Ultrastructural changes during meiotic maturation in mammalian oocytes: unique aspects of the human oocyte

This paper reviews the process of peri-ovulatory oocyte maturation and the ultrastructural organization of the human egg and compares it with that of the mouse. The main thrust of the paper is on the human, since there are several reviews on the mouse. Both preovulatory and postovulatory events at fertilization, as well as some of the aberrant features of maturation are covered. Some changes induced by oocyte culture and cooling in the human are also included. The report attempts to focus on unique features of the human oocyte and shows a variety of ultrastructural differences between human and murine oocytes, which may well reflect differences in their physiology and biochemistry. Based on these differences and further observations on the process of fertilization of both species, particularly with respect to the inheritance of paternal centrioles, it is concluded that the mouse may not be a suitable model for the development and refinement of current procedures in human assisted reproductive technology.