Roles of the EF-Hand Domain of PLCZ1 in Establishing Species-Specific Ca 2+ Oscillations in Mouse and Rat Fertilization†.

Periodic increases in cytosolic calcium concentration (Ca2+ oscillations) during mammalian fertilization induce all the events collectively known as egg activation. The sperm-specific phospholipase C, PLC zeta 1 (PLCZ1) represents the "sperm factor" vital for initiating the persistent Ca2+ oscillations in mammals. Despite sequence conservation, the Ca2+ oscillation-inducing properties of the enzyme differ vastly among species, and this is particularly salient between mouse and rat PLCZ1, where the activities vary at least one order of magnitude in favor of the former.

Assessment of Radiolabelled Derivatives of R954 for Detection of Bradykinin B1 Receptor in Cancer Cells: Studies on Glioblastoma Xenografts in Mice.

Bradykinin B1 receptor (B1R) has garnered attention as a cancer therapeutic and diagnostic target. Several reports on radiolabelled derivatives of B1R antagonists have shown favourable properties as imaging agents in cells highly expressing hB1R following transfection. In the present study, we assessed whether radiolabelled probes can detect B1R endogenously expressed in cancer cells.

Zn is essential for Ca oscillations in mouse eggs.

Changes in the intracellular concentration of free calcium (Ca) underpin egg activation and initiation of development in animals and plants. In mammals, the Ca release is periodical, known as Ca oscillations, and mediated by the type 1 inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor (IPR1). Another divalent cation, zinc (Zn), increases exponentially during oocyte maturation and is vital for meiotic transitions, arrests, and polyspermy prevention.

Zn is Essential for Ca Oscillations in Mouse Eggs.

Changes in the intracellular concentration of free calcium (Ca) underpin egg activation and initiation of development in animals and plants. In mammals, the Ca release is periodical, known as Ca oscillations, and mediated by the type 1 inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor (IPR1). Another divalent cation, zinc (Zn), increases exponentially during oocyte maturation and is vital for meiotic transitions, arrests, and polyspermy prevention.

Generation of viable calves derived from developmentally mature blastocysts produced by on-gel culture.

Conventional culture systems for bovine embryos are unable to support sustained embryonic development until the developmentally mature blastocyst stage. Although we have previously developed an on-gel culture system that enables bovine blastocysts to complete cell segregation events at day (D) 10 following in vitro culture, the development of D10 blastocysts to term has yet to be achieved. In this study, we attained full-term development of D10 mature blastocysts produced using an on-gel culture system.