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Nature 449, 297-298 (20 September 2007) | doi:10.1038/449297a; Published online 19 September 2007

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Fertilization: Calcium's double punch

Catherine Jessus1 & Olivier Haccard1

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Fertilization promotes a calcium surge necessary to ensure the success of embryonic development. It seems that calcium activates apparently opposite molecular signalling pathways to achieve that end.

Sexual reproduction relies on two cellular processes: meiosis, through which two cellular divisions produce gametes (sperm and egg), and fertilization, whereby male and female gametes fuse to form a zygote. In most organisms, the egg must halt meiosis to prevent embryonic development in the absence of fertilization.

  1. Catherine Jessus and Olivier Haccard are at CNRS, UMR7622 (Biologie du Développement), Université Pierre & Marie Curie, 9 quai Saint-Bernard, 75005 Paris, France.
    Email: jessus@ccr.jussieu.fr;
    Email: olh@ccr.jussieu.fr