Abstract
THE prevention of polyspermy in sea urchin eggs is accomplished in two steps: a “fast” block, occurring within a few seconds of the entry of the fertilising sperm, and a “slow” block, associated with the cortical reaction (compare refs 1–4 with 5 and 6). Results presented here confirm the existence of the fast block and demonstrate that it is caused by the electrical depolarisation of the egg plasma membrane that accompanies the entrance of the fertilising sperm.
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JAFFE, L. Fast block to polyspermy in sea urchin eggs is electrically mediated. Nature 261, 68–71 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1038/261068a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/261068a0
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