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Related Concept Videos

Contact-dependent Signaling01:19

Contact-dependent Signaling

Contact-dependent signaling, as the name suggests, requires that communicating cells be in direct contact with each other. This is achieved either through receptor-ligand interactions or by specialized cytoplasmic channels that allow the flow of small molecules between cells. In animal cells, channels called gap junctions facilitate contact-dependent signaling in certain tissues, whereas, plasmodesmata perform a similar function in plants.
Gap Junctions
In animal cells, gap junctions are formed...
Gap Junctions01:37

Gap Junctions

Multicellular organisms employ a variety of ways for cells to communicate with each other. Gap junctions are specialized proteins that form pores between neighboring cells in animals, connecting the cytoplasm between the two, and allowing for the exchange of molecules and ions. They are found in a wide range of invertebrate and vertebrate species, mediate numerous functions including cell differentiation and development, and are associated with numerous human diseases, including cardiac and...
Gap Junctions01:27

Gap Junctions

The cytoplasm of adjacent animal cells can exchange small molecules, ions, and secondary messengers via the communication channels which form the gap junctions. These junctions comprise a few hundred to thousands of molecular channels, each made of two halves, called the connexon hemichannel. A connexon is a hexamer of six transmembrane connexin proteins, which assemble radially, thus forming a pore or channel in the center. One connexon hemichannel docks with a corresponding connexon on the...
Overview of Cell-Cell Junctions01:14

Overview of Cell-Cell Junctions

The complex three-dimensional arrangement of cells in any multicellular organism is defined and maintained by interactions of cells with each other and the extracellular matrix. Cell-cell junctions are specialized structures where the multi-protein complexes on one cell interact with the multi-protein complexes on another  cell. These cell junctions are classified  into three main types based on their function — occluding, anchoring, and gap junctions.
Occluding or Tight Junctions
Tight...
Overview of Cell-Cell Junctions01:14

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The complex three-dimensional arrangement of cells in any multicellular organism is defined and maintained by interactions of cells with each other and the extracellular matrix. Cell-cell junctions are specialized structures where the multi-protein complexes on one cell interact with the multi-protein complexes on another  cell. These cell junctions are classified  into three main types based on their function — occluding, anchoring, and gap junctions.
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Overview of Cell-Matrix Interactions01:24

Overview of Cell-Matrix Interactions

The extracellular matrix or ECM holds cells together to form a tissue and allows the cells within the tissue to communicate. ECM comprises proteins such as fibronectin, collagen, laminin, etc. The most abundant protein in this space is collagen. Collagen fibers are interwoven with carbohydrate-containing protein molecules called proteoglycans. ECM allows cell migration and provides a structural scaffold at cell adhesion that anchors the cell when the extracellular matrix proteins interact with...

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Recording Gap Junction Current from Xenopus Oocytes
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Published on: January 21, 2022

Gap junction -mediated cAMP movement between oocytes and somatic cells.

Guan Kun Mao1, Jun Xia Li, Feng Hua Bian

  • 1State Key Laboratory for Agrobiotechnology, College of Biological Science, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.

Frontiers in Bioscience (Elite Edition)
|January 2, 2013
PubMed
Summary

Inhibiting gap junctional communication in oocytes triggers meiotic resumption by increasing cyclic AMP (cAMP). This suggests cAMP moves from oocytes to cumulus cells, impacting oocyte maturation.

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Area of Science:

  • Reproductive Biology
  • Cell Signaling
  • Molecular Endocrinology

Background:

  • Cyclic AMP (cAMP) is crucial for oocyte meiotic maturation.
  • The origins of the cAMP surge and its movement via gap junctions during maturation remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the source and direction of cAMP movement during oocyte maturation.
  • To elucidate the role of gap junctional communication (GJC) in regulating cAMP levels and meiotic resumption.

Main Methods:

  • Inhibition of GJC using carbenoxolone in follicle-enclosed oocytes (FEOs).
  • Measurement of intracellular cAMP concentrations in oocytes and cumulus cells.
  • Analysis of adenylyl cyclase and PDE3A expression.
  • Assessment of MAPK and PKA activation.
  • Hormonal and pharmacological treatments (forskolin, follicle-stimulating hormone).

Main Results:

  • Carbenoxolone-induced meiotic resumption in ~90% of FEOs, associated with a cAMP surge.
  • Higher cAMP concentration in oocytes than cumulus cells, indicating oocyte-to-cumulus cAMP diffusion.
  • Adenylyl cyclase mRNAs and proteins predominantly found in oocytes.
  • Persistent forskolin-induced maturation was blocked by carbenoxolone, but transient forskolin or FSH treatments were unaffected.
  • Sequential carbenoxolone and forskolin treatment inhibited maturation.

Conclusions:

  • Gap junctional communication inhibition is a potent trigger for oocyte meiotic resumption.
  • cAMP likely diffuses from the oocyte to surrounding cumulus cells, influencing maturation.
  • Oocyte-intrinsic factors, including adenylyl cyclases, are key sources of cAMP for maturation.