The human cumulus–oocyte complex gene-expression profile

Assou, Said
Anahory, Tal
Pantesco, Véronique
Le Carrour, Tanguy
Pellestor, Franck
Klein, Bernard
Reyftmann, Lionel
Dechaud, Hervé
De Vos, John
Hamamah, Samir

¹CHU Montpellier, Institut de Recherche en BiothÉrapie, Hôpital Saint-Eloi, Montpellier, France
²INSERM, U 475
³Université Montpellier1, UFR de médecine, Montpellier, France
⁴CHU Montpellier, Service de Biologie de la Reproduction B, Hôpital Arnaud de Villeneuve, Montpellier, France
⁵Institut de Génétique Humaine, CNRS UPR1142, Montpellier, France
⁶CHU Montpellier, Service de Gynécologie-Obstétrique B, Hôpital Arnaud de Villeneuve, Montpellier, France

⁷To whom correspondence should be addressed at: Research Institute for Biotherapy, HÔpital Saint-Eloi, 80 rue Augustin Fliche, 34295 Montpellier Cedex 5, France. E-mail: [email protected]

⁸To whom correspondence should be addressed at: CHU Montpellier, Service de Biologie de la Reproduction B, HÔpital Arnaud de Villeneuve, 371, av. du Doyen Gaston Giraud, 34295 Montpellier Cedex 5. E-mail: [email protected]

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Submitted on November 20, 2005; resubmitted on February 6, 2006; accepted on February 10, 2006

Human Reproduction 21(7):p 1705-1719, July 2006.

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 oligonucleotide 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 up-regulated 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-to-cell signalling genes including TNFSF11/RANKL, numerous complement components, semaphorins (SEMA3A, SEMA6A and SEMA6D) and CD genes such as CD200. We also identified 52 genes progressively increasing during oocyte maturation, including CDC25A and SOCS7.

CONCLUSION

The identification of genes that were 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 tumours.