Time Sequence of Early Events in Fertilization in the Medaka Egg

The time sequence of early events in fertilization was examined in eggs of the medaka Oryzias latipes . The mean time after insemination required for sperm attachment to the egg surface through the micropyle depended on sperm concentrations. It was 3 ± 1 sec with a range from 1 to 6 sec after insemination when concentration of spermatozoa was high (about 2 × 10⁸/ml at 23°–25°C). The mean time from sperm attachment until cessation of its movement on the egg surface was 4 ± 1 sec with a range from 1 to 9 sec. Small cortical alveoli at the animal pole region within 15 μm of the sperm attachment point began to undergo exocytosis 9 ± 0.3 sec (range 5–16 sec) after sperm attachment. The velocity at which the exocytosis wave propagated increased from the earliest initiation point of exocytosis up to the 100 μm area, and became constant at about 12 μm/sec from 100 μm to 500 μm from the sperm attachment point. The present results suggest that at the time of fertilization in the fish egg, exocytosis of small cortical alveoli in the area about 15 μm away from the sperm attachment point occurs simultaneously.