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On a volatile sperm-stimulating substance derived from marine eggs

1921; SAGE Publishing; Volume: 18; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês

10.3181/00379727-18-56

1535-3702

G. H. A. Clowes, Emma E. Bachman,

Cephalopods and Marine Biology

Sea urchins eggs suspended in sea water secrete a sperm-stimulating substance studied by Jacques Loeb and H. M. Fuchs, as well as the sperm-agglutinating substance investigated by Frank Lillie and O. Glaser. From preliminary experiments carried out last season at Woods Hole, it appears that this sperm-stimulating substance may be derived from the eggs of the sea urchin, star fish and sand dollar; that it is non-specific and is a comparatively simple volatile, organo substance, a product of enzymatic action or fermentation within the cell. This substance, the exact constitution of which is not yet known, may be distilled from a neutral, acid or alkaline extract, the first distillate exerting an effect almost equal to that of the original extract. It is not destroyed by heating in a sealed tube in an autoclave for several hours, in a neutral or alkaline solution, but is weakened by heating with acid. It is very rapidly destroyed by iodine and other oxidizing agents, a brief exposure to N/5000 or N/10000 iodine solution causing a lowering in its stimulating activity of at least 100 to 1. This substance, when added to quiescent or attenuated sperm, greatly increases the facility with which the eggs are fertilized by the sperm. A large number of simple volatile organo substances of the type of propyl, ally1 and cinnamyl alcohol, were tested regarding their sperm-stimulating and fertilization promoting effects, and also their susceptibility to oxidizing agents and other chemicals, and were found to exhibit effects corresponding very closely with those exerted by the egg secretions and extracts. The exact constitution of the substance or substances present in the extract, has not yet been determined on account of the paucity of material at the end of the season, but it is proposed to continue this investigation next summer.