Changes in key enzyme activities and metabolites during in vitro maturation of Apostichopus japonicus oocyte under desiccation stress

Understanding the physiological changes of oocyte in vitro maturation are important for improving in in vitro fertilization rates and embryonic development. In this study, Apostichopus japonicus gonads were dissected, and the oocytes and gonadal fluid extracted from the gonads were dried in darkness to induce oocyte maturation. The changes in the germinal vesicle breakdown percentage (GVBDP), superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, and the concentrations of glutathione (GSH), cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), adenylyl cyclase (AC), protein kinase C (PKC), oestradiol (E2), and metabolites in gonadal fluid-oocyte complexes (GFOC) were detected during desiccation. The GVBDP peaked at 85% after 2 hr of desiccation. The SOD activity and GSH concentration in GFOC increased significantly during desiccation, reaching their maximum values at 0.5 and 2 hr of desiccation respectively (p < 0.05). The concentrations of cAMP, AC, PKC, and E2 decreased significantly during the desiccation treatment (p < 0.05) and reached relatively stable levels after 1 hr of desiccation. After 2 hr of desiccation, among the 68 metabolites detected in the GFOC, the concentrations of 52 metabolites increased and those of 16 metabolites decreased. This study not only provides an effective and simple technique for in vitro induction of A. japonicus oocyte maturation under desiccation stress, but also improves our understanding of gamete biology in this species.