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. 2010 Nov 3;24(12):2303–2314. doi: 10.1210/me.2010-0260

Figure 7.

Figure 7

Coordination of oocyte-derived paracrine factors (ODFs) and other intrafollicular factors in cumulus cell development and function. ODFs coordinate with E2 to promote the preantral granulosa cell-to-cumulus cell phenotype and then the maintenance of this phenotype in antral follicles. In antral follicles, ODFs promote the expression of EGF receptors (EGFR) in cumulus cells to prepare for the LH-dependent generation of EGFLPs that induce cumulus expansion (50,51). After initial stimulation by EGFLPs, the cumulus cells also produce EGFLPs to amplify the signal (23). ODFs also promote the production of E2 by cumulus cells (45). Finally, ODFs are required to enable cumulus expansion in response to stimulation by EGFLPs (25,35).