Gene expression analysis of XXXX cumulus-oocyte complexes stimulated in vitro with follicle stimulating hormone or epidermal growth factor-like peptides.

@entity1707 @entity71636 @entity71637 @entity71640 @entity26 @entity1003 @entity30788 @entity34580 @entity71639 @entity65999 @entity35373 @entity18055 @entity71638 @entity51876 @entity18054
BACKGROUND: The gonadotropin-induced resumption of oocyte meiosis in preovulatory follicles is preceded by expression of epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like peptides, @entity71636 ( @entity71636 ) and epiregulin ( @entity71637 ), in mural granulosa and cumulus cells. Both the gonadotropins and the EGF-like peptides possess the capacity to stimulate resumption of oocyte meiosis in vitro via activation of a broad signaling network in cumulus cells. To better understand the rapid genomic actions of gonadotropins (FSH) and EGF-like peptides, we analyzed transcriptomes of cumulus cells at 3  h after their stimulation. METHODS: We hybridized aRNA from cumulus cells to a @entity1707 oligonucleotide microarray and compared the transcriptomes of FSH- and @entity71636 / @entity71637 -stimulated cumulus cells with untreated control cells and vice versa. The identified over- and underexpressed genes were subjected to functional genomic analysis according to their molecular and cellular functions. The expression pattern of 50 selected genes with a known or potential function in ovarian development was verified by real-time qRT-PCR. RESULTS: Both FSH and @entity71636 / @entity71637 increased the expression of genes associated with regulation of cell proliferation, cell migration, @entity1003 and extracellular matrix remodeling. FSH alone induced the expression of genes involved in inflammatory response and in the response to reactive @entity26 species. Moreover, FSH stimulated the expression of genes closely related to some ovulatory events either exclusively or significantly more than @entity71636 / @entity71637 ( @entity71636 , @entity65999 , @entity18054 , @entity18055 , @entity30788 , @entity35373 , and @entity71638 ). In contrast to @entity71636 / @entity71637 , FSH also increased the expression of genes coding for key transcription factors ( @entity34580 , @entity51876 , @entity71639 , and @entity71640 ), which may contribute to the differing expression profiles of FSH- and @entity71636 / @entity71637 -treated cumulus cells. CONCLUSIONS: The impact of FSH on cumulus cell gene transcription was higher than the impact of EGF-like factors in terms of the number of cell functions affected as well as the number of over- and underexpressed genes. Both FSH and EGF-like factors overexpressed genes involved in the post-ovulatory switch in steroidogenesis and tissue remodelling. However, FSH was remarkably more efficient in the up-regulation of several specific genes essential for ovulation of matured oocytes and also genes that been reported to play an important role in maturation of cumulus-enclosed oocytes in vitro.
