Elsevier

Developmental Biology

Volume 136, Issue 2, December 1989, Pages 537-545
Developmental Biology

Full paper
Mouse oocytes gradually develop the capacity for activation during the metaphase II arrest

https://doi.org/10.1016/0012-1606(89)90279-0Get rights and content

Abstract

Metaphase II (M II) mouse oocytes were subjected to a parthenogenetic stimulus (8% ethanol) or fertilized in vitro at various times following the extrusion of the first polar body. The oocytes progressively develop the ability for full activation. Their responsiveness to activation stimuli not only increases, but also changes qualitatively with time. Newly arrested oocytes do not respond at all; then, when the ability to undergo meiotic anaphase II first develops, the response is defective: following extrusion of the second polar body (II PB), the oocyte does not enter interphase but arrests again at metaphase (M III-arrest). Finally, oocytes gain the ability for full activation including the entry to interphase. Depending on the type of activating stimulus, oocytes exhibit the capacity for full activation at different ages. The oocyte arrest in M III is similar to M II and can be released by subsequent activation. Such oocytes undergo anaphase III, extrude a third polar body (III PB), and form an aneuploid female pronuclei.

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  • Cited by (0)

    This work was partially financed by a research grant from the Polish Academy of Sciences (CPBP 04.01).

    1

    Present address: CNRS, Inst. J. Monod, University Paris VII-Tour U3, 2, place Jussien, 75005 Paris Cedex 05, France.

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