MAPK regulates cell cycle progression in pig oocytes and fertilized eggs

Oocytes collected from prepubertal gilt ovaries were matured in vitro (IVM), and fertilized in vitro (IVF) or electrically activated. Phosphorylation of mitogenactivated protein kinase (MAPK) was detected with SDS-PAGE and Western blotting, and translocation of ERK₂ was observed with immunofluorescent cytochemistry. We found that the quantity of MAPK kept unchanged during oocyte maturation. There was no phosphorylated MAPK in porcine oocytes at the germinal vesicle (GV) stage; a little MAPK was phosphorylated at 20 h of IVM; a high level phosphorylation was detected at 30 h, while MAPK phosphorylation decreased at 36 h; and then MAPK phosphorylation increased again to the peak level from 40 to 60 h. ERK2 translocated from the peripheral cytoplasm to inner cytoplasm and nuclear area during oocyte maturation. There was nearly no phosphorylated MAPK at 18 and 20 h of electrically activated oocytes, but phosphorylation increased at 22 h. There was no phosphorylated MAPK at 12 h of IVF, while phosphorylation resumed at 16 h. These results suggest that MAPK may play an important regulatory role in MI-MII transition, pronucleus formation and the initiation of the first mitosis in pig eggs.