Function of the cumulus oophorus before and during mammalian fertilization

Fertilization encompasses a series of different steps which have to be performed in a well-orchestrated way to create a new individual. They include sperm capacitation, sperm binding and penetration of the zona pellucida, traversing the perivitelline space, binding and fusion with the oolemma, activation of the oocyte and decondensation of the sperm head to form the male pronucleus. In most mammalian species, cumulus cells surround the oocyte at the time of fertilization. Removal of the cumulus oophorus at this point of time often leads to a drop in fertilization rates. It is not yet known how cumulus cells interact with the oocyte or with spermatozoa to promote fertilization. There are different possibilities: 1 cumulus cells cause mechanical entrapment of spermatozoa and guide hyperactivated spermatozoa towards the oocyte, while preventing abnormal spermatozoa to enter the cumulus matrix; 2 cumulus cells create a micro-environment for the spermatozoa which favours their capacitation and penetration into the oocyte; 3 cumulus cells prevent changes in the oocyte which are unfavourable for normal fertilization; these changes can be located in the zona pellucida or in the cytoplasm. In this review, studies in several species are listed to prove the importance of these three cumulus cell functions and the current lines of research are highlighted. Moreover, different ways to improve in vitro fertilization of bovine cumulus-denuded oocytes are discussed.