Nitric oxide signaling during meiotic cell cycle regulation in mammalian oocytes

Abstract

Nitric oxide (NO) acts as a major signal molecules and modulate physiology of mammalian oocytes. Ovarian follicles generate large amount of NO through nitric oxide synthase (NOS) pathway to maintain diplotene arrest in preovulatory oocytes. Removal of oocytes from follicular microenvironment or follicular rupture during ovulation disrupt the flow of NO from granulosa cells to the oocyte that results a transient decrease of oocyte cytoplasmic NO level. Decreased NO level reduces cyclic nucleotides level by inactivating guanylyl cyclases directly or indirectly. The reduced cyclic nucleotides level modulate specific phosphorylation status of cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (Cdk1) and triggers cyclin B1 degradation. These changes result in maturation promoting factor (MPF) destabilization that finally triggers meiotic resumption from diplotene as well as metaphase-II (M-II) arrest in most of the mammalian species.