title: Transcriptome based identification of mouse cumulus cell markers that predict the developmental competence of their enclosed antral oocytes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The cumulus cells (CCs) enveloping antral and ovulated oocytes have been regarded as putative source of non-invasive markers of the oocyte developmental competence. A number of studies have indeed observed a correlation between CCs gene expression, embryo quality, and final pregnancy outcome. Here, we isolated CCs from antral mouse oocytes of known developmental incompetence (NSN-CCs) or competence (SN-CCs) and compared their transcriptomes with the aim of identifying distinct marker transcripts.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Global gene expression analysis highlighted that both types of CCs share similar transcriptomes, with the exception of 422 genes, 97.6% of which were down-regulated in NSN-CCs vs. SN-CCs. This transcriptional down-regulation in NSN-CCs was confirmed by qRT-PCR analysis of CC-related genes (Has2, Ptx3, Tnfaip6 and Ptgs2). Only ten of the 422 genes were up-regulated with Amh being the most up-regulated in NSN-CCs, with an average 4-fold higher expression when analysed by qRT-PCR.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The developmental incompetence (NSN) or competence (SN) of antral oocytes can be predicted using transcript markers expressed by their surrounding CCs (i.e., Has2, Ptx3, Tnfaip6, Ptgs2 and Amh). Overall, the regulated nature of the group of genes brought out by whole transcriptome analysis constitutes the molecular signature of CCs associated either with developmentally incompetent or competent oocytes and may represent a valuable resource for developing new molecular tools for the assessment of oocyte quality and to further investigate the complex bi-directional interaction occurring between CCs and oocyte.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio di Biologia dello Sviluppo, Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie Lazzaro Spallanzani, Universita' degli Studi di Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vigone
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Merico
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Prigione
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mulas
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sacchi
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gabetta
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bellazzi
authors.forename: Carlo Alberto
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Redi
authors.forename: Giuliano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mazzini
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Adjaye
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Garagna
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zuccotti
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D002466:Cell Nucleolus / Q000235:genetics; D054885:Cumulus Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D051379:Mice; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D009865:Oocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D059467:Transcriptome
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers