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

Yuval Kupitz, Daphne Atlas*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

39 Scopus citations

Abstract

Extracellular application of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to defolliculated Xenopus laevis oocytes activated a saturating inward current with a maximal amplitude Emax 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′-[β,γ-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.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)484-486
Number of pages3
JournalScience
Volume261
Issue number5120
DOIs
StatePublished - 1993

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