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Acrosomal Exocytosis

  • Chapter
Molecular Mechanisms of Exocytosis

Part of the book series: Molecular Biology Intelligence Unit ((MBIU))

Abstract

Sexual reproduction to perpetuate a given species occurs through fertilization, during which a diploid zygote is formed to produce a genetically distinct individual. To this end, the haploid sperm and haploid egg must collide to allow entry of the sperm head delivering the male chromatin into the egg cytoplasm. Both the male and female gametes undergo regulated exocytose—termed the acrosome reaction and the cortical reaction respectively—at different times during their encounter. The success of fertilization depends on these exocytoses.

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  1. Laboratorio de Biología Celular y Molecular, Instituto de Histología y Embriología (IHEM-CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, CC 56, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, 5500, Mendoza, Argentina

    Claudia Nora Tomes

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Tomes, C.N. (2007). Acrosomal Exocytosis. In: Molecular Mechanisms of Exocytosis. Molecular Biology Intelligence Unit. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-39961-4_9

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