ISSN:
0021-9541
Keywords:
Life and Medical Sciences
;
Cell & Developmental Biology
Source:
Wiley InterScience Backfile Collection 1832-2000
Topics:
Biology
,
Medicine
Notes:
The intracellular pH (pHi) of sea urchin eggs was measured using 31P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The mean value of pHi of unfertilized eggs was about 6.2 (H. pulcherrimus and A. crassispina) to 6.3 (P. depressus). In contrast to results of other studies, pHi of sea urchin eggs was not changed after fertilization. During exposure of the eggs to NH4Cl or procaine-containing natural sea water (NSW), however, pHi rose about 0.4-0.8 pH units; the pHi fell to its initial value upon washing the eggs with weak basefree NSW. These changes of pHi by weak base treatment agreed well with the data obtained by other workers. In order to understand the discrepancy of pHi changes in fertilized eggs between NMR data and other measuring procedures, we measured acid production and O2 uptake, so that CO2 accumulation and proton release did not result in alkalinization. The invariance of the fertilized eggs under anaerobic conditions; otherwise NMR showed a different answer from other measuring procedures, because of its particular characteristics such as non-destructivity and compartmentation of pH.
Additional Material:
5 Ill.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jcp.1041050310
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