Activation of bovine oocytes by protein synthesis inhibitors: New findings on the role of MPF/MAPKs†.

The present study evaluated the mechanism by which protein synthesis inhibitors activate bovine oocytes. The aim was to analyze the dynamics of MPF and MAPKs. MII oocytes were activated with ionomycin (Io), ionomycin+anisomycin (ANY) and ionomycin+cycloheximide (CHX) and by in vitro fertilization (IVF). The expression of cyclin B1, p-CDK1, p-ERK1/2, p-JNK and p-P38 were evaluated by immunodetection and the kinase activity of ERK1/2 was measured by enzyme assay. Evaluations at 1, 4 and 15 hours, post-activation (hpa) showed that the expression of cyclin B1 was not modified by the treatments. ANY inactivated MPF by p-CDK1Thr14-Tyr15 at 4 hpa (p < 0.05), CHX increased pre-MPF (p-CDK1Thr161 and p-CDK1Thr14-Tyr15) at 1 hpa and IVF increased p-CDK1Thr14-Tyr15 at 17 hpf (p < 0.05). ANY and CHX reduced the levels of p-ERK1/2 at 4 hpa (p < 0.05) and its activity at 4 and 1 hpa, respectively (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, IVF increased p-ERK1/2 at 6 hpf (p < 0.05); however, its kinase activity decreased at 6 hpf (p < 0.05). p-JNK in ANY, CHX and IVF oocytes decreased at 4 hpa (p < 0.05). p-P38 was only observed at 1 hpa, with no differences between treatments. In conclusion, activation of bovine oocytes by ANY, CHX and IVF inactivates MPF by CDK1-dependent specific phosphorylation without cyclin B1 degradation. ANY or CHX promoted this inactivation, which seemed to be more delayed in the physiological activation (IVF). Both inhibitors modulated MPF activity via an ERK1/2-independent-pathway, whereas IVF activated the bovine oocytes via an ERK1/2-dependent pathway. Finally, ANY does not activate the JNK and P38 kinase pathways.