The fertilization process that marks the beginning of a new life has fascinated philosophers
and naturalists since ancient times. However, the simple fact that it results from the union of …

Abstract Background/Aims: Eggs of all animal species display intense cytoplasmic Ca2+
increases at fertilization. Previously, we reported that unfertilized eggs of Astropecten …

Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is a major source of proteins and one of the most
important edible foods for more than three hundred million people in the world. The common …

In starfish, a relaxin-like gonad-stimulating peptide (RGP) acts as a gonadotropin that
triggers gamete maturation and spawning. In common with other relaxin/insulin superfamily …

The onset of fertilization in echinoderms is characterized by instantaneous increase of Ca 2+
in the egg cortex, which is called'cortical flash', and the subsequent Ca 2+ wave. While the …

Despite recent advances in sequencing technology, a complete mitogenome assembly is
still unavailable for the gecarcinid land crabs that include the iconic Christmas Island red …

The critical mechanism to restart zygote metabolism and prevent polyspermy during
fertilization is the intracellular Ca2+ increase. All of the signaling molecules leading to the …

A relaxin‐like gonad‐stimulating peptide (RGP) in starfish was the first identified invertebrate
gonadotropin responsible for final gamete maturation. An RGP ortholog was newly identified …

The sea star Patiria pectinifera (Asteroidea; Asterinidae; homotypic synonym: Asterina
pectinifera; Muller & Troschel, 1842) is widely distributed in the coastal regions of the Seas …

The starfish oocyte and egg offer advantages for use as a model system for signal
transduction research. Some of these have been recognized for over a century, including the …