Oocyte cell-to-cell communication.

<p><b>(A)</b> Immunofluorescent expression and localization of occludin (a marker for tight junctions), N-cadherin and β-catenin (markers for adherens junctions), connexin 37 (a marker for gap junctions) and phosphorylated GSK3β (for β-catenin signalling) in germinal vesicle stage in WT and ZP3-KO oocytes. <b>(B and C)</b> Western blot analysis of N-cadherin, β-catenin and connexin 37 in Metaphase II oocytes and cumulus cells of WT and ZP3-KO mice. Quantification of proteins in both genotypes is shown on the side of the western-blot. *, <i>P</i> < 0.05, **, <i>P</i> < 0.01.