title: Is a decrease in cyclic AMP a necessary and sufficient signal for maturation of amphibian oocytes?
abstract: Acetylcholine rapidly lowered the intracellular levels of cyclic AMP in stage 5 and 6 Xenopus laevis oocytes. Acetylcholine alone did not induce oocyte maturation, though it did accelerate maturation induced by progesterone. The effect of acetylcholine on oocyte maturation was independent of extracellular calcium concentration. Adenosine increased cyclic AMP and abolished the progesterone-induced decrease in cyclic AMP levels in follicles and in denuded oocytes. This effect of adenosine was blocked by the Ra purinergic receptor antagonist, theophylline. Despite those effects, adenosine alone induced maturation in stage 6 oocytes and accelerated progesterone-induced maturation in both stage 5 and 6 cells. Adenosine also induced a significant increase in the rate of 45Ca efflux from oocytes in the presence and the absence of external calcium. We suggest that the activation of cell surface receptors involved in the release of calcium from cellular stores may induce or accelerate oocyte maturation independently of small changes in intracellular cyclic AMP concentration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Israel.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gelerstein
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shapira
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dascal
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yekuel
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Oron
mesh_terms: D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000241:Adenosine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D002132:Calcium Radioisotopes; D005576:Colforsin / Q000494:pharmacology; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000378:metabolism*; D004533:Egtazic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D007700:Kinetics; D009865:Oocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D011374:Progesterone / Q000494:pharmacology; D014982:Xenopus laevis
chemical_list: D002132:Calcium Radioisotopes; D005576:Colforsin; D011374:Progesterone; D004533:Egtazic Acid; D000242:Cyclic AMP; D000241:Adenosine; D000109:Acetylcholine; D002118:Calcium