Dear Colleagues,

Fertilization that is required for activating oocytes stimulated at different maturation stages is a critical process in embryo development. Since the beginning, the study of oogenesis and spermatogenesis and the many events that precede and follow the interaction of male and female gametes have highlighted the complexity of the fertilization process. During the past few years, significant advances have been made in deciphering the crucial role played by the structural reorganization of the cortex of oocytes during the maturation of several species that are necessary to ensure optimal fertilization conditions. Studies on the sequential spatial/temporal series of fast events regulating the fertilization process have provided live cell imaging methodologies and insights for clarifying the changes induced by the egg's extracellular coats on the sperm physiology and the interaction of species–species complementary receptors on the sperm and egg plasma membranes. Following gamete fusion, the changes in the egg plasma membrane potential, intracellular calcium and pH, and the subsequent actin remodeling to ensure monospermic fertilization and regulate cleavage demonstrate the complex program of cell signaling in sustaining the control of vital cellular activities. Thus, in addition to shedding light on the cell signaling between male and female gametes, studies on maturation and fertilization processes using large cells will help us understand the basic structural and biochemical mechanisms regulating critical cellular functions in response to a myriad of stimuli.

This Special Issue aims to assemble various lines of research to provide an in-depth description of the "state-of-the-art" regarding the fertilizability of gametes, their species-specific interaction, the signal transduction of egg activation, and cleavage.

Dr. Luigia Santella
Dr. Nunzia Limatola
Guest Editors

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• oocyte maturation
• acrosome reaction
• gamete interaction
• actin remodelling
• calcium
• monospermy