title: Hormonal control of mammalian oocyte meiosis at diplotene stage.
abstract: Mammalian oocytes grow and undergo meiosis within ovarian follicles. Fully grown oocytes are arrested at the first meiotic prophase by a mural granulosa origin "arrester" until a surge of luteinizing hormone (LH) from the pituitary at the mid-cycle stimulates the immature oocyte to resume meiosis. Recent evidence indicates that natriuretic peptide precursor type C (NPPC) produced by mural granulosa cells stimulates the generation of cyclic guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cGMP) by cumulus cell natriuretic peptide receptor 2 (NPR2), which diffuses into oocyte via gap junctions and inhibits oocyte phosphodiesterase 3A (PDE3A) activity and cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cAMP) hydrolysis and maintains meiotic arrest with a high intraoocyte cAMP level. This cAMP is generated through the activity of the Gs G-protein by the G-protein-coupled receptor, GPR3 and GPR12, and adenylyl cyclases (ADCY) endogenous to the oocyte. Further studies suggest that endocrine hormones, such as follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), LH, 17β-estradiol (E2) and oocyte-derived paracrine factors (ODPFs), participate in oocyte meiosis possibly by the regulation of NPPC and/or NPR2. A detailed investigation of NPPC and NPR2 expression in follicle cells will elucidate the precise molecular mechanisms of gonadotropins, and control the arrest as well as resumption of meiosis.
authors: State Key Laboratory of Agro-biotechnology, College of Biological Science, China Agricultural University, Beijing, People's Republic of China. zmeijia@cau.edu.cn
authors: Meijia
authors: M
authors: Zhang
authors: Guoliang
authors: G
authors: Xia
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000378:metabolism; D006152:Cyclic GMP / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006728:Hormones / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D049469:Meiotic Prophase I; D009865:Oocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D006728:Hormones; D000242:Cyclic AMP; D006152:Cyclic GMP