Na(+) /H(+) exchange is inactivated during mouse oocyte meiosis, facilitating glycine accumulation that maintains cell volume in embryos. Zhou C et al. The coupled action of the Na(+) /H(+) exchanger NHE1 and the HCO3 (-) /Cl(-) exchanger AE2 constitutes the principal mechanism for acute correction of decreased cell volume in mammalian somatic cells, while, when acting separately, they regulate intracellular pH. It was previously found that AE2 becomes inactivated during meiosis in mouse oocytes. Similarly, NHE1 activity stimulated by intracellular acidosis was present in preovulatory germinal vesicle stage (GV) mouse oocytes and then decreased during meiotic maturation. In contrast, NHE1 activity stimulated by decreased cell volume was low in GV oocytes but became active during meiotic maturation as the oocyte detached from the zona pellucida. It then decreased again in mature eggs similar to activity stimulated by acidosis. The subcellular localization of NHE1 was investigated with YFP-tagged NHE1. Exogenous NHE1 expressed in GV oocytes localized to the plasma membrane and resulted in increased Na(+) /H(+) exchanger activity, but only when co-expressed with Calcineurin Homologous Protein 1 (CHP1). When oocytes expressing functional NHE1 were matured to eggs, however, membrane localization of NHE1 and Na(+) /H(+) exchanger activity were lost. It was unknown why NHE1 and AE2 activities are suppressed during meiotic maturation. Maintenance of cell volume in preimplantation embryos requires glycine accumulation via the GLYT1 transporter, a process unique to eggs and early embryos that is initiated during meiotic maturation. When NHE1 and AE2 activities were maintained in GV oocytes by exogenous expression, glycine accumulation was inhibited. We propose that NHE1-mediated acute cell volume regulation is inactivated during meiotic maturation to allow preferential accumulation of glycine in eggs. J. Cell. Physiol. 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Expression regulated by
Comment
Ovarian localization
Oocyte, Granulosa
Comment
Granulosa cells regulate oocyte intracellular pH against acidosis in preantral follicles by multiple mechanisms. Fitzharris G et al. Mammalian oocytes grow within ovarian follicles in which the oocyte is coupled to surrounding granulosa cells by gap junctions. We report here that growing oocytes isolated from mouse preantral follicles are incapable of recovering from an experimentally induced acidosis, and that oocytes acquire the ability to manage acid loads by activating Na(+)/H(+) exchange during growth. By contrast, granulosa cells from similar preantral follicles possess substantial Na(+)/H(+) exchange capacity, which is attributable to the simultaneous action of two Na(+)/H(+) exchanger isoforms: NHE1 and NHE3. Granulosa cells were also found to possess a V-type H(+)-ATPase that drives partial acidosis recovery when Na(+)/H(+) exchange is inactivated. By monitoring intracellular pH (pHi) in small follicle-enclosed oocytes, we found that the oocyte has access to each of these acidosis-correcting activities, such that small follicle-enclosed oocytes readily recover from acidosis in a manner resembling granulosa cells. However, follicle-enclosed oocytes are unable to access these activities if gap-junction communication within the follicle is inhibited. Together, these experiments identify the NHE isoforms involved in regulating oocyte pHi, indicate that gap junctions allow granulosa cells to exogenously regulate oocyte pHi against acidosis until the oocyte has acquired endogenous pHi regulation, and reveal that granulosa cells possess multiple mechanisms for carrying out this function.