This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Brunet, S. Articles by Maro, B. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Brunet, S. Articles by Maro, B.

Germinal vesicle position and meiotic maturation in mouse oocyte

¹ UMR 7622 Biologie du Développement, CNRS-UPMC, 9 quai St Bernard, 75005 Paris, France and ² Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv 69978, Israel

Correspondence should be addressed to S Brunet; Email: sbrunet{at}snv.jussieu.fr

During meiotic maturation, mammalian oocytes undergo an asymmetric division which is crucial for the formation of a functional gamete. In various organisms, accurate positioning of the nucleus before M-phase plays a major role in asymmetric cell divisions. However, the role of the position of the nucleus (or germinal vesicle, GV) during the prophase I arrest has not been investigated in mammalian oocytes. Here, we show that incompetent mouse oocytes possess a peripheral GV, while competent oocytes mainly exhibit a central position of the GV. At that time, the position of the GV correlates with the ability of the oocyte to complete meiotic maturation. Moreover, a lower efficiency in GV centering and a reduced ability to progress through meiosis are observed in oocytes from old mice. Thus, the position of the GV could be used as a simple morphological marker of oocyte quality.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				Y. Obata, M. Villemure, T. Kono, and T. Taketo Transmission of Y chromosomes from XY female mice was made possible by the replacement of cytoplasm during oocyte maturation PNAS, September 16, 2008; 105(37): 13918 - 13923. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]