Functional signaling and gene regulatory networks between the oocyte and the surrounding cumulus cells

The maturation of an oocyte, the female gamete, during folliculogenesis is highly dependent on the molecular interaction with the somatic cells. Here we generated transcriptome data of single oocytes and the surrounding cumulus cells from antral follicles, and developed an analytical framework to unveil their inter-cellular communication. We identified hundreds of ligand-receptors pairs that can transduce paracrine signaling between oocyte and cumulus. Several of the ligand-coding genes expressed in oocytes and cumulus cells are also functionally associated with regulation of transcription. Ligand-coding genes expressed in oocytes or cumulus showed distinct enrichment for biological functions that are likely associated with a coordinated formation of the transzonal projections from the cumulus that reach the oocyte's membrane. Finally, there were thousands of gene pairs with non-trivial linear co-expression pattern between oocytes and cumulus cells. Our analyses revealed a complex and functional regulatory circuit between the oocyte and surrounding cumulus cells. Overall design: Transcriptome data was generated from cumulus cells and oocytes from the same cumulus-oocyte complex

48

Biase FH, Kimble KM