No abstract

Sea urchin eggs emit light in the visible region during their fertilization. Judging from the chemiluminescence spectra, one of the excited species generated is considered to have originated from a tyrosine cation radical-mediated reaction. Chemiluminescence probes such as luminol or a cypridina luciferin analog (2-methyl-6-[p-methoxyphenyl]-3,7-dihydroimidazo-[l,2-a]pyrazin-3-one) are useful for detecting the ovoperoxidase÷H202 reaction associated with membrane hardening and 02 generation, respectively, during the fertilization of sea urchin eggs.