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Cytoskeletal Elements and the Reproductive Success in Animals

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The Cytoskeleton in Health and Disease

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Abstract

Reproduction is a stepwise process that starts at the formation of gametes and ends at the completion of meiosis and the first mitotic divisions of the zygote. The involvement of main cytoskeletal elements in mediating the reproductive processes is now well established. This chapter summarizes recent advances in the field related to cytoskeletal dynamics underpinning the basic events of reproduction such as gametogenesis, gametes reciprocal activation, sperm-oocyte interaction and zygote formation. We have described the distinct patterns of distribution of microfilaments and microtubules and their rearrangements along the entire reproductive process. Evidences are provided that these elements play a dynamic role in the establishment and regulation of basic structure and functions of gametes and zygote during the processes of maturation and fertilization.

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Abbreviations

AR:

Acrosome reaction

CG:

Cortical granules

GV:

Germinal vesicle

GVBD:

Germinal vesicle breakdown

MI:

Metaphase I

MII:

Metaphase II

ZP:

Zona pellucida

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  1. Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121, Naples, Italy

    Alessandra Gallo & Elisabetta Tosti

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  1. Alessandra Gallo
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  2. Elisabetta Tosti
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Correspondence to Elisabetta Tosti .

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  1. Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, Missouri, USA

    Heide Schatten

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Gallo, A., Tosti, E. (2015). Cytoskeletal Elements and the Reproductive Success in Animals. In: Schatten, H. (eds) The Cytoskeleton in Health and Disease. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2904-7_6

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