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Gamete recognition during fertilization in a red alga,Antithamnion nipponicum

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Summary

Fertilization in the marine red algaAntithamnion nipponicum is a highly specific process involving non-motile male gametes, spermatia, and female receptive structures, carpogonia. FITC-lectin and Calcofluor white ST labelling show that the outer cell walls of spermatia differ from vegetative cells in carbohydrate composition. Specific binding of the lectins to spermatial walls was confirmed by lectin-gold labelling on thin sections. Gametic recognition inAntithamnion nipponicum is based on the interaction of a surface carbohydrate on the spermatia with a surface carbohydrate receptor on the trichogynes. Spermatial binding to trichogynes is inhibited by pre-incubation with concanavalin A and trichogyne receptors are blocked by the complementary carbohydrate α-D-methyl mannose. The inhibitory effects of concanavalin A to spermatial binding of trichogynes is reversed by preincubation with α-D-methyl mannose. The combination of long spermatial appendages and a carbohydrate-carbohydrate receptor-based gamete recognition mechanism make fertilization in this species an efficient process.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Marine Biosciences, National Research Council of Canada, 1411 Oxford Street, B3H 3Z1, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

    G. H. Kim & L. Fritz

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  1. G. H. Kim
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  2. L. Fritz
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Kim, G.H., Fritz, L. Gamete recognition during fertilization in a red alga,Antithamnion nipponicum . Protoplasma 174, 69–73 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01404044

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01404044

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