Regulation of oocyte maturation in mammals

繁殖是一切农业动物生产的基础。为了保持猪和牛产业的创新和传播生殖生物技术，必须获得关于通过卵母细胞成熟产生健康卵母细胞的基本生理知识。几个里程碑打断了卵子的准备：生长，减数分裂能力，减数分裂，受精和胚胎发育。卵母细胞发育成胚胎的能力是在卵泡的生长过程中逐渐获得的。在排卵前卵泡中，卵细胞在促黄体激素激增时从减数分裂停滞中释放出来。然而，当卵母细胞在腔卵泡中获得减数分裂能力时，减数分裂在体外自然恢复。本研究项目将重点关注(1)腺苷的新作用，(2)间隙连接通讯的作用，(3)脂质筏微结构域在猪卵母细胞体外成熟过程中的作用。卵子的质量受减数分裂恢复功能的影响。因此，直接的实际结果将是提供一种更好的方法来指示减数分裂恢复以提高发育能力。在不久的将来，一个更准确的刺激排卵诱导将考虑需要卵母细胞的减数分裂恢复。如果这些卵母细胞最终被用作繁殖有价值的家畜或濒危物种成员的资源，并最终用于改进IVM策略，这是具有实际意义的。

Reproduction is the basis of all agricultural animal production. To sustain innovation in the porcine and bovine industry and to disseminate reproductive biotechnologies, fundamental physiological knowledge about the production of healthy oocytes through oocyte maturation must be acquired. Several milestones punctuate egg preparation: growth, meiotic competence, meiosis, fertilization and embryonic development. The competence of the oocyte to develop into an embryo is progressively acquired during growth of the follicle. In the pre-ovulatory follicle, the oocyte is released from meiotic arrest upon the luteinizing hormone surge. However, when oocyte meiotic competence is acquired in antral follicles, meiosis is resumed spontaneously in vitro. This research program will focus on (1) the newly described role of adenosine, (2) the role of gap junction communication and (3) the role of lipid raft microdomains all in porcine cumulus-oocyte complexes during in vitro maturation. The quality of the egg is influenced by the functionality of resumption of meiosis. Thus, the immediate practical consequence will be to offer a better way of signalling the meiotic resumption to improve developmental competence. In the near future, a more accurate stimulation of the induction of ovulation will consider the need of the oocyte for meiotic resumption. This is of practical interest if such oocytes are eventually to be used as a resource for propagating valuable domestic animals or members of endangered species and, finally, for improving IVM strategies.