We previously showed that the cell-permeant antioxidant 2(3)- tert-butyl-4-hydroxyanisole (BHA) inhibited germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD) in oocyte-cumulus complexes (OCC) of the rat. The objective of the present studies was to assess other antioxidants and whether such inhibition was reversible. Spontaneous GVBD in OCC incubated for 2 h was significantly inhibited ( P < 0.005) by nordihydrog...

Okadaic acid (OA)-induced germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD) and localization of protein phosphatase-1 (PP1) in oocyte nuclei are suggestive of PP1's role in regulating oocyte GVBD. To explore this possibility, we microinjected protein phosphatase (PP) inhibitors OA, anti-PP1 antibody (anti-PP1), PP1 inhibitor I2, and anti-PP2A antibody (anti-PP2A) into nuclei of roscovitine (ROSC)-arrested mous...

The factor(s) produced by porcine cumulus cells (cumulus cell factor (s): CCF) was described as quantitatively inhibiting the maturation of oocytes in vitro (Petr et al, 1989). When 1, 10, 20 or 40 cumulus oocyte complexes (COCs) were cultured in a droplet of medium (vol 10 microliters), germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD) was observed in 85, 78, 57 or 19% of the oocytes, respectively. GVBD was o...

Germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD) of bovine oocytes was completely blocked by cycloheximide added to culture medium at concentrations of 1-20 micrograms/ml. Nevertheless, under such conditions a certain degree of chromatin condensation inside the germinal vesicle was observed. The inhibitory effect was not influenced by the presence or absence of cumulus cells and was fully reversible; but the ...

Porcine cumulus oocyte complexes (COCs) were cultured together in 10-microliters droplets of culture medium. When 10 COCs were cultured for 24 h, germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD) occurred in 81% of them. When more COCs (20 or 40) were put into the same volume of medium the frequency of GVBD gradually decreased. This inhibition was not observed in denuded oocytes. The process of GVBD was advers...

Efforts to improve the quality of in vitro matured oocytes by blocking germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD) and allowing more time for ooplasmic maturation have achieved little due to a lack of knowledge on the molecular events during GVBD blocking. Such knowledge is also important for studies aimed at regulating gene expression in maturing oocytes prior to GVBD. We studied species difference and ...

In order to determine the most effective hormones on the in vitro oocyte maturation (germinal vesicle breakdown GVBD) in a hybrid sturgeon bester, ovarian follicles were incubated at the migratory nucleus stage in the presence of several steroids, gonadotropin preparations and forskolin. Occurrence of GVBD and 17,20β-dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3 -one (DHP) production were followed during an experiment...

Surf clam (Spisula solidissima) oocytes are spawned at the prophase I stage of meiosis, and they remain arrested at this stage until fertilization. Full oocyte meiosis reinitiation, first evidenced by germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD), may be induced by artificial activators mimicking sperm, such as high K(+) or serotonin. Previous reports indicated that treatments thought to increase the level...

In cultured cumulus oocyte complexes (COC), FSH induces gene transcription required for germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD). Experiments were performed to determine the critical period when gene transcription is required for GVBD and to identify candidate mRNAs involved. Experiment I: murine COC were cultured 4 h in the presence of FSH with 5,6-dichloro-1-beta-d-ribofuranosylbenzimidazole (DRB) a...

We previously showed that nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA) and other antioxidants inhibit the resumption of meiosis in oocyte-cumulus complexes (OCC) and denuded oocytes (DO). Because NDGA is well known to be an inhibitor of lipoxygenases (LOX), we assessed whether other LOX inhibitors influence spontaneous germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD) in OCC and DO. Spontaneous GVBD in rat OCC obtained fr...