Abstract
Studies in mice demonstrated that C-type natriuretic peptide precursor (NPPC) and its receptor type 2 (NPR2) are essential for the maintenance of meiotic arrest in the oocyte. Paracrine factors secreted by the oocyte (such as bone morphogenetic protein or BMP15), seem to modulate the system stimulating NPR2 gene expression in cumulus cells. Consequently, the NPPC, NPR2 and BMP15 system ar…