颗粒细胞在卵母细胞发育成熟中的作用

卵泡的发育是涉及多种细胞、多个阶段的复杂过程,其中颗粒细胞和卵母细胞是构成卵泡的重要细胞,卵泡的形成需要颗粒细胞与卵母细胞间密切的相互作用。在促性腺激素等多种激素和信号分子作用下,颗粒细胞增殖、分化,并通过间隙连接与周围的颗粒细胞、卵母细胞、膜细胞进行物质交换和信号传递,卵母细胞也可分泌多种因子反作用于颗粒细胞。颗粒细胞与卵母细胞间的相互作用涉及多条信号通路,这些信号通路间同样存在相互影响,决定卵泡的成熟或闭锁。当这些信号通路被过度激活或抑制时,可影响细胞因子的生成或传递,从而引起颗粒细胞或卵泡的凋亡,具体机制尚未明确。本文就卵泡的形成,颗粒细胞与卵母细胞、膜细胞在发育过程中的相互作用以及涉及的重要信号通路进行综述。

The Role of Granulosa Cells in Oocyte Maturation

The development of ovarian follicle is a complicated process invoved in a variety of cells and multiple stages. Granulosa cell and oocyte are important cells of ovarian follicle. Folliculogenesis requires a carefully orchestrated cross talk between the oocyte and granulosa cells. With the adaption of gonadotropin and other hormones or signal molecules, granulosa cells proliferated, differentiated, exchange material and signal molecular with surrounding granulosa cells, oocytes as well as theca cells through the gap junction. Meanwhile, oocytes can also secrete factors to retract granulosa cells. The interaction between granulosa cells and oocyte involves multiple signaling pathways, which determine the follicle maturation or atresia. Cytokines generation and transmission are changed by some of the over-activated or inhibited signal pathways, which could induce apoptosis. However, the specific mechanism was unclear. This review discussed the follicular formation, the interaction between oocyte and granulosa cells and theca cells during development, as well as signaling pathways.