, and D. J. Benos (2007)
J. Biol. Chem. 282, 25548-25559
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
dGNaC1, a Gonad-specific Amiloride-sensitive Na+ Channel.
I. Darboux, E. Lingueglia, G. Champigny, S. Coscoy, P. Barbry, and M. Lazdunski (1998)
J. Biol. Chem. 273, 9424-9429
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Fertilization and ion channels.
R Nuccitelli and J. Ferguson (1994)
Science 263, 988
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