Cyclic AMP levels during the maturation of Xenopus oocytes

While several studies have suggested that the induction of oocyte maturation results from a transient decrease in cAMP levels, attempts to demonstrate such a change have led to inconsistent results with respect to whether or not a decrease occurs as well as timing of the decrease. In this report the results of experiments designed to demonstrate small changes in cAMP content in Xenopus laevis oocytes are presented and a statistically significant 20% decrease in cAMP content from between 2 and 50 min postprogesterone addition is found. The cAMP content subsequently rises to 12% higher than control levels and then becomes indistinguishable from control values for the remainder of the maturation period.