to investigate mechanisms of follicle cell control on mammalian oocyte growth , preantral mouse oocytes free from surrounding follicle cells were individually cocultured with monolayers of different somatic cells competent to form gap junctions , and the rate of in vitro oocyte growth was directly correlated with the level of metabolic coupling on the same cells .
C0029045
oocytes
C0018120
follicle