Mitochondrial Ca2 + Is Related to Mitochondrial Activity and Dynamic Events in Mouse Oocytes

Abstract

Mitochondrial energy insufficiency is strongly associated with oocyte activation disorders. Ca²⁺, especially that in the mitochondrial matrix, plays a pivotal role in mitochondrial energy supplementation, but the underlying mechanisms are still only poorly understood. An encoded mitochondrial matrix Ca²⁺ probe (Mt-GCaMP6s) was introduced to observe mitochondrial Ca²⁺ ([Ca²⁺]_m) dynamic changes during oocyte maturation and activation. We found that active mitochondria surrounding the nucleus showed a higher [Ca²⁺]_m than those distributed in the cortex during oocyte maturation. During oocyte partheno-activation, the patterns of Ca²⁺ dynamic changes were synchronous in the cytoplasm and mitochondria. Such higher concentration of mitochondrial matrix Ca²⁺ was closely related to the distribution of mitochondrial calcium uptake (MICU) protein. We further showed that higher [Ca²⁺]_m mitochondria around the chromosomes in oocytes might have a potential role in stimulating mitochondrial energy for calmodulin-responsive oocyte spindle formation, while synchronizing Ca²⁺ functions in the cytoplasm and nuclear area are important for oocyte activation.

Keywords: Ca2+ oscillations; mitochondrial Ca2+; oocyte activation; oocyte maturation; oocyte metabolism.