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Updated: Jul 13, 2026

Mouse Oocyte Microinjection, Maturation and Ploidy Assessment
Published on: July 23, 2011
Meiotic arrest in the mouse follicle maintained by a Gs protein in the oocyte
Lisa M Mehlmann1, Teresa L Z Jones, Laurinda A Jaffe
1Department of Physiology, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT 06032, USA. lmehlman@neuron.uchc.edu
Abstract:
The mammalian ovarian follicle consists of a multilayered complex of somatic cells that surround the oocyte. A signal from the follicle cells keeps the oocyte cell cycle arrested at prophase of meiosis I until luteinizing hormone from the pituitary acts on the follicle cells to release the arrest, causing meiosis to continue. Here we show that meiotic arrest can be released in mice by microinjecting the oocyte within the follicle with an antibody that inhibits the stimulatory heterotrimeric GTP-binding protein Gs. This indicates that Gs activity in the oocyte is required to maintain meiotic arrest within the ovarian follicle and suggests that the follicle may keep the cell cycle arrested by activating Gs.
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