language: en

The human cumulus-oocyte complex gene expression profile

Said Assou �,*,? , Tal Anahory ? , Véronique Pantesco * , Tanguy Le Carrour � , Franck Pellestor ?,? , Bernard Klein *,�,? , Lionel Reyftmann # , Hervé Dechaud # , John De Vos *,�,?, 1 and Samir Hamamah *,�, ? ,? , 1
� CHU Montpellier, Institut de Recherche en Biothérapie, Hôpital Saint-Eloi,
Montpellier, F-34000 France ;
* INSERM, U 475,
Montpellier, F-34000 France ;
? Université MONTPELLIER1, UFR de médecine,
Montpellier, F-34000 France ;
? CHU Montpellier, Service de Biologie de la Reproduction B, Hôpital Arnaud de Villeneuve,
Montpellier, F-34000 France ;
? Institut de Génétique Humaine, CNRS UPR1142,
F-34396 Montpellier;
# CHU Montpellier, Service de Gynécologie-Obstétrique B, Hôpital Arnaud de Villeneuve,
MONTPELLIER, F-34000 France.

[Running Title: Gene expression profiling of oocytes]

Key words: oocytes, germinal cells, microarray, cumulus

[To whom correspondence should be addressed:]

Pr. Samir Hamamah,
CHU Montpellier, Service de Biologie de la Reproduction B , Hôpital Arnaud de Villeneuve,
371, av. du Doyen Gaston Giraud, 34295 MONTPELLIER cedex 5,

[Fax: + 33 4 67 33 62 90.]

Email: shamamah@chu-montpellier.fr
Dr John De Vos,
Research Institute for Biotherapy, Hôpital Saint-Eloi,
80 rue Augustin Fliche, 34295 Montpellier Cedex 5, France.

[Fax: 33-(0)4-67-33-01-13.]

Email: devos@montp.inserm.fr

[HAL author manuscript]

inserm-00130809, version 1

[HAL author manuscript]

[Hum Reprod 07/2006; 21(7): 1705-19]

BACKGROUND: The understanding of the mechanisms regulating human oocyte maturation is still rudimentary. We have identified transcripts differentially expressed between immature and mature oocytes, and cumulus cells. METHODS: Using oligonucleotides microarrays, genome wide gene expression was studied in pooled immature and mature oocytes or cumulus cells from patients who underwent IVF. RESULTS: In addition to known genes such as DAZL, BMP15 or GDF9, oocytes upregulated 1514 genes. We show that PTTG3 and AURKC are respectively the securin and the Aurora kinase preferentially expressed during oocyte meiosis. Strikingly, oocytes overexpressed previously unreported growth factors such as TNFSF13/APRIL, FGF9, FGF14, and IL4, and transcription factors including OTX2, SOX15 and SOX30. Conversely, cumulus cells, in addition to known genes such as LHCGR or BMPR2, overexpressed cell-tocell signaling genes including TNFSF11/RANKL, numerous complement components, semaphorins (SEMA3A, SEMA6A, SEMA6D) and CD genes such as CD200. We also identified 52 genes progressively increasing during oocyte maturation, comprising CDC25A and SOCS7. CONCLUSION: The identification of genes up and down regulated during oocyte maturation greatly improves our understanding of oocyte biology and will provide new markers that signal viable and competent oocytes. Furthermore, genes found expressed in cumulus cells are potential markers of granulosa cell tumors.

[HAL author manuscript]

inserm-00130809, version 1

Introduction