title: Measurement of ATP in single oocytes: impact of maturation and cumulus cells on levels and consumption.
abstract: Mitochondria provide the primary source of ATP in the oocyte and early embryo and mitochondrial dysfunction and deficit of mitochondria-derived ATP has been linked to suboptimal developmental competence. We have undertaken a study of ATP in the maturing mouse oocyte using a novel recombinant FRET based probe, AT1.03. We show that AT1.03 can be successfully used to monitor cytosolic ATP levels in single live oocytes over extended time periods. We find that ATP levels undergo dynamic changes associated with specific maturational events and that oocytes display altered rates of ATP consumption at different stages of maturation. Cumulus enclosed oocytes have a higher ATP level during maturation than denuded oocytes and this can be abolished by inhibition of gap junctional communication between the oocyte and cumulus cells. Our work uses a new approach to shed light on regulation of ATP levels and ATP consumption during oocyte maturation.
authors.affiliation: Division of Biosciences, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, UCL, London, UK.
authors.forename: Caroline M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Dalton
authors.forename: Gyorgy
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Szabadkai
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Carroll
mesh_terms: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D015374:Biosensing Techniques; D002450:Cell Communication; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D054885:Cumulus Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D031541:Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer; D017629:Gap Junctions / Q000378:metabolism; D059471:In Vitro Oocyte Maturation Techniques; D051379:Mice; D009865:Oocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D013997:Time Factors; D059008:Time-Lapse Imaging
chemical_list: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate