title: Hormonal control of somatic cell oocyte interactions during ovarian follicle development.
abstract: In the mammalian ovarian follicle, paracrine signaling between the oocyte and somatic granulosa cells is bidirectional but the structural basis and physiological regulations of communication between gametic and somatic compartments remain unknown. The present experiments were designed to test the hypothesis that follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) regulates the ability of granulosa cells to make connections with the oocyte. We show that in prepubertal unprimed mice and mice carrying a targeted deletion of the FSHbeta subunit gene, granulosa cells exhibit orientation towards the oocyte manifest by the elaboration of transzonal projections (TZPs) and "apical" centrosome positioning at sites of granulosa-zona contact. In vivo FSH treatment results in a retraction of TZPs. Coincident with TZP retraction induced by FSH are changes in oocyte transcriptional activity and meiotic competence, which suggests one means by which the oocyte-granulosa cell dialogue may be modulated during development of ovarian follicles.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Cellular Biology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. ccombell@middlebury.edu
authors.forename: Catherine M H
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Combelles
authors.forename: Mary Jo
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Carabatsos
authors.forename: T Rajendra
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: Martin M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Matzuk
authors.forename: David F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Albertini
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000502:physiology; D016764:Cell Polarity / Q000502:physiology; D018385:Centrosome / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000378:metabolism; D037201:Follicle Stimulating Hormone, beta Subunit / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006107:Granulosa Cells / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009865:Oocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D037201:Follicle Stimulating Hormone, beta Subunit; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone