Primary and secondary messengers in the activation of ascidian eggs

Two early events of activation in the ascidian egg, the surface contraction and the fertilization current, were studied. Ca ionophore induces contraction without generating a fertilization current, whereas microinjection of IP3 or soluble fractions of homogenized spermatozoa trigger both a contraction and a current. This suggests that the primary trigger of activation in ascidian eggs is a soluble component of spermatozoa that may be released into the egg subsequent to gamete fusion. IP3, or other intermediates in phosphoinositide metabolism, is a putative second messenger that activates fertilization channels directly (probably a Ca-independent process), and subsequently induces surface contraction by releasing Ca from intracellular stores.