Boar spermatozoa within the oviductal environment (III): Fertilisation

© 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. All rights are reserved. This chapter is the last of a series of four chapters about the transit of boar spermatozoa within the female reproductive tract and deals with the fertilisation events that take place during and after a capacitated spermatozoon interacts with the ZP of the oocyte. Thus, we will focus on the mechanisms of gamete binding and interaction, including acrosome exocytosis, ZP-penetration and fusion between sperm and oocyte plasma membranes. In addition, subsequent events that take place after sperm-oocyte fusion, such as sperm chromatin remodelling and sperm-mediated oocyte activation will also be dealt with. To conclude, other novel aspects about the role played by sperm in post-fertilisation and early embryo development events will also be discussed.