2-Hydroxyestradiol-17β-induced oocyte maturation in catfish (Heteropneustes fossilis) involves protein kinase C and its interaction with protein phosphatases

In vitro effects of phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), a protein kinase C (PKC) activator, calphostin C (PKC inhibitor) and okadaic acid [OA, a protein phosphatase (PP; PP1 and PP2A) inhibitor] on 2-hydroxyestradiol-17β (2-OHE2)-induced oocyte maturation were investigated in the catfish Heteropneustes fossilis. Incubations of postvitellogenic follicles with PMA or OA alone did not induce oocyte maturation. However, co-incubations with 2-OHE2 and PMA (0.05, 0.5 and 5 μM) or 2-OHE2 and OA (0.5, 1.0 or 2.0 μM) increased germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD) significantly over that of 2-OHE2. Incubation of follicles with calphostin C elicited varied effects on GVBD, low (0.005 and 0.01 μM) and high (5.0 and 10.0 μM) concentrations did not affect GVBD, but medium concentrations (0.05, 0.1, 0.5, 1.0 and 2.5 μM) stimulated it. The medium concentrations elicited a biphasic stimulatory response with peak GVBD at 0.1 μM (54%). Calphostin C (≥ 2.5 μM) inhibited the 2-OHE2-induced GVBD in a concentration-dependent manner during the 24 h incubation. Pre- or post-treatment with calphostin C inhibited the steroid-induced GVBD only at 6 h. In co-incubation studies, both PMA and OA reversed the inhibitory effect of calphostin C: the former partially and the latter fully. The results of the present study show that PKC appears to modulate the 2-OHE2-induced oocyte maturation. The OA-sensitive PP may be involved in the PKC modulation of steroid-induced oocyte maturation.