EGF-like peptides mediate FSH-induced maturation of cumulus cell-enclosed mouse oocytes

This study was carried out to examine the participation of epidermal growth factor (EGF)‐like peptides in the induction of germinal vesicle breakdown (GVB) in mouse cumulus cell‐enclosed oocytes (CEO). The EGF‐like peptide, amphiregulin (AR), dose‐dependently stimulated meiotic resumption in CEO, but not denuded oocytes (DO) maintained in meiotic arrest with 300 µM dbcAMP. The EGF receptor (EGFR) kinase inhibitor, AG1478, blocked meiotic resumption induced by FSH and AR in CEO, but had no effect in DO. FSH‐induced maturation was also suppressed by antisera to both EGFR and EGF. Maturation occurred with slightly faster kinetics in AR‐stimulated CEO when compared to FSH‐stimulated CEO. When CEO were maintained in meiotic arrest with a low level of dbcAMP, FSH was initially inhibitory to maturation and later stimulatory; the stimulatory phase was prevented by AG1478, indicating mediation by EGF‐like peptides. Pulsing CEO with high levels of dbcAMP also stimulated GVB and could be blocked by AG1478. Treatment of arrested CEO with PKC agonists stimulated maturation and this was prevented with AG1478 as well as antibodies to EGFR. FSH‐induced maturation of dbcAMP‐arrested CEO was blocked by bisindolylmaleimide I (BIM‐I), an inhibitor of PKC, implicating PKC in FSH action. EGF‐stimulated CEO failed to resume maturation in the presence of glycerrhetinic acid, a gap junction inhibitor, suggesting transfer of positive signal through the cell–cell coupling pathway. These data support the idea that EGF‐like peptides provide a common pathway mediating the meiosis‐inducing influence of FSH, cAMP pulsing, and PKC activation in mouse CEO by a gap junction‐dependent process. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 75: 105–114, 2008. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.