Sulfated acid mucopolysaccharides in the cortical granules of eggs: Effects of quaternary ammonium salts on fertilization

Sulfated acid mucopolysaccharides have been shown to be constituents of cortical granules in sea urchin and vertebrate eggs. These observations were made possible by retaining soluble acid mucopolysaccharides in situ within the eggs by precipitation during fixation with cetyltrimethyl-ammonium bromide, a quaternary ammonium salt. The sulfated mucopolysaccharides were then identified by staining with Astrablau at pH 0.2 and also by reaction with sodium rhodizonate. Staining reaction with Alcian blue at pH 2.5 showed that carboxylated mucopolysaccharides may also be present in cortical granules. The natural ionic environment of these eggs would favor the formation of very stable complexes between sulfated mucopolysaccharides and quaternary ammonium salts. Brief exposure of unfertilized sea urchin eggs to several quaternary ammonium compounds produced a residual adverse effect on subsequent fertilization in terms of increased vulnerability to polyspermy and reduced fertilizability. These results suggest that sulfated acid mucopolysaccharides participate in the function of the cortical granules and the establishment of the block to polyspermy at fertilization, and possibly in other cellular secretory processes.