Using probes, we show that fertilization of mature, zinc-enriched eggs trigger the ejection of zinc into the extracellular milieu as zinc sparks. The sparks mediate a decrease in intracellular zinc content that is necessary for continued cell cycle progression. The mammalian egg thus uses a…
This work identifies how age-associated aneuploidy occurs in humans, which can cause infertility, miscarriages, and birth defects. We show that, in eggs from older women, inter-kinetochore distances between sister chromatids increases significantly, indicating weakened cohesion, as do the rates of unpaired…