Fertilization is defined as the union of two gametes. During fertilization, sperm and egg fuse to form a diploid zygote to initiate prenatal development. In mammals, fertilization involves multiple ordered steps, including the acrosome reaction, zona pellucida penetration, sperm–egg attachment, and membrane fusion. Given the success of in vitro fertilization, one would think that the mechanisms of fertilization are understood; however, the precise details for many of the steps in fertilization remain a mystery. Recent studies using genetic knockout mouse models and structural biology are providing valuable insight into the molecular basis of sperm–egg attachment and fusion. Here, we review the cell biology of fertilization, specifically summarizing data from recent structural and functional studies that provide insights into the interactions involved in human gamete attachment and fusion.

中文翻译：

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受精的细胞生物学：配子附着和融合


受精被定义为两个配子的结合。在受精过程中，精子和卵子融合形成二倍体合子以启动产前发育。在哺乳动物中，受精涉及多个有序步骤，包括顶体反应、透明带穿透、精卵附着和膜融合。鉴于体外受精的成功，人们会认为受精机制已被了解；然而，受精过程中许多步骤的精确细节仍然是个谜。最近使用基因敲除小鼠模型和结构生物学的研究为精子-卵子附着和融合的分子基础提供了有价值的见解。在这里，我们回顾了受精的细胞生物学，特别总结了最近的结构和功能研究的数据，这些数据为人类配子附着和融合中涉及的相互作用提供了见解。