Hyperthermia specifically inhibits bivalent chromosome disjunction in maturing mouse oocytes

The effect of hyperthermia on mammalian oocyte maturation was studied by allowing preovulatory mouse oocytes to mature spontaneously for 17 h in vitro under controlled temperature conditions. At the end of culture, oocytes were screened for their maturation stage and for chromosome morphology and number. Mild hyperthermic conditions (38.5-40.0 degrees C) during maturation specifically disturbed the process of bivalent chromosome disjunction, but not other maturation steps, by blocking oocytes at the metaphase I stage and preventing cells from entering subsequent maturation steps. Some oocytes that had reached metaphase II under hyperthermic conditions had chromosome imbalance. Oocytes matured at 40.0 degrees C displayed chromosome morphological abnormalities, including altered sister chromatid separation and nucleus/nuclei formation, at a frequency significantly higher than oocytes matured at 37.0-39.0 degrees C. When incubation temperature was raised above 40.0 degrees C, increasing fractions of oocytes were inhibited from entering initial maturation steps. We conclude that hyperthermia during mammalian oocyte maturation specifically damages the process of bivalent chromosome disjunction and induces the appearance of chromosome structural defects and imbalance in unfertilized eggs.