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Activation of Cumulus Cell SMAD2/3 and Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Pathways Are Involved in Porcine Oocyte-Cumulus Cell Expansion and Steroidogenesis

Activation of Cumulus Cell SMAD2/3 and Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Pathways Are Involved in Porcine Oocyte-Cumulus Cell Expansion and Steroidogenesis

Eva Nagyova, Antonella Camaioni, Sona Scsukova, Alzbeta Mlynarcikova, Radek Prochazka, Lucie Nemcova, Antonietta Salustri

Mol Reprod Dev. 2011 Jun;78(6):391-402.

PMID: 21520325

Abstract:

Several lines of evidence suggest that in mice the activation of SMAD2/3 signaling by oocyte secreted factors, together with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) activation, is essential to induce cumulus expansion. Here we show that inhibition of EGFR kinase in follicle stimulating hormone (FSH)-stimulated porcine oocyte-cumulus cell complex (OCCs) strongly decreases hyaluronan (HA) synthesis and its retention in the matrix, as well as progesterone synthesis. Although porcine cumulus cells undergo expansion independently of oocytes, we use biochemical and gene expression analyses to show that they do require activation of SMAD2/3 for optimal stimulation of HA synthesis and proteins involved in the organization of this polymer in the expanded matrix. Furthermore, FSH-induced progesterone synthesis by porcine cumulus cells was increased by blocking SMAD2/3 activation. In conclusion, these results support the hypothesis that an FSH-EGF autocrine loop is active in porcine OCCs, and provide the first evidence that the SMAD2/3 signaling pathway is induced by paracrine/autocrine factors in porcine cumulus cells and is involved in the control of both cumulus expansion and steroidogenesis.

Chemicals Related in the Paper:

Catalog Number	Product Name	Structure	CAS Number	Price
AP175178822-A	AG 1478 - CAS 175178-82-2		175178-82-2	Price

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