Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 17, 2026

Single-cell Microinjection for Cell Communication Analysis
Published on: February 26, 2017
Intercellular communication in the mammalian ovary: oocytes carry the conversation
Martin M Matzuk1, Kathleen H Burns, Maria M Viveiros
1Department of Pathology, Baylor College of Medicine, 1 Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA. mmatzuk@bcm.tmc.edu
Abstract:
The production of functional female gametes is essential for the propagation of all vertebrate species. The growth of oocytes within ovarian follicles and their development to mature eggs have fascinated biologists for centuries, and scientists have long realized the importance of the ovarian follicle's somatic cells in nurturing oogenesis and delivering the oocyte to the oviduct by ovulation. Recent studies have revealed key roles of the oocyte in folliculogenesis and established that bidirectional communication between the oocyte and companion somatic cells is essential for development of an egg competent to undergo fertilization and embryogenesis. The challenge for the future is to identify the factors that participate in this communication and their mechanisms of action.
Related Concept Videos
Contact-dependent Signaling
Gap Junctions
In animal cells, gap junctions are formed...
Fertilization
What is Cell Signaling?
Gap Junctions
What is Cell Signaling?
Gap Junctions

