In this work, we combine #crystallography, #cryoEM, #AlphaFold predictions, biochemical and mouse studies to unveil the 3D structure of vertebrate egg coat filaments and describe how cleavage of their #ZP2 subunit hardens the coat, establishing a permanent block to #polyspermy.

A very big thank you to all co-authors, collaborators, and funding bodies for making this possible!

Release of cortical granules at #oocyte surface is critical for preventing #polyspermy. @ShamipourShayan @HeisenbergCPLab show that in #zebrafish this is driven by the concerted action of yolk granule fusion & #microtubule aster contraction #PLOSBiology https://plos.io/3oTs9hE