The mammalian oocyte cell cycle is regulated by massive zinc fluxes which culminate in coordinated ejections of ~1010 zinc ions at fertilization. Four single-cell physiochemical approaches (live-cell fluorescence imaging, scanning transmission electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy, X-ray fluorescence microscopy and tomography) reveal that these ‘zinc sparks’ originate from thousands of cortical vesicles which each release ~106 zinc ions.
- Emily L. Que
- Reiner Bleher
- Thomas V. O'Halloran
