Configuration of maternal and paternal chromatin and pertaining microtubules in human oocytes failing to fertilize after intracytoplasmic sperm injection.
The microtubules and chromosomes of 180 human oocytes failing to fertilize after intracytoplasmic sperm injection were observed in order to establish how sperm chromatin and sperm astral microtubule configuration is related to the phases of oocyte cell cycle, and to find the defects in those structures causing fertilization arrest. As many as 125 (69%) oocytes were arrested at metaphase II. In one-fourth of them, damages of the second meiotic spindle were noted. In their cytoplasm intact sperm were found in 38 (30%) cases, a swollen sperm head in 36 (29%) and prematurely condensed sperm chromosomes (G1-PCC)-a result of active mitosis promoting factor (MPF)-in 51 (41%) cases. G1-PCC were mostly (73%) surrounded by the bipolar paternal spindle instead of astral microtubules. A male pronucleus was never presented in metaphase II oocytes. In 19 (11%) oocytes, arrested at anaphase II, no intact sperm were found. As many as 9 (47%) oocytes contained sperm in G1-PCC form, which proves that anaphase II oocytes mostly retain active MPF, despite oocyte activation. As many as 78% of 36 monopronucleate oocytes contained sperm, with delay in the process of sperm nucleus decondensation. Sperm in G1-PCC form and a bipolar paternal spindle were never found in monopronucleate oocytes. From this we conclude that sperm that does not activate the oocyte may continue decondensing the chromatin, but the oocyte prevents male pronucleus formation before the female one, mostly by causing PCC in the sperm and by duplicating the sperm centrosome. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 55:197-204, 2000.
Kovacic
B
B
Department of Reproductive Medicine and Gynecologic Endocrinology, Maribor Teaching Hospital, Maribor, Slovenia.
Vlaisavljevic
V
V
D002453:Cell Cycle; D002843:Chromatin / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008540:Meiosis; D008870:Microtubules / Q000378:metabolism*; D009865:Oocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D020554:Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure
D002843:Chromatin