Calcium waves occur as Drosophila oocytes activate

• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1420589112
• Publication Date: 2015-01-07T11:53:45Z
• Authors: Taro Kaneuchi; Caroline V. Sartain; Satomi Takeo; Vanessa L. Horner; Norene A. Buehner; Toshiro Aigaki; Mariana F. Wolfner
• Keywords: 0301 basic medicine; 03 medical and health sciences; Ion Transport; Oocytes; Animals; Calcium; Drosophila; Inositol 1,4,5-Trisphosphate

Significance

This paper reports the first visualization of calcium dynamics in Drosophila eggs in vivo and in vitro, demonstrating that a calcium wave is a conserved feature of egg activation (the process by which a mature egg becomes able to initiate embryo development). In vertebrates and echinoderms, the fertilizing sperm triggers egg activation by inducing calcium release from the egg’s internal stores, causing wave(s) of increased calcium to sweep across the egg. However, insect eggs activate without fertilization. We show that a wave of increased calcium occurs during activation of Drosophila eggs. The wave is induced during ovulation by influx of calcium into the egg through mechanosensitive ion channels. Release of calcium from intracellular stores is required for wave propagation.