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Acetylcholine-elicited responses in primary and secondary mammalian oocytes disappear after fertilisation

Nature volume 277, pages 651–653 (1979)Cite this article

Abstract

THE recent finding1 of acetylcholine (ACh) receptors on the amphibian oocyte membrane raises two main questions: (1) is the presence of ACh receptors a feature common to all vertebrates including mammals, and (2) does the sensitivity to ACh undergo developmental changes throughout oocyte growth and maturation, or following fertilisation? We have investigated these problems using conventional electrophysiological techniques, and show here that depolarising and/or hyperpolarising membrane potentials are elicited by ACh in mouse dictyate and metaphase II oocytes, but not after fertilisation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Istituto di Fisiologia Umana, II Cattedra, Università di Roma, Italy

    FABRIZIO EUSEBI

  2. Istituto di Biologia e Zoologia generale, Istituto Universitario di Medicina e Chirurgia, L'Aquila

    FRANCO MANGIA

  3. Istituto di Istologia ed Embriologia generale, Università di Roma, Italy

    FRANCO MANGIA

  4. Istituto di Anatomia Comparata, Università di Roma, Italy

    LAURA ALFEI

Authors
  1. FABRIZIO EUSEBI
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  2. FRANCO MANGIA
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  3. LAURA ALFEI
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EUSEBI, F., MANGIA, F. & ALFEI, L. Acetylcholine-elicited responses in primary and secondary mammalian oocytes disappear after fertilisation. Nature 277, 651–653 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1038/277651a0

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