Differential contributions of connexin37 and connexin43 to oogenesis revealed in chimeric reaggregated mouse ovaries

Gittens, Joanne E. I.; Kidder, Gerald M.

doi:10.1242/jcs.02624

Cited by 102 publications

(89 citation statements)

References 25 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…The significant localisation of Cx43 in the zona pellucida before IVM may be associated with an increased activity of gap junction transport in not fully grown oocytes which did not reach the MII stage. Contrary to these results, Gittens and Kidder (2005) found that another connexin, Cx37, is involved in the formation of fully competent gametes and has a more important function than Cx43. They have shown that mouse COCs do not need Cx43 to grow to developmentally competent cells, but Cx37 seems to be necessary for proper communication between surrounding cumulus-granulosa cells and oocytes during normal oogenesis.…”

Section: A B C Dcontrasting

confidence: 87%

Expression and cellular distribution of cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (Cdk4) and connexin 43 (Cx43) in porcine oocytes before and after in vitro maturation

Kempisty

Ziółkowska

Piotrowska

et al. 2014

Acta Veterinaria Hungarica

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

It is recognised that connexin 43 (Cx43) and cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (Cdk4) are involved in the cumulus cell-oocyte communication via gap junctions and the control of cell cycle progress. However, little is known about their mRNA expression pattern and encoded proteins distribution in porcine oocytes during in vitro maturation (IVM). Cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) were collected from 31 puberal crossbred Landrace gilts and analysed for their Cdk4 and Cx43 mRNA expression using RQ-PCR and for the respective protein expression by confocal microscopic observations. An increased Cdk4 and Cx43 mRNA expression was found in oocytes after IVM (P < 0.001 and P < 0.05, respectively). Confocal microscopic observations revealed a significant increase of Cdk4 protein expression in the cytoplasm of oocytes during the maturation process. The localisation of Cx43 changed from zona pellucida before to cytoplasm of oocytes after IVM. It is supposed that the increased expression of Cdk4 and Cx43 mRNA in oocytes after IVM is linked with the accumulation of a large amount of templates during the process of oocyte maturation. The translocation especially of Cx43 from the zona pellucida into the cytoplasm may be associated with a decrease in gap junction activity in fully grown porcine oocytes. Both Cdk4 and Cx43 can be used as 'checkpoints' of oocyte maturation.

show abstract

Section: A B C Dcontrasting

confidence: 87%

Expression and cellular distribution of cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (Cdk4) and connexin 43 (Cx43) in porcine oocytes before and after in vitro maturation

Kempisty

Ziółkowska

Piotrowska

et al. 2014

Acta Veterinaria Hungarica

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In the connexin multigene family, connexin 37 is crucial for the establishment of oocyte-granulosa gap junctions, which is important for oocyte development. In connexin 37-knockout mice, oocyte growth ceases at a diameter of 52 m (Carabatsos et al, 2000), and the sole absence of connexin 37 from oocytes is in itself sufficient to compromise both oocyte and follicular development, as has been shown using chimeric ovaries with connexin 37-deficient oocytes and WT granulosa cells (Gittens and Kidder, 2005). Connexin 43 is involved in establishing the gap junctions between granulosa cells, and mouse ovarian follicles lacking connexin 43 are arrested in the early preantral stages (Ackert et al, 2001;Gittens et al, 2003).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 92%

Infertility caused by retardation of follicular development in mice with oocyte-specific expression of Foxo3a

et al. 2007

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In recent years, mammalian oocytes have been proposed to have important roles in the orchestration of ovarian follicular development and fertility. To determine whether intra-oocyte Foxo3a, a component of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) signaling pathway, influences follicular development and female fertility, a transgenic mouse model was generated with constitutively active Foxo3a expressed in oocytes. We found that the female transgenic mice were infertile, which was caused by retarded oocyte growth and follicular development, and anovulation. Further mechanistic studies revealed that the constitutively active Foxo3a in oocytes caused a dramatic reduction in the expression of bone morphogenic protein 15 (Bmp15), connexin 37 and connexin 43, which are important molecules for the establishment of paracrine and gap junction communications in follicles. Foxo3a was also found to facilitate the nuclear localization of p27 kip1 in oocytes, a cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdk) inhibitor that may serve to inhibit oocyte growth. The results from the current study indicate that Foxo3a is an important intra-oocyte signaling molecule that negatively regulates oocyte growth and follicular development. Our study may therefore give some insight into oocyte-borne genetic aberrations that cause defects in follicular development and anovulation in human diseases, such as premature ovarian failure.

show abstract

“…With regard to this, Cx37 is believed to be the only connexin protein supplied from oocytes for the gap junctional channel connecting granulosa cells and oocytes [33]. Supporting this, Gittens and Kidder recently reported using reconstituted chimeric ovaries from Cx37-or Cx43-deficient mice that expression of Cx37 in oocytes, but not granulosa cells, was prerequisite for follicular development [41]. Multiple connexins including Cx43, however, are known to be expressed in granulosa cells [9,10], and the counterpart of Cx37 functioning in the contact region of granulosa cells and oocytes is still unknown.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 94%

PKA Implicated in the Phosphorylation of Cx43 Induced by Stimulation with FSH in Rat Granulosa Cells

Yogo

Ogawa

Akiyama

et al. 2006

Journal of Reproduction and Development

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract. Connexin 43 (Cx43)-mediated gap junctional communication in granulosa cells is crucial for germ line development and postnatal folliculogenesis. We previously showed that folliclestimulating hormone (FSH) promoted phosphorylation of Cx43 in rat primary granulosa cells. We further identified Ser365, Ser368, Ser369, and Ser373 in the carboxy-terminal tail as the major sites of phosphorylation by FSH, and found that the phosphorylation of these residues was essential for channel activity. In this study, we investigated the protein kinase(s) responsible for FSH-induced phosphorylation. H89, a cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) inhibitor, inhibited FSHinduced phosphorylation both in vivo and in vitro, whereas PD98059, a mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK) inhibitor, had little effect on the phosphorylation level. Ca 2+ -dependent protein kinase (PKC) appeared to negatively regulate phosphorylation. Phosphopeptide mapping with or without H89 treatment indicated that PKA could be responsible for phosphorylation of the four serine residues. In addition, the purified catalytic subunit of PKA could phosphorylate the recombinant Cterminal region of Cx43, but not the variant in which all four serine residues were substituted with alanine. These results suggest that FSH positively regulates Cx43-mediated channel formation and activity through phosphorylation of specific sites by PKA.

show abstract

Differential contributions of connexin37 and connexin43 to oogenesis revealed in chimeric reaggregated mouse ovaries

Cited by 102 publications

References 25 publications

Expression and cellular distribution of cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (Cdk4) and connexin 43 (Cx43) in porcine oocytes before and after in vitro maturation

Expression and cellular distribution of cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (Cdk4) and connexin 43 (Cx43) in porcine oocytes before and after in vitro maturation

Infertility caused by retardation of follicular development in mice with oocyte-specific expression of Foxo3a

PKA Implicated in the Phosphorylation of Cx43 Induced by Stimulation with FSH in Rat Granulosa Cells

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About