Molecular mechanims of mouse oocyte during fertilization

MICHAUT, MARCELA ALEJANDRA

Mendoza

Conferencia; Sociedad de Biología de Cuyo; 2010

Sociedad de Biología de Cuyo

 @font-face { font-family: "Times New Roman"; }@font-face { font-family: "Arial"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times; }h1 { margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; page-break-after: avoid; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }p.MsoBodyText, li.MsoBodyText, div.MsoBodyText { margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; }p.MsoBodyText2, li.MsoBodyText2, div.MsoBodyText2 { margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; }p.MsoBodyText3, li.MsoBodyText3, div.MsoBodyText3 { margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1;Oocyte meiotic maturation is a complex process that involves coordinated nuclear and cytoplasmic modifications that prepare the oocyte for fertilization. Nevertheless, oocyte maturation and fertilization are still poorly understood. In mouse, oocyte maturation is defined by the transition between prophase I and metaphase II,  and is accompanied by nuclear envelope breakdown, meiotic spindle assembly, migration of cortical granules and rearrangement of the cortical cytoskeleton. Cytoskeleton reorganization and spindle function are affected when PKC is activated during meiotic maturation of mouse oocytes, suggesting that PKC is involved in meiosis. Our aim is understand how meiotic spindle is assembled during oocyte maturation. We have identified a PKC substrate as a new centrosomal component that also defines a peripheral subdomain of the cortical actin cap in mouse oocytes. Furthermore, oocyte maturation ensures the production of   competent oocytes capable of being fertilized and supporting the early stages of embryonic development. The success of these events depends on the oocyte property of blocking polyspermy during cortical reaction. The molecular mechanism of the cortical reaction is still unknown. Our interest is to characterize the molecular machinery involved in this process to further understand the signal transduction pathway that blocks polyspermy in mammalian oocyte fertilization.