In the present study, we evaluated the contributions of antral follicle development and antral granulosa cell-released factor(s) to the acquisition of a mature mouse oocyte plasma membrane organization and cortical granule distribution. This has been performed by comparing in-vitro matured oocytes derived from early antral follicles (here referred to as denuded oocytes) or from pre-ovulatory fo...

In the present study, we investigated the potential role of glucose and pyruvate in the cytoplasmic maturation of porcine oocytes by investigating the effect of glucose and/or pyruvate supplementation, in the presence or absence of 10% porcine follicular fluid (PFF), on meiotic maturation and subsequent embryo development. In the absence of 10% PFF, without exogenous addition of glucose and pyr...

The objective of this study was to compare the cAMP and cGMP levels in cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) derived from the middle follicles (MFs, 3-6 mm in diameter) and small follicles (SFs, 1-3 mm in diameter) of pre-pubertal gilts during the first 24-h period of maturation in vitro (IVM). Both cAMP and cGMP levels in MF- and SF-derived oocytes did not change during this period. Although the cAM...

BACKGROUND In the cow, lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) acts as an auto-/paracrine factor, through its receptors LPAR1-4, on oocytes and cumulus cells during in vitro maturation (IVM). The aim of the present work was to determine the effect of LPA during IVM of bovine oocytes on: 1) oocyte maturation; 2) apoptosis of COCs; 3) expression of genes involved in developmental competence and apoptosis in ...

Department of Histology and Embryology, University of Medical Sciences, 6 Swiecickiego St., 60-781 Poznan, Poland; Department of Anatomy, University of Medical Sciences, 6 Swiecickiego St., 60-781 Poznan, Poland; Institute of Veterinary Sciences, University of Life, 52 Wojska Polskiego St., 60-628 Poznan, Poland; Department of Histology and Embriology, Medical University, 6a Chalubinskiego St.,...

A better understanding of the paracrine and autocrine regulatory loops within the cumulus-oocyte complex (COC) is fundamental for the improvement of in vitro maturation (IVM) outcomes in humans and domestic species. This review presents the most important local regulators identified in the COC to date with special attention to those secreted by the oocyte and acting on cumulus cells, as well as...

I n mammals and the many other animals in which fertilization involves the establishment of a penetration path through the egg coat, at the apex of the sperm head lies the acrosome— a membrane-limited organelle that houses a complex of enzymes. For fertilization to occur, spermatozoa must first undergo the acrosome reaction (AR), which involves point fusions between the outer acrosomal and over...

In vitro maturation of rabbit cumulus-enclosed oocytes was fully inhibited in alpha-amanitin- (100 micrograms/ml) and cycloheximide- (5 micrograms/ml) supplemented media. The inhibition was reversible and substantially reduced by delaying the addition of alpha-amanitin (2h) or cycloheximide (3 h). In contrast, both drugs did not inhibit germinal vesicle breakdown in denuded oocytes. Co-culture ...

Cumulus cells of pre-pubertal domestic animals are dysfunctional, perhaps due to age-specific epigenetic events. This study was designed to determine effects of melatonin treatment of donors on methylation modification of pre-pubertal cumulus cells. Cumulus cells from germinal vesicle stage cumulus oocyte complexes (COCs) were collected from eighteen lambs which were randomly divided into contr...

BACKGROUND Dialogue between the oocyte and cumulus cells is essential for oocyte maturation. A prospective laboratory research project was designed to evaluate transcription of specific genes in cumulus cells harvested before intracytoplasmic sperm injection from pre-ovulatory follicles, according to individual oocyte nuclear maturity and developmental competence. Genes were chosen because thei...