Mammalian cumulus-oocyte complex communication: a dialog through long and short distance messaging

Communications are crucial to ovarian follicle development and to ovulation, and while both folliculogenesis and oogenesis are distinct processes, they share highly interdependent signaling pathways.
Signals from distant organs such as the brain must be processed and compartments within the follicle have to be synchronized.
The hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal (HPG) axis relies on long-distance signalling analogous to wireless communication by which data is disseminated in the environment and cells equipped with the appropriate receptors receive and interpret the messages.
In contrast, direct cell-to-cell transfer of molecules is a very targeted, short distance messaging system.

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