Cooperative inhibitory effect of follicular fluid and cAMP on hamster oocyte maturation

Summary Porcine or human follicular fluid inhibited the spontaneous maturation of isolated hamster oocytes in vitro during the first 1.5 h of culture. Moreover, the presence of 50% follicular fluid combined with 100 M dbcAMP cooperatively reduced the incidence of germinal vesicle breakdown. The addition of FSH also inhibited the resumption of meiosis, and the presence of LH did not overcome the inhibitory effects of follicular fluid and tended to impede isolated hamster oocyte maturation in vitro.     

Function and interaction of maturation-promoting factor and mitogen-activated protein kinase during meiotic maturation and fertilization of oocyte

Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAP kinase) cascade and maturation-promoting factor (MPF) play very important roles during meiotic maturation and fertilization of oocyte. Interaction between MAP kinase and MPF influences meiotic maturation and fertilization of oocyte throughout the animal kingdom, including stimulation of germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD), suppression of DNA replication, control of meiotic chromosome segregation, maintenance of metaphase II arrest, and resumption and completion of second meiosis. This review focuses on the function and interaction of MAP kinase and MPF during meiotic maturation and fertilization of oocyte.     

颗粒细胞上的配体NPPC及其受体NPR2维持小鼠卵母细胞减数分裂的阻滞

哺乳动物卵泡中的颗粒细胞维持了卵母细胞处于减数分裂阻滞状态,这可以防止它们过早成熟。研究发现,位于卵泡壁上的颗粒细胞表达C-型钠肽(NPPC)的信使RNA;而卵母细胞周围的卵丘细胞表达NPPC受体NPR2的信使RNA,这是一个鸟苷酸环化酶。细胞培养实验显示,NPPC可增加卵丘细胞和卵母细胞中cGMP的表达水平,抑制了减数分裂的恢复。Nppc或Npr2突变小鼠,减数分裂阻滞将在大多数卵泡中不能持续,减数分裂得以提早恢复。卵母细胞源旁分泌因子可促使卵丘细胞表达Npr2的信使RNA。上述结果表明,颗粒细胞上的配体NPPC及其卵丘细胞上的受体NPR2协同防止了减数分裂的过早成熟,这对于成熟和排卵的协调以及对于雌性生殖都至关重要。     

小鼠卵孤雌激活及激活过程中细胞内游离Ca^2＋的变化

小鼠ＭⅡ期卵母细胞经８％乙醇或电刺激后在体外可孤雌发育至囊胚。利用Ｃａ２＋荧光探针ｆｕｒａ－２测定人工激活小鼠卵过程中胞内游离Ｃａ２＋浓度的动态变化结果表明，乙醇和电刺激激活卵时均诱导胞质游离Ｃａ２＋浓度较大幅度升高；而未被激活的卵胞质Ｃａ２＋浓度维持稳定。表明胞质游离Ｃａ２＋浓度升高可能是卵激活的启动信号。在无Ｃａ２＋或用ＥＧＴＡ螯合细胞外Ｃａ２＋的条件下电刺激不能诱导卵内游离Ｃａ２＋升高，而乙醇却仍可引起卵内游离Ｃａ２＋较小幅度升高。这表明，电刺激必导的卵内游离Ｃａ２＋升高主要来源于细胞外Ｃａ２＋内流。乙醇则可诱发细胞内钙库Ｃａ２＋释放。     

哺乳动物卵子发生过程中细胞凋亡的研究进展

细胞凋亡是发育过程中的基本生命现象,是多细胞生物体一种重要的自我稳定机制．除各种体细胞凋亡外,生殖细胞在其发生过程中也有细胞凋亡现象产生．对许多脊椎动物和无脊椎动物的研究发现,有大量生殖细胞在其发育的不同阶段丢失．对近10年来哺乳动物卵子发生过程中细胞凋亡的研究进行了综述,主要描述了哺乳动物卵子发生过程中的细胞凋亡及其调控以及凋亡的意义．     

Glycoconjugates in sperm function and gamete interactions: how much sugar does it take to sweet-talk the egg?

Glycoconjugates in the mammalian reproductive tract are critical components of the molecular mechanisms that control sperm maturation, sperm transport and gamete interactions. In the oviduct of many species, sperm transport and maturation are regulated by protein-carbohydrate interactions that form a sperm reservoir. Subsequently, gamete interactions are mediated by the binding of lectin-like sperm proteins with carbohydrate moieties on the zona pellucida. The sperm glycocalyx is extensively modified during sperm transport and maturation. Multiple functions have been proposed for this dense carbohydrate layer overlying the sperm plasmalemma, and sperm-surface carbohydrates have been implicated in immune-mediated human infertility. The structure and function of glycoconjugates in the oviductal sperm reservoir, the zona pellucida, and on the sperm surface are reviewed.     

Nitric oxide produced by cumulus cells stimulates maturation of mouse oocytes

The effect of sodium nitroprusside (SNP), a donor of nitric oxide, on meiotic maturation of mouse oocytes was studied by injecting N^w-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) intra-peritoneal (ip), a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, or culturing oocytes in the medium supplemented with L-NAME or hypoxanthine (HX) to arrest the spontaneous oocyte maturation in vitro. The results showed that the inhibitory effect of L-NAME by injecting 10 mg/kg ip on extrusion of the first polar body only could be reversed by injecting 2.5 mg/kg SNP with L-NAME simultaneously (P < 0.05). Half an hour later ten mice died when given 10 mg/kg SNP ip. The treatment of some concentrations of SNP (10^–7, 10^–6, 10^–5mol/L) significantly stimulated meiotic maturation to metaphase Ⅱ stages in cumulus enclosed oocytes in the presence of HX. However, other concentrations of SNP (10^–8, 10^–4, 10^–3 mol/L) had no effect on HX-arrested oocyte meiotic maturation. The optimal concentration of SNP on CEOs had no effect on DOs. The dose of 10^–3 mol/LL-NAME demonstrated a significant suppression in formation of PB₁, but not in GVBD. This inhibition was reversed by the addition of SNP. These results indicated that the physiological levels of NO produced by cumulus cells could stimulate meiotic maturation of mouse oocytes both in vivo and in vitro.     

Morphological differentiation of the growing oocyte ofCtenomys torquatus (Rodentia,Octodontidae)

Summary The ultrastructural changes observed during the growth phase of oocytes ofCtenomys torquatus (Rodentia, Octodontidae) are reported. Interest was particularly centered on the transformation and/or distribution of the components of the endoplasmic reticulum. According to the observations made it is suggested that the endoplasmic reticulum stores some kind of material which may support early stages of development.