PMID- 8398132
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 19931119
LR  - 20061115
IS  - 1040-452X (Print)
IS  - 1040-452X (Linking)
VI  - 36
IP  - 1
DP  - 1993 Sep
TI  - Coexpression of gap junction proteins in the cumulus-oocyte complex.
PG  - 7-15
AB  - The connexins constitute a family of proteins that make up the intercellular 
      membrane channels of gap junctions. We had previously reported the presence of 
      two members of this protein family, connexins 32 and 43, in mouse one-cell 
      zygotes (Barron et al., Dev Genet 10:318-323, 1989; Valdimarsson et al., Mol 
      Reprod Dev 30:18-26, 1991), implying that both must be present in the mature 
      oocyte and could be involved in mediating the intercellular coupling that occurs 
      between the oocyte and cumulus granulosa during oogenesis. In the present report 
      we provide evidence for this, based on an analysis of the cumulus-oocyte complex 
      (COC) using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and 
      immunocytochemistry with a confocal microscope. Transcripts of both connexin32 
      (Cx32) and connexin43 (Cx43) were detected by RT-PCR in both components of the 
      COC. Cx32 mRNA in the oocyte declined precipitously following human chorionic 
      gonadotropin (hCG) stimulation of pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (PMSG)-primed 
      ovaries, whereas there was no obvious change in Cx43 mRNA. Peptide-specific 
      antibodies against both connexins provided diffuse cytoplasmic staining of 
      oocytes as well as some punctate staining near the oocyte surface, which could 
      not be unequivocally resolved as cumulus-oocyte gap junctions. However, the two 
      antibodies did provide clear evidence of Cx32 and Cx43 in gap junction-like 
      structures between cumulus cells. We could find no evidence of the incorporation 
      of the oocyte's store of Cx32 into gap junctions during postfertilization 
      development.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
FAU - Valdimarsson, G
AU  - Valdimarsson G
AD  - Department of Zoology, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada.
FAU - De Sousa, P A
AU  - De Sousa PA
FAU - Kidder, G M
AU  - Kidder GM
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
PT  - Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
PL  - United States
TA  - Mol Reprod Dev
JT  - Molecular reproduction and development
JID - 8903333
RN  - 0 (Connexins)
RN  - 0 (DNA Primers)
RN  - 0 (RNA, Messenger)
SB  - IM
MH  - Animals
MH  - Base Sequence
MH  - Blastocyst/metabolism
MH  - Connexins/genetics/*metabolism
MH  - DNA Primers/genetics
MH  - Female
MH  - Gene Expression
MH  - Granulosa Cells/*metabolism
MH  - Mice
MH  - Molecular Sequence Data
MH  - Oocytes/*metabolism
MH  - Polymerase Chain Reaction
MH  - RNA, Messenger/genetics/metabolism
EDAT- 1993/09/01 00:00
MHDA- 1993/09/01 00:01
CRDT- 1993/09/01 00:00
PHST- 1993/09/01 00:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 1993/09/01 00:01 [medline]
PHST- 1993/09/01 00:00 [entrez]
AID - 10.1002/mrd.1080360103 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Mol Reprod Dev. 1993 Sep;36(1):7-15. doi: 10.1002/mrd.1080360103.