Decrease of histone H1 kinase activity in relation to parthenogenetic activation of pig follicular oocytes matured and aged in vitro.

Changes of histone H1 kinase activity before and after electrical stimulation were connected with the ability of cytoplasm of pig oocytes to be activated parthenogenetically when matured and aged in vitro. Cumulus-oocyte complexes were collected from prepubertal gilts and cultured in a modified Waymouth's MB752/1 medium. The first mature oocytes were observed after 30 h of culture. After 36 h of culture, about 65% of oocytes had matured (reached metaphase II stage with the first polar body). When oocytes matured after 36 h of culture were stimulated with an electric pulse and subsequently cultured for 10 h, only 7% became parthenogenetically activated (formation of a female pronucleus). When oocytes matured for 60 h and 72 h underwent the same treatment, significantly more became activated parthenogenetically (46% and 57%, respectively). Oocytes matured for 72 h but not stimulated electrically also exhibited high spontaneous parthenogenetic activation (24%). Activation of oocytes resulted either in the formation of a female pronucleus(ei) or in fragmentation of oocytes. Fragmentation in stimulated and nonstimulated oocytes increased significantly after 72 h of culture (37% and 18%, respectively). Histone H1 kinase activity in immature oocytes at the germinal vesicle stage was low (17.2 fmol h-1 per oocyte). However, when oocytes were cultured for 36 and 48 h, histone H1 kinase activity increased significantly (168.2 and 138.5 fmol h-1 per oocyte, respectively). Prolonged culture (60 h and 72 h) resulted in a significant decrease in histone H1 kinase activity (94.3 and 49.3 fmol h-1 per oocyte, respectively). When oocytes cultured for up to 72 h were electrically stimulated, histone H1 kinase activity in activated oocytes (oocytes that formed a female pronucleus and fragmented oocytes) was significantly lower (24.7 mol h-1 per oocyte) than that in nonactivated oocytes (99.9 mol h-1 per oocyte). The present data clearly indicate that the gradual decrease of histone H1 kinase activity is correlated with ageing of oocytes matured in vitro and with their ability to be parthenogenetically activated.