Abstract
AT fertilization, sea urchin eggs release macromolecules into the surrounding seawater. The release of these molecules (fertilization product1) results from the lysis of the peripheral layer of cortical granules2,3 and possibly from other sites on the cell surface. Three macromolecules of the fertilization product have been identified: (1) a β-1,3-glucanohydrolase4, (2) a protein that forms part of the fertilization membrane5 and (3) hyalin6, the major constituent of an extracellular gel that surrounds the developing embryo7.
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VACQUIER, V., EPEL, D. & DOUGLAS, L. Sea Urchin Eggs Release Protease Activity at Fertilization. Nature 237, 34–36 (1972). https://doi.org/10.1038/237034a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/237034a0
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